The Irish standard., 1909-10-09
JAMES WH|TES|DE ON
OLIVER GOLDSMITH
The Lord Chief Justice of
Ireland Who Defended the
Liberator of His Country
Delivered a Magnificent
Address on the Gentle Irish
Poet and Novelist in the
City of Dublin---Eloquent
Tribute to Irishmen.

Tribute to Irishmen.
The Dublin Freemans Journal in its
Gems of Irish Literature gives the
following specimens of eloquence from
one of the foremost Irish advocates
and orators of his time-James White
side, LII. D., D. c. L., afterwards lord
chief justice of the Queens Bench. The
first extract is from his speech in de-
fense of O'Connell, Gavan Duffy and
their colleagues, in 1874, when he was
3S years old, and the second is from
his address on Goldsmith when his
statue in front of Trinity college was
unveiled:
1.-The Irish-'the mere Irish-have
been described as creatures of i'm
pulse, without settled understanding,
a reasoning power, moral sense. They
have their faults, grieve to say 1T:
but their faults are redeemed by the
splendour of their virtues. They have
rushed into this agitation with ardour,
because it is their nature, when they
feel strongly, to act boldly and speak
passionately Ascribe their excesses
to their enthusiasm, and forgive. Re-
collect the same enthusiasm has borne
them triumphantly through fields Ct
peril and of glory, impelled them 10
shed their dearest blood and offer their
stgaiiant. lives il defence OF the tti@s
of England. The broken cfivary OF
France attests the value of that fiery
enthusiasm, and marks it's power. Nor
is their high spirit useful only in the
storm of battle; 1t cheers their almost
broken hearts, and lightens their load
of misery when it is almost insupport-
able-sweetens that bitter cup of pow
erty which thousands of our country
men are doomed to drink. Without
enthusiasm, what that is truly great
has been won for man? The glorious
works of art, the immortal productions
of the understanding, the incredible
deeds of heroes and patriots for the
salvation of mankind, have been
prompted by enthusiasm, and nothing
else. Cold and dull were our exist
ence here below unless the deep pas
sions of the SOUL stirred by enthusi-
asm. were summoned into action for
great and noble purposes-the over
anny-the securing and sustainment of
the worlds virtue, the worlds hope
and freedom. The hand of Omnipotence
by whose touch this island started into
existence from amidst the water 5y
which it is surrounded, stamped upon
it's people noble qualities of the in
tellect and the heart. Directed to the
wise purposes for which Heaven has
designed them, they shall yet exalt, re-
deem, and regenerate ireland"
The following is from the short
speech of Mr.. Whiteside on the oc-
casion of unveiling the statue to
Oliver Goldsmith:
1T would be bad taste in me to at
tempt to follow the example his Ex-
cellency (the Earl of Carlisle) has set,
and to descant on the merits of Cold
smith as a poet, novelist, and n
man; but the nature of the ceremony
in which we are engaged may sus-
gest a reflection. We wage the battle
of life in these busy times so fiercely
that the living allows but little leisure
to recall the memory of the dead. And,
on the other hand, it. often happers
that an unobtrusive. genius in life js
deprecated, his labours are derided,
and his merits are forgotten; but in
death the same man will be respected.
Then his merits are discovered, and
his labors felt and acknowledged by
I posterity for ever.
1.-The fame of Goldsmith is now con-
fessed wherever the English language
is spoken throughout the world. The
fame of the orator, unless it be en-
=
twined with the history of his country,
is written on sand. The fame of the
(, politician is limited to his time, to his
party, and perhaps to the kingdom hu
I. protects The fame of. the historian
/ will last only if the facts he records
! are worthy of remembrance; but the