Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-18
CHEEREC BY IR|SHMEN
President a Guest of Sons of
st. Patrick in New York.
FLATTERING OVATION
TRACED GROWTH OF IMMIGRA-
TON FROM IRELAND
Goth Regiment Escort to the Banquet
Hall-Talked of Common Citizen
ship and Irish Race.


last night. He was accorded flattering
ovation by more than 600 members of the
society and its guests, and responded in
a notable address.
So great was the demand for tickets
that the society was obliged to refuse more
than 1000 applications. Both the main
banquet hall and the annex were beauti-
fully decorated with festoons of the stars
and Stripes, into which was effectively
woven the green and gold nag of Erin.
The banquet tables were banked with
American beauty and bride roses and car
nations. They were set off most effective
ly by garlands of green and gold electric
lights strung diagonally across the hall.
Immedia tely back of and above the seat
of the President were the Gaelic words.
"Cead Mile Failte,' in letters of fire,
signifying "a thousand welcomes
Roosevelt and Washington.
To the right and left of the guests
table were fine medallions of Washing
ton and Roosevelt, Illuminated by unique
electric effects. The contrast of Washing
ton and Roosevelt were significant. The
Friendly Sons of st. Patrick entertained
Washington in 1852 as the general-in-chief
of the colonial armies. Roosevelt is the first
President as such, the Friendly Sons OF
ST. Patrick have entertained, although
both Arthur and Cleveland, as ex-Presi-
dents, were guests of the society.
The President arrived at $50 pm. and
for half an hour held a reception. Then,
escorted by Judge Fitzgerald, the presi-
dent of the society and POSTMASTER at
the dinner, President Roosevelt was con-
Quoted to the dining room. where he was
given rousing cheers. Many of the guests
waved the stars and stripes and the nag
of Erin enthusiastically.
The President was introduced by Judge
Fitzgerald, and in response said:
81 have listened with the greatest pleas
ure to my good, good friend Judge Fitz-
gerald, of my difficulty in coming. here.
The difficulty would be to keep me away.
1t is nearly quarter OF a century since
l served with Judge Fitzgerald, but 1 still
am in line with him. I shall write to
Col. Duffy of the Goth Regiment of my
appreciation OF the service OF his reg1-
ment: and / wish publicly to thank that
regiment tonight. / wish to read tele-.
gram just received. 1t is sop to one of
my well-known prejudices. The recipient
was a father when he came to this BAN
quet. Now he is a grandfather. Here Is
the telegram:
peter Mcdonnell, Friendly Sons of St.
Patrick Dinner:
Patrick just arrived. Tired after pa
rade. Sends his regards to President. He
is the first on record since Teddy attended
the Friendly Sons dinner. He is fine
singer No race suicide in this family.
Weighs eight pounds, and looks like the
whole family. All is well.
ROBERT MCDONNELL.
"And now gentlemen, continued the
President, II want you to join me IN
drinking to the health of Peter McDonneif5
and above all, to Mrs Mcdonnell
The President then delivered his address,
as follows:
The Presidents Speech.
Long before the outbreak of the revolu-
ton there had begun on the soil of the
colonies which afterward became the
United States that mixture of races which
has been and still Is one of the most I'M
portant features In our history as a peo-,
pie At the time early in the eighteenth
century when the immigrants from Ireland
first began to come in numbers to this
century when the immigrants from Ireland
lation were still imperfectly fused, and
for some time the new Irish strain was
clearly distinguishable from the others
There was popularity about these immi-
grants who came from Ireland to the colo
MES during the eighteenth century which
has never been paralleled in the case OF
any other immigrants whatsoever. In all
other cases, since the very first settlements,
the pushing westward of the frontiers has
been due primarily to the men OF native
birth. But the immigrants from Ireland IN
the seventeenth century pushed boldly
through the settled districts and planted
themselves as the advance guard of the
conquerng civilization on the borders of
the Indian-haunted wilderness. In Maine
and northern New Hampshire, in western
Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina,
alike, this was true.
Furnished Share of Leaders.
By the time the revolution broke out
these men had begun to mix with their
fellows of other stocks, and they furnished
their full share of leadership in the great
struggle which made US nation. Among
their number was Commodore John Barry,
one of the three or four officers TO whom
our infant navy owed most.
On land they furnished generals Ike
Montgomery, VINO fell so gloriousiy at Que
bee and Sullivan, the conqueror of the
Iroquois, who came of New Hampshire
family, which furnished governors to three
New England states, while the continental
troops of the hardest fighter among wash
ington's general, Mad Anthony Wayne,
were recruited so largely from this stock
that Light Horse Harry Lee always re-
ferred to them as THE Line of Ireland.
Nor must we forget that of this same
stock there was boy during the days or
the revolution who afterward became the
chief American general OF ms time, ana
as President one of the public men who left
his impress most deeply upon our nation,
old Andrew jackson. the victor of New
Orleans.
Part Played in Civil War.
In the second great crisis of our coun-
try's history-the period of the civil war
the part played by the men of Irish birth
or pareutage was no less striking than 1t
had been in the revolution. Among the
three or four great generals who led the
northern army In the war stood Phil.
Sheridan. Some of those whom l am now
addressing served in that immortal bril-
gade which on the fatal day of Fredericks-
burg left its dead closest to the stone wall
which marked the limit that could not be
oyerpassed even by the highest human
valor.
The people who have come to this coun-
try from Ireland have contributed to the
stock of our common citizenship qualities
which are essential to the welfare of every
great nation. They are a masterful race
of rugged characters race, the qualities
of whose womanhood have become proven
bial, while its men have the elemental. the
indispensable virtues of working hard in
time of peace and figating hard in time OF
war.
In every walk of life men OF this blood
have stood. and now stand, pre-eminent as
statesmen and as soldiers. on the bench,
at the bar, and in business. They are doing
their full share toward the artistic and
literary development of the country.