The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-18

soldier, statesman, poet or artist that
a grateful people might pay to them |
the debt OF gratitude for their dement's I,
to the race. The honor ought to be |
in proportion to the benefits conferred
/ Great as were the achievements or
| the soldier, poet or artist, 1t was far
better to be the direct messenger OF
God and to lead q people from the
darkness of error to the light Of Gods
truth, and to mako them free with
the true liberty that belongs only to
the children of God. Such man
was Moses to the Jewish people. After
reviewing the services Of the Jewish
llaw-giver to his people in their wan
| behring's to their deliverance, the speak
or said:
Such Was Saint Patrick.
''But more than all this and above
1T all, he was tho one who gave the
law from tho mountain top; who In
4 terpreted' the divine command to them
and led their souls to their divine
Creator.
And such was st. Patrick to
our own race. He Is the one who has
brought to us that inestimable gift
. Of faith which we have Justly priced
above ali riches and beyond all the
goods OF this life, and which, rather
than give up ut the dictate OF n mas
ter. we have been willing to sacrifice
ali worldly honor and worldly gain.
Flo is the one whom God had chosen to
I preach the gospel OF Christ In Ire
land and to leave tho faith so root
ed in tho soil that 1t has become q
pnrs of our very nature. as we'll as
our personal history 1t was this faith
thtt st Patrick brought to us that was
to form and fashion the personal, in
t,ytf no nj l. rO Mt n ne ma, <&r- .nf
u.s. that was to be the distinguishing
mark and sign and feature Of the
Y Irish race. Even when leaving home
they scattered themselves over the
faco OF the earth; that was to remain
with them when national glory and
: national prosperity were to fail
!, 1t is this faith that has been thu
: foundation stone of all our greatness
9 We have been mad free through 1t, will
the liberty of the children Of God. 4 II
! imparting this faith to US, st. Patricl
Il has been our greatest benefaotbr. II
g fact. there is nothing that has ever beel
g given to any nation that Is of create
/. value than this.
o LAS 1t Is an honorable thing for
d nation to be mindful Of its benefactors
~ We are gathered together to honor on
ii patron saint; to pass In review agal
1t his many virtues, and to thank God ia
20 having made him the instrument of S
much good to u.s.
rs With this, by way Of introduction, ID
vt Doyle then sketched the career Of S
~ Patrick from his birth in the year 81
through his youth and his captivity, n
1 period of preparation for his life wor
and his apostolic career. The thre
periods Of Irish history we're similar
those OF the life of st, Patrick,
# Reviewing the enlightened and pros
r porous condition OF the Irish people BIZ
fore st. Patrick came to them, I'll
i speaker characterized the island as ii
mother OF contemplative saints. TT
- speaker said in his eulogy of the Iris
'ir people:
"Thero Is pcrchance in all hstol
lis no better evidence OF tho superiority
o. tho Irish mind and heartin tho yel
nd beginning, even in pagan days, the
In tho way she received the fir
a herads Of tho gospel. In other natlol
al almost without an exception, tho fir
y. missionaries were martyred fey the
~ faith; they fell victims to the darkne
10y and cruelty they came to destroy. ~
-.- brightness of revelation was, IT Won
seem, too da2zling Tor eyes long q
'es customea to thick darkness. But Ir
,va luna alone appears to have been al
" from the first TO gaze WITH an eagle