Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-03-24
TAFT BEAMS AT BANQUET.
Appeared in Seeming Ignorance Of the
Row in Congress-.

| Chicago. March Tiff President Taft
as he sat beamng behind bank of
orchids at the st. Patrick's banquet OF
the Irish Fellowship club tonight
knew OF reports of the insursent up.
rising in the House at Washington his
demeanor did not show It.
One of his staff seated Mt the press
table received a long telegram which
he perused with a half frown. Then
he looked at the President, who SEEM
ed restful and at peace with the world.
and slowly filed the missive in his coat.
The President. who had during the
day discussed in vigorous fashion var
ious live questions of the day, placidy
read long appreciation of Ireland's
patron saint and touched on the his
tory Of Ireland and her long struggle
for at least quasi independence. 1t
was the one effort of the day for which
he had found time to prepare, and
there was no politics in It.
| large number of Catholic priests
in their sedate Karb lent their dignity
to the occasion The whole effect was
Enlightened by the presence of many
women. No wine was served.
PRESIDENT TAFT's ADDRESS.
President Taft's address at the banquet
was as follows:
mfr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Irish Fellowship club: 1t is two years
since ! tasted the fine flavor of your
hospitality at luncheon where my stay
was only too short for my pleasure
When your honorabl committee visited
me- therefore. I yielded TO the temptation
and agreed again to become your guest
when you should meet to celebrate the
day that awakes the heart throbs of every
true son of Ireland.
"'St. Patricks day In the morning
/ never quite understood the significance
Of the last three words of the phrase
unless they meant that the brightness of
the morning did not wear away until long
in the night of that day In the spirit of
those who are loyal to the anniversary.
"On such an occasion as this, ones mind
turns naturally to the history OF that
beautiful island. with her back toward
England. her face to the West and the
part that St. Patrick played in her
civilization and development.
st. Patrick was born probably .on the
banks OF the Severn n. a town that he
called Bannaventa. three hundred and
eighty-nine years after the birth of
and Roman citizen named Calpurnious
and his wife. Concessa They were of the
some race as those for whom he lived
and died.
ST. PATRICK IN CAPTIVITY.
when, during the mutation of the
Roman empire. protection was with
drawn from Britain. young Patrick, at
the age of 16, was captured by an
Irish marauding force, and taken to
Ireland and there for six years in the
far western part of Connaught, served
In bondage as n herdsran.
Escaping from the island on a ship
from Wicklow harbor after the six
, years. he landed in France somewhere
, near Bordeaux. and wandering across
the then desolated face of Gaul, he
reached Frovenie, in southern France
and In monastery but recently found
ed on the Island of Larinus, found
refuge in the island coister of ST
Honoratus, and there became a monk.
After a few years OF monastic life,
he returned to Britain to visit his
home and his friends, and while there
he definitely formed the purpose of
redeeming tho island of his captivity
from paganism and bringing t within
the Christian church.
| INTRODUCED LATIN LANGUAGE
st Patrick introduced into Ireland the
Latin language. 1t became the language
OF the church all over the island. and 1t
made union with Rome that has never
sine. been broken. He laid the foundation
Of the culture and the spread of education
and the development OF the liberal arts
which put Ireland In the forefront of
civilization for a thousand years.
Her history thereafter is a sad one.
Had the Romans conquered her as they
did Britain. had the SaXons followed and
then the NOrmans 10 as to make homo
genOus people covering the three islands
with the same history and the same
interests. and the same race we should
not have had the tale of sorrow. of in
justice, of outrage, of poverty. suffering
and neglect that fill the pages OF Irish
history from soon after the Norman con-
quest of England to the early days of
the last century
"Certainly not until the 18th and sNth
centuries have governmental measures
been adopted in Ireland with any view
to lettering the conditions of the Irish
people. During the centuries preceding the
{ 18TH and clear back to the times Of the
TudorH. they have been subjected TO leg
iSlation. the whole purpose OF which was
the selfish exploitation not Of the Irish
people but of the dominant country The
result has been that Irish men have gone
to other countries
, IRISH IN ALL OUR WARS.
! "In all our wars the Irishmen have
been to the front. in the Revolution. In
the War of 1912 In the Mexican War and
in the Civil War. They are naturally II
. warliko people and their patriotic love
,, for their adopted country made them
soldiers in the army of the Union. than
whom there were no more daring, no
more effective than they.
For this club you could have no more
suitable name than the Irish Fellowship
club, for il you called it the Irish club It
would he necessarily a fellowship club.
~ you called 1t n fellowship CLUB, 1t would
be reasonable presumption that it must
, be an Irish club
. II am glad to be here I am glad to
, reel the inspiration of ones kind that
per'neates this entire company. and l
snail long carry in grateful remembrance
your cordial greeting"
a