The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-09

know them.
 Seldom. therefore, in the history of the world has man reached the heights of true fame by other than the familiar paths of accomplished great ness. But occasionally, and as an ex- ception to the general rule, there does emerge a character who possesses all the attributes of genius. man to whom the world looks for guidance and inspiration, and yet man for whose material works we may look in vain. Such a man was the distinguished character whose memory we celebrate tonight. Such a man was Robert Emmet.
 Five scores of years still find him foremost in the list of sainted martyrs; century of hate, tyranny and false hood has failed to tarnish the snow white purity of his soul or to dim the metallic lustre of his name. Emmet is revered to-day as he was cherished then, both for what he did, and for what he was.
 Divine Providence had decreed that his life should be short but eventful He was not even out of his teens be- fore he became a leader of men He had hardly reached his majority when his bright meteoric career was cut short just as the lives of hundreds of other patriotic have been cut short by farcical judicial trial. From nature and from surroundings, it is doubtful If Emmet could have helped being a scholar and a patriot.
 After an eloquent oration on the life and work of the Irish patriot Governor Higgins concluded his able address as follows:
 What, then, is the lesson of to-day to be drawn from the life of the noted martyr, whose memory we commem- crate? What message comes to us, as the world annually turns toward his unmarked grave in Glasnevln ceme tery? Is it a message of dismay or of hopefulness? Is it voice of dis couragement or one of cheer Let the assemblage of millions of Irishmen, and the sons and daughters of Irish men. gathered in every. section of the world during the past week. answer that question. Let the enthusiasm and the thrilling love which every man and woman of Celtic blood feels at the very mention of his name, be proper re- ply to these questions, Every day and every hour of his career nave simply frightened the cords which bind to- eether the children of Irishmen in ven- eraton of the man and of his ideals. | His words have filled their hearts with | toy, their souls with courage and their | minds with hope In the face of per secution, misfortune and defeat, Elm nets life has re-instilled In them an abiding assurance in their own powers tored in them a confidence in the jus tce of their cause and the righteous ness of their contention. It annually re-inspres in them the belief that self government Is the only true and pos sible solution of the difficulties which
 The fondest wish of Robert Emme was that his country might yet be free; that she might again resume hel ancient and respected place In tho galaxy of the worlds free nations hundred years have passed, and tha wish. unfortunately, has not beer gratifed. The ambition expressed b, him. as the halo of martyrdom fel about him. has become the one con suming desire of the Irish heart. l. that wish, is that ambition, to bt eternally deferred? Shall the nobles instincts of the Irish people be dullec and blighted forever in their hol. aspirations? "No, for a just God wil not allow their sufferings to continu, forever and the power that nervet the arm of David In his conflict witt the Philistine, the power that gay, strength to the Maccabees against tn enemies of their country, will yet re store to the yearnings of the Irishmal that freedom which to him would b the most precious boon which heavel itself could bestow"
 To the millions of lrishmen who seeking habtation upon thes shores, have left forever the homes O their fathers; to those who, driven b unfortunate conditions, political, eco homie and social to abandon thei allegiance to Ireland and to assum citizenship in the great Americal commonwealth; to the millions O their descendants who. holding high est and first their duty and their ale glance to the United States neverthe less, still retain kindly, sympatheti interest for the land across the sea in other words. to all Irish Americans what significance have the career an, words of Emmet? Could his spirit re turn from it's heavenly abode to-day what message would 1t convey? | what eloquent words would he urg upon the Irish-American continu ance of his loyalty to the Stars an Stripes? Would he not flush wit pride at the consistent and unbendin patriotism which has characterize the descendants of his people sine first they reached this land? Woul he not recall with glory the dashin exploits and bravery of the Sixty-nint New York, the irresistible. all-cor auering patriotism of the Ninth Mas
 sachusetts in the dread days of tn
 civil war? Would he not seal wit
 his enthusiastic approval the shed
 ding of every drbp of blood whic
 Irish-Americans have sacrificed fc
 this republic?
 Yes, my friends, from the silen
 unknown tomb across the sea, Emm,
 even to-day enjoins upon his fellow
 Jrishmen here to be loyal citizens
 the nation where they dwell H
 would want to see the spirit of Amer
 icanism In this day, as he wanted {
 see the spirit of the Irishman in h
 own day, peryade our every soul. F
 would ask the 1rish-American to stan
 everywhere for clean. true, loyal cit | l-,;r uo u,oIild as sL him fo eto F