The Irish standard., 1903-12-05

lglOn, Tor iatherland and faith, and
the reason Of it is that the sacrifice
they make is universal in its benevo-
lcnce, entirely impersonal in its char
acter broadly and generously unset
fish, and wide and glorious in its in
iiucnce. A mother dies for her child
because she is bound to it by the clos
est ties OF affection, an affection which
Fcrvadcs every element Of nature; but
the patriotic soldier dies for all his
oountrymcn and brings the blessings
OF liberty to not only Indifferent re-
cipicnts, but even to those who at the
time dcprccatc his act and malign his
memory; and the first step OF the Sol
Gier OF the Cross is to sacrifice his
natural affections on the altar of lu-
manity, and, having subordinated the
domestic relations, to embrace in its
heart the holy brotherhood OF man un-
der the fatherland OF Him for whom
to die, under the pain Of persecution,
is to be the crowning glory OF his ex-
istence. The sacrifices for liberty and
faith are, therefore, tingcd with the
reflection Of the tremendous and all
absorbing glory OF the Divine Exam
pie, and the animatng idea is we'll ex-
pressed in the lines: .....
And whether on the gallows high
Or in the battles van, .
The noblcst place where man can die
Is where he dies for man.
And OF these martyrs what land has
produced so many as ireland? Every
page OF her history is stained with
their blood, every field OF her soil is
reminder Of their lives, every ruin is
monument to the tragedy Of their
exlstcncc--to the desperate defense
which they made for liberty and re-
llgion We feel the presence of their
holy shades over every valley; we
seem to discern their forms on the
tops OF the lofty hills; we can hear
the murmur Of their voices in the
waves that wash her shore, now the
soit s'ghs OF regret, and now the fierce
roar OF battle. From the sunny shores
oi the South to the dark forclands of
the North this mighty host still preach
end teach and stimulate. and the Celtic
imagination can feel their very pres
cncc on every foot of the holy soil of
ireland. 1t is a grand thing to saw
that nowhere else was Christianity re-
ccivcd so spontaneously and so OPEN
'1cartcdly as in Ireland 1t is a grand
cr thing to say that in the main its
martyrs fell by foreign swords or
were burned to death by fagots kindled
by alien hands, and that in the main
pagan Ireland did not persccute Chris
ton ireland, but received the holy
truths as the parchcd soil drinks up
the living waters which fructify and
beautify its bosom.
Very carly, too, liberty and faith be-
came synonymous. The dark cloud of
barbarism was ever beating on her
shore, threatening the national exist
ence, and venting its vengeance on
the sacred affairs of the Christian re-
l'gion. For bitter and bloody years
the ravens Of Odin uttered their fierce
war-cry over every Irish beach and
bay until Brian redeemed the waters
with the blood OF the wild Norselnen.
and died himself proto-martyr at
once to the intensity of his faith and
the ardor of his patriotism. And as
time rolled around was it wonder
that i'll such world and such sur
roundings new martyrs sprang into.
the gap at the first call of liberty, at
the first demand of nationality, at the
first opportunity to redeem the land
from alien rule?
1t would not be possible in the
short time allotted to the address to
analyzc the character of Tone, the
heroes OF Manchester, and the circun,-
stances and times in which they lived
and died. ] prefer, therefore, if you
will permit me, to rather reverse the
order OF events and speak OF those
who offered up their lives in the, heart