The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-02-25
IRELAND'S HERO.
Daniel O'Connell Described as WORLDS
Greatest Lavman.

scribed Daniel O'Connell in his lecture
on the Irish statesman ut the Lyceum
last week at Duluth, says the Daily
Herald of that city.
at is too much the fashion," said
the speaker, 'when placing models of
great men before the people, to delve
into the past. Ancient and medieval
annals are reviewed to get examples
which may be held up. But it is not
necessary to go beyond the last cen
fury. France, Spain, Italy, England
and this country have all had their
great men. But have chosen the
greatest of all for the subject of my
lecture, that glory Of the Irish race,
the model Of Il Catholic layman, the
prince Of his people, the liberator of
his native land, Daniel O'Connell.
1T was said of Ireland before O'Con-
nell's time that apes and balloons were
| better treated than the Irish papist
| When Mnntesquieu, the great French
man, took up the Irish code of laws
and examined it, he said that it could
lrive oecn forged only by devils and
registered only in hell.
| by the laws of that time the Irish
papist wa> excluded from parliament,
and was prohibited from holding the
lowest office. If he had children they
had to DC educated in Protestant
schools or remain ignorant. Catholics
We're not allowed to own property.
Pensions were offered to priests who
would forsake the Catholic faith.
Catholics couldn't live in certain cities.
\ reward was placed Oh the heads OF
priests and bishops. In short, tie
whole attitude of the law was summed
TIP in these words, which were placed
on the statute books t., the everlaSr-
ing infamy of the English people: "The
pursuit of and informing on papists
is service of great purpose to this
government
'Such was the condition Of affairs in
Ireland when the young lawyer set
foot OH his native land, and again in
1907, after an absence of several years
abroad. He was just 81 years of age
when he returned to witness his coun-
try's wrongs.
Gle had two great obstacles to con-
tend with. The first was the disheart-
cned condition of the people, and the
second the latent opposition Of the
Irish clergy. The priests had seen so
many struggles for freedom that they
urged the people to wait for Gods
time. 1t is not much wonder then that
they We're opposed to this young leader.
| "O'Connell saw that what the Irish
people needed was courage. 1t was not
the courage that would enable them to
take a pike and advance against their
enemies. That has never been want
ing in the Irish people. The Irish have
never been with the oppressor, but al
ways with the oppressed. But they
needed moral courage, the courage that
would enable them to stand and wait,
and O'Connell decided the best way
to teach them this was by example.
So he plunged into the practice Of law.
"Soon there was loud voice heard
in the courts of law crying out against
oppression. The Irish people were
amazed that any man should have the
courage to stand up and talk to the
judges as this man talked, but he
taught them the lesson of courage.
| "O'Connells chance came sooner
than he expected. Fitzgerald, one of
the members, was taken into the cabi-
net and was compelled to go to the
people for reelection. 1t was decided
to run O'Connell against him. Imagine
il you can the unequal struggle that
was to be waged here. On one side
was Fitzgerald with all the power of
the English cabinet and the landlords
behind him. On the other side was
O'Connell and the Irish papists fight
ing against the men who could take
the pittance Of bread not only from
their own mouths, but from the
mouths of their wives and children.
Yet two-thirds of those people marched
up to the polls on election day and in
the very face of their landlords cast
their ballots for O'COnnell on an open
ballot"
The speaker then gave an account
of OCOnnelrs struggles in the English
) parliament, telling Of the organization
Of the Catholic league, the Catholic
committee and the Catholic associa-
ton, O'COnnells duel, the great mass
meeting on the plain near Dublin, and
O'Conncll's Imprisonment and subse-
qucnt release.
1.-The three months confinement had
told on the great frame of the Irish
statesman. He returned to Ireland and
the blue skies and fresh breezes re-
vivcd him for Il time, but in 1S47 came
the great famine. Here was q crisis
in which he could be Of no aid to his
people. He was powerless and had
to sit by and see the people he loved so
we'll droop and die. Finally he re-
solved. to go once more to England and
plead from his old position in the house
for assistance. He went and in a voice
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