The San Francisco call., 1905-03-18

NEW YORK, March 17.-President
Roosevelt was the guest of honor to-
night at the 121st annual dinner Of the
Friendly Sons of st. Patrick. He was
roundly cheered by more than 900
members of the society and its guests
He made a speech before the society
closing a day full of friendly greetings.
during which ne gave his niece away
in marriage. The banquet was given in
the golden dining hall at Delmonico's.
The society was obliged to refuse more
than 200O applications for tickets. The
main banquet hall and the annex were
beautifully decorated with festoons of
the Stars and Stripes, into which was
woven effectively the green and gold
flag of Erin.
The banquet tables were banked with
roses and carnations. They were set
off by garlands of green and gold cleo
trio lights strung diagonally across the
hall.
Immediately back of and above the
seat of the President were the Gaelic
words "Cead mile failthe" in letters
of fire. To the right and left Of the
guests tables were fine medallions of
Washington and Roosevelt, Illuminated
by electric effects. The contrast of
Washington and Roosevelt was sig
nificant. The Friendly Sons of st. Pat
rick entertained Washington in 1872 as
the general in charge of the colonial
armies. Roosevelt is the first President
as such that the Friendly Sons or ST.
Patrick has entertained
ENTHUSIASTICALLY GREETED.
The President arrived at $3.50 p. m
and for half an hour held reception
Then, accompanied by Judge ritzger-
aid, the president of the society, and
toastmaster, President Roosevelt was
conducted from the hall to the dining
room. Many of the guests waved the
Stars and Stripes and the flag of Erin
enthusiastically. The President was
introduced by Judge Fitzgerald and in
his response said:
II wish to read a telegram received
tonight 1t is a sop to one of my
weIl-known prejudices. The recipient
was a father tonight when he came
to this banquet. Now he is a grand
father Here is the telegram:
Peter McDonnell-Patrick just ar
rived Tired after parade. Sends his
regards to President. lie Is the first
on record since Teddy attended the
singer. No race suicide in this family.
Weighs eight pounds and looks like the
whole family. All is we'll
ROBERT MCCONNELL
'.And now gentlemen" continued the
President, Il want you to join me in
drinking to the health of Peter McDon-
nell, and above all to Mrs. McDon-
NELL"
TRIBUTE TO ERIN'S SONS.
President Roosevelt then spoke as
follows:
Long before the outbreak OF the revolution
there had begun the soil Of the colonies
which afterward became the United States.
that mixture of which has been and
still is the most important feature in our his
tory as a people At the time early in the
eighteenth century when the emigrants from
Ireland began first to in numbers TO
this country the race elements in our popu-
some time the Irish strain was clearly
distinguishable from the others. There was a
peculiarity about these immigrants who came
frcm Ireland to the colonies during the eigh-
teenth century which has never been paralleled
in the case OF any other immigrants whatso-
ever In all other cases. since the very first
settlements, the pushing westward of the from
native birth But the immigrants from Ire
land in the seventeenth century pushed boldly
through the settled districts and planted
themselves as the advance-guard Of the con-
quering civilization on the borders Of the In
dian haunted wilderness. In Maine and North
Virginia and North Carolina alike, this was
true.
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 a nation. Among their num-
Der Commodore John Barry. one OF three