The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-19

was to respond to the toast of the 'poe-
try and oratory of Ireland" When 1 re-
celved your invitation a story occurred
TO my mind which could only be made
appropriate by standing it on its head.
ministerial friend of mine was once
approached by a seeker after light who
requested that he should preach a SER
Inon on certain text in the book of
Revelations. which says:
There shall be no more sea-
Very well" replied my friend, 81 shall
be glad to do So
We'll, when will you preach it?'
Right now" replied my friend
20, 1 don't mean that. 1 mean that
want you to prepare a set sermon and
give us scientific exegesis in the light
of modern research
well, my dear SIR" said my friend. Il
can tell you everything l know about it
right now: There shall be no more sea- 5"
l have not had the opportunity l would
nave desired to prepare for this occasion,
but would blush, sir, if whatever IA
miliarity ] may have with poetry and ora
tory as a whole were not so largely DOM
mated by the poetry and oratory of Ire
land that half the couplets are tintinabu-
lated to the Bells o. Shandon and the
most persuasive periods come rolling wit I
these master winds who have given me-
li1uous sweetness to the Milesian tongue ?
There are thirteen Irish orators and a
hundred and ten poets whose names stand
unchalenged in the pantheon of Fine. l
shall not even pause to enumerate them
lest l move you to such anger as Mr..
She'll records when the Irish bailiff went
to serve an attachment on a gentleman
who had gone to bed. The bailiff report
Cd - 10. e M. a
the gentleman appeared with a musket,
or blunderbuss, at one of the upper win
dows, and pointing said musket or blum
derbuss at this deponent, threatened 20
send his soul to hell--which this deponent
verify believes he would have done"
l cannot pause even to name all the
orators of Ireland; and yet where shall
we give the precedence? Shall il be the
stormy O'Connel.. whose thunders shook
from the grasp of tyranny the only char
ter of Irish freedom? Shall it be the pro-
team Curran. droil and passionate by turns
whose defense of Hamilton Rowan
brought tears from the eyes of the judges
and from Lord Brougham the tribute
that II was the greatest speech by an
advocate in ancient or modern times ?
Shall it be the brilliant Sheridan, whose
very dregs," as Byron declared, were
better than other mems wine?" Shall II
be the martyred Emmett. hurting defiance
in the face of his judges and yet Offering
to plead guilty IL but allowed to write
one farewell line to the woman he loved
Shall II be the stately Burke, whose mer-
CHESS logic made Warren Hastings declare
that he fe.t himself the guiltiest man on
earth? Give any of these the precedence
and what becomes of the cultured Bushe.
who is said to have handed up a law
point with as courtly grace as II he were
handing a handkerchief to a duchess; or
of our wise and witty friend Plunket.
who. when told that his successor in
office was terribly sea-sick in crossing the
Irish channel. ruefully remarked that he
wasn't sick enough to throw up the seats
Perhaps. after all, the precedence be-
longs to
Ever glorious Grattan, the best Of the
good.
SO simple in heart, so sublime in the
rest,
With all which Demosthenes wanted en-
dued
And his rival or victor In all he pos
sefsed"
But / have dwclt 20 long on the ora 10
tors that / can say bun "a word Tor the
poets. II isn't everybody who 81 willing
10 DO that. Some poets are born In ar
fucnce and some ore born Ia Ireland
but they ail reach the same level f they
stick 90 their irado
Shakespeare WAS no vile punster with
the irish bards in mind. whan be- rsfefr.
80 40 the pro. porous gales" They would
nave been guilty ~ violation ~ the
VOW of poverty which poetry imposes on
its fQfafief
Ana yos how ess9lAts vii be ths 1ay