The Irish standard., 1909-07-17

| one or you 10 ucVOtc yourselves ear
ncstly to promote this great virtue of
temperance among the people, 1t is q
religious work, and religious, work of
high order-one of the works of mercy
to which you all should lend your
selves, and for which YOU will have a
supernatural reward, and it is q pa
triotic work (cheers) | saw written
up on some of the banners along the
street, or in some OF the decorations
-"Ircland sober is Ireland free" There
could not be a more evident truth than
that. If we ever wish to be free, If
ever we wish to be prosperous. if ever
We wish to make ourselves worthy of
the vice of intempcrancc under our
| foot, trample upon it, stamp it out Of
the country, until finally the Irish peo-
pie will have a character for the vir-
tue of temperance which they have
long had for the virtue Of chastity and
OF purity. Our people are Il by-word
|
great virtue of purity. If VIC could
get up the same spiIit and the same
feeling in favor OF temperance we
could stand and face the world (cheers)
and declare that there was not a peO-
| pic on earth who deserved more credit
! and more admiration than the people
of Ireland We have had to struggle
With many difficulties. many created
by others. unfortunately, and some Of
our own making, and one Of the diff
cultics Of our own making that VIC had
to struggle against WAS the vice Of
intemperancc, and / trust that this i'm
mensc meeting here today will give
an impetus and an impulse to the
cause of temperance in the archdiocese
of Armagh which will make the cause
triumph over every difficulty and ev-
cry opposition.
The Rev. Father Cullen, S. J., said
his first duty was TO return his sim
cerc thanks to his Eminence Cardinal
|, Logue and to the clergy of the arch
diocese associated With. him in the
great work Of tenlperance reform. for
having invited him to share with then,
in that vast temperance demonstration.
Unquestionably that meeting furnished
abundant proof Of the enormous in
terest which tn" temperance problem
was awakening in the minds or think
ing people, whilst it reminded them
that that might be justly. counted
among the most notable efforts on tho
part of Catholic Ireland to arouse and
educate public opinion with reference
to the moral, social, and political con-
sequences of tho drink evil. Surely
they had all reason to rejoice that
they had all lived to see that day, and
they might we'll regard it as the slow
but certain answer to the prayers and
tears Of tens Of thousands of their
poor people that had gone up to
Heaven for the last century implorinc
God in His pity to lift the terrible drink
curse from off this nation and break
the fetters OF it's drink slavery. From,
the days of Father Mathew until now
that piercing cry had never failed to
ascend to Heaven from the lips of
countless widows and orphans, from
innumerable broken hearts and ruined
lives. nay. they might say, from the
whole Irish nation. beggarcd, disgrace
cd and almost robbed of it's nation
1t was no inconsderablc portent of
approaching success that they were
gathered there in Armagh. where our
national apostle. st. Patrick, by his
prayers. tears and preaching, crushed
the pagansm Of his day, as under God
they would crush in their day the evil
of intempcrancc. They were gathered
tthcre together under the very shadows
of his own glorious cathedral, and
gathered too under the bidding and
blessing o. his successor in the Pr-
NATAL Sec (chrcrs) Surely no spot
in Ireland could he more appropr-
ately selected for the advancement OF
the cause which they had all at heart
than that Hill Of Saint Patrick on
which they were assembled; and sure
ly there was no one whose holiness
whose profound humility. whose pru-
dence, patriotism and intrepidity could
better fit him to lead the nation in
this great work Of social and national
REFORM than the illustrious Prince and
Prelate Of the Church who. following
Patrick in unbrokcn line, filled the Sec
Of Patrick today (cl1eers.) Nor was
the time chosen by his Eminencc for
starting this enterprise without very
special Significance. On every side
there were clear signs OF the awaken
ing of the Irish nation from her long
sad slumber of centuries: for in the
widespread feeling existing as vel
in the hearts of their people as in the