The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-02-28
A PROTESTANT PATRIOT.

A PROTESTANT PATRIOT.
On next Wednesday, the 4th of
March, the 124th anniversary Of the
birth of Robert Emmett, the Irish
patriot and martyr, Will be celebra ted
by the Ancient Order of Hibernians in
Minneapolis and st. Paul. Though the
young hero who forfeited his life OH
the scaffoll one hundred years ago in
Dublin, was a Protestant, his memory
is kept green in the hearts of his
Catholic countrymen and their de-
scendants in foreign lands. On every
18th of March in all parts of the world.
the Catholic sons of Erin assemble to
honor the beloved memory of Il noble
patriot OF the Protestant religion, who
lost his life in attempting to free Ire
land from the tyrannous yoke of Eng
land. No other people but the Irish
have ever celebrated the birthday an.
niverS;lry of IL man whose faith was
different from theirs. But the world
II
Tie pathetic story Of Emmet Is 50
universally known that it is needless
to repent it to the readers of this
paper. His life was brief but glorious.
The son Of Il physician to the viceroy
of Ireland, lie had every opportunity
of rising to distinction in the service
of England. But his father, though l,
frequenter of the Castle in his pro-
fessioml capacity, was an Irish patriot
Of the purest type, who took pains to
infuse a love of liberty and independ-
ence into the hearts Of his three SONS
Temple, Thomas Adds and Robert
and succeeded better than he antic-
ipmted. Temple died after displayin
respondent talents at the bar. Thom-
as Adds was imprisoned and then
banislled. and Robert. the youngest
son. was hanged i'm Thomas street,
Dublin. OH September 20. 1903, when
only twenty-four years of age.
When only nineteen years old. Rob
ert was SO Outspokcn against English
tyranny in Ireland that he was eX-
PEELED by order of Lord Clare from
Trinity College OH the charge of dis
loyalty to the government. One of his
fellow students was Thomas Moore.
"the poet of all circles and the idol of
his own" The authorities tried to in
timidate the poet in order to have him
give information against Emmett and
eighteen others, but the little fellow
never uttered one word to implicate
them. He loved Emmett like a brother
and has embalmed his memory in i'm
mortal lays. 1t is said that Emmett
advised Moore to keep out Of rcvolu-
tiOnary societies in order to avoid
giving trouble to his parents.
After Emmet's expulsion from col
lege he crossed over to the continent
and secured an audience with Napo
leon regarding an invasion Of Ireland.
but he soon realized that Napoleon
was a selfish despot who cared nothing
for liberty. Returning home. he set to
work manufacturing fire arms and
cOmbustibleS for an attack OH Dublin
Castle. He labored night and day
and spent his fortune in the cause Of
his country. When the time came to
strike the blow. he had but Il handful
of followers. 1t was not his fault, but
the fault of others who promised as
sistance and failed to make an appear
'ance Mt the appointed time.
Every one has read the trial of En-
met. His speech in the dock is one of
the classics. There are ten editions of
it in existence. but the one given by
DIR. Madden, biographer Of the United
Irishmen. is the best When inter-
rupted by Judge Norbury, the young
patriot said:
"Be vet patient! have but n few
more words to say-I am going to my
cold and silent grave-my lamp of life
is nearly extinguished-my race is run
the grave opens to receive me and
sink into its bosom. have but one
request to make at my departure from
this world. it is-the charity Of it's
silence. Let no man write my epitaph;
for as no man who knows my motives
dare now vindicate them, let not pref
udice or ignorance asperse them. Let
them and me rest in obscurity and
peace, and my tomb remain unin-
scribed and my memory in Oblivion
until other times and other men can
do justice to my charucter. When my
country takes her place among the
nations of the earth, then and not till
then let my epitaph be written"
This is the centennial year of En-.
NETS execution, but his epitaph still
remains unwritten. His memory