The Irish standard., 1908-04-25

nc iOlIONlI1E duUIcSE vi JllC eminent
divine and literateur of Ireland, Rev
Dr. Cahill. appeared in the Dublin
Freeman of April nth. in response to
an appeal for the merited recognition
of the Irish people to the devoted SER
vice of John O'Connell patriotic de-
scendant of the great emancipation
Daniel O'Connell. The address was a
gem of eloquence and we'll worth the
reading. DR.. Cahill spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies' and Gentlemen
There is not nation under the sun
able to shout with the Irish Catholics.
Being bound hand and foot so long in
national chains and penal servitude.
and being prevented from speaking by
the attorney general-the eternal. un-
dying attorney general-of Ireland
feelings, except by national shouting,
and hence there is an eloquence. q
poetry a patriotism in the Irish cheer
which is more tragic than Shakespeare,
more burning that Demosthenes, more
inspiring than Milton-and If ever that
cheer rose up into the regions of divine
fancy itself, it is when the Irish soul
is stirred up from its deepest recesses
Of feeling by the magic sound of the
immortal O'Connell.
When, in the beginning of the pres
ent century, he commenced his political
| career, he could procure only thirteen
persons to attend a meeting in Dublin,
| to petition for Catholic emancipation.
He was then, If may so speak, q mere
ensign in politics: but he rose from
rank to rank with a. brilliant name, and
| with unexampled success, till he took,
by universal consent, the supreme COM
mand Of the national force, and in
numberless skirmishes and ono hun
dred battles, he met the foes Of ireland
foot to foot, and shoulder to shoulder,
and by courage that never quailed, a
without comparison, he struck off our
national chains. conquered ancient op-
preston, and won the emancipation Of
Ireland. And when we throw ourselves
into his mind and examine his heart,
we learn that the injustice inflicted on
his country did not rouse the great en-
ergics Of his being in h4lf the might
ness as when he concentrated his power
against the wrongs perpetrated on his
creed
| No one ever heard him address a. Jury
who did not find his feelings enlisted
for his client; it. was impossible to
listen to him for five minutes In an as
sembly of his countrymen, as he pour
ed forth from his burning bosom his
own flood of melting eIoquence over
the woes of Ireland, without resent
ment for our national degradation; but
when the insults TO his religion awoke
his passion into legitimate anger, his
whole soul glowed with brilliant fire,
and as he directed the flashing torrents
against the opponents Of his Church,
his consuming words resembled the
rapidity and terrors of the lightning.
He was the approximation Of Ire
la1d's own child; he was the son of
Ireland's own heart: he possessed the
tongue and the soul of the true genius
Of his country. Other men have had
an evening in life, he had none: other
great characters were seen to ascend
to the horizon Of their career and grad
ually set, his sun stood fixed in the
meredian in full dazzling spIendor,
without a motion to the west, and when
he departed from us 1t was the whole
span from midday to night, leaving his
country covered with a. sudden dark
ness and mourning, after burning skies,
during half a century Of patriotism that
never has been surpassed, and nat
iona1 fame that perhaps never can be
eaualled. But if ever memory could
be said to be palpable, 1t was his-and
Iif ever the instructions Of q master