The Irish standard., 1908-12-19
Spirited Address in Prose and Poetry Dealing With
Many Phases of the Irish Question by Patrick
F. Durkan.
FROM BRIAN THE BRAVE TO DANIEL 0'C0NNELL
Mention of Celebrated Persons Who Have Figured in the
History of the Emerald Isle During Century
or More.

The following address Of Patrick =
Durkan, Of Scranton, Pa, appears In
the Catholic Light Of that city. and is
deserving Of perusal:
It is well known to the Irish people
that the policy Of England towards
them, has been to divide and conquer,
to enslave and defame. It is, therefore.
not enough to be united and insepara-
BILE in the cause Of Irish freedom, but
we must fling back with contempt and
defiance the ISLANDERS and aspersions
of the Carlyles, the Froudes, the Ma
cauleys and others, less brilliant in in
tellect, but not less offensive and acrl.
nonious in intent. by showing to the
world, from the pages Of our history,
that we are the victims, not Of mtsrule
only, but Of misrepresentation and
calumny.
with our knowledge Of all this is it
any wonder that we should array our
selves in hostility to a power that tas
SO long kept our fathers land III sub
lection, and direct all our energies to
the work Of driving the Robber back
to her native haunts to make way for
resurgent, disenthralled and regener-
ated Ireland. Is 1t any wonder that we
should remember. and exult in The
glories Of Brian the Brave" who at
the memorable battle of Clontarf, rout.
ed and dispersed other invaders who
had desecrated the soil Of his native
land. Is it any wonder, in short, that
a race. hating injustice, loving free
dom, brave, chivalrous, heroic and
faithful, should never cease to emanci-
pate itself from q, tyranny it abhor.
and to stand erect in the proud con-
seriousness Of its own dignity and
grandeur.
How often do we see borne in pro.
cession, along our tnoroughfares and
highways, flags and banners bearing
the motto, I'm Union There Is
Strength" reminding us that by CO.
operation q people can enforce their
just demands and compel recognition
OF their rights. Never was this truisn
better exemplihed than when the irish
people, headed by the great O'Connel;,
wrung Catholic emancipation from tic
victor Of Waterloo. who would rather.
he said, grant that measure of relief
than face civil war in Ireland. And
this principle is emphasized by the
fact that another. premier Of England
w. T.. Gladstone, whom his admir-
ers have styled "The- Grand Old Man. -
declared at public banquet in L:v.
erpool that 1t was the pressure brought
to bear upon him by Fenianism that
caused the dis-establishment Of the
Protestant Church in Ireland. But It
was reserved for that splendid orsari-
zation known as the Irish Lard
League, to roll back the tide Of lau4;-
lcrdisln, to confine it within it's pres
ent limits. to protect the tenant far
mer from it's Unsuitable greed and
rapacity, and point out to him the bca-
con light-Home Rule. that will guide
safely and securely to. the goal-Inde.
pendence. Surely, my friends, in unit n
there is strength, hope and success; IL
division defeat. disaster and dismay.
Is it not marvellous that a country 10
long oppressed, plundered and devas.
tated. with education prohibited and
religion banned, should come forth
from these centuries of trial and afflic-
ticn with an unsubdued spirit, an in e.
vincible fortitude and resolute de-
mand for the restoration Of those in
alienable rights which she has neyey
forfeited nor relinquished.
Is it not marvellous, nay, astonishing.
that she has emerged from the gloom
Of bondage with the light Of literature
and an undiminished, nay, an Increased
devotion to her holy religion for the
propagation Of which her saints had
!. labced ~ .hsr martyrs died. AID.