The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-13
BRILLIANT TALK
 UPON IRELAND'S
 GREAT STRUGGLE
(Continued from Page 3.)

(COuIluu6u 1iOtA clfoC o-J
 secondary, to the repeal of the act of Union, and in 1872 he repeated this view. Tn 1880 he proclaimed it as the first utterance to the Catholics he had liberated in 1929. "We have been rob- bed'' said he. "my cotMtrymen, most foully robbed, of our birthright, Of our own independence" And OCon- nell bewailed the fact that it was England for whom Ireland had fought and bled, that had come like a thief in the night and robbed Irishmen or the precious gem of their liberty.
 Then the speaker took up the days of AS. Many of your fathers" said he Thomas Davis, Smith O'Brien and the dashing Meagher.' They sought to re- peal the Union, by peaceful means 1T possible, or by arms They knew they were bound to antagonize England and they felt the means to be employ ed was merely matter of prudence. But the movement of 184S was laH- ure. IT failed inasmuch as the coun- try was but little prepared 10 meet the responsibilities entailed Assum- ing as it did the proportions of llt.le more than riots in the streets of GIL ies and uprisings of half starved anC miserably clad peasants it could not have been called revolution. Let not then the foul tongue of bigotry sland- CT the bravery of the people. For Tn that year of AS had the manhood of the nation been blessed with such leader as our own Mcclellan or Rob ert E. Lee, We proclaim 1t here to- night that the dream of Robert Elm met would then have been realized for Ireland would at this day pc standing bravely by the side of the ancient foe, and in defiance of her among the nations of the world.
 Then throughout the land there arose the vail of Rachel. A scourge had fallen down upon Ireland that ought to have moved the stony heaTS of England. From the summer of 1S4e to the winter of AS pestilence and famine like an avenging angel des- troyed the principal food of S,000.0O0 people. Days of untold misery came when hundreds of thousands of the population were lying dead upon the soil. Nearly a million of the hag- gard subjects fled to the Grand Re- public in the west. The potato plant was blasted: Ireland's own grain was forbidden fruit, But tons and tons of the forbidden grain shipped to Eng land was brought back through Eng fish generosity-brought back, mark you at famine prices!
 The speaker drew dramatic picture of the soul of famine stricken Ireland appearing before the Throne of Eter- nal Justice in accusation of the tyran- nlcaI OppreSSOr, EAngldnO.
 Tears streamed down the cheeks of many of his auditors as he went with intense dramatic force into the trag- edies of the famine, and told of the Irish mother, loving and angelic, dr1v- en mad by want and suffering, with method in her madness hiding away the dead body of the starved child, and issuing forth at midnight. like the animals of the jungle stealing out in search of prey, to devour their own flesh and blood.
 Pardon, ladies and gentlemen" said Father Hussion his voice lowered to whiper ''your parden I crave, but these are facts, undeniable facts re- corded in the pages of Irish history. In 1S46 alone Ireland according to the most authentic records lost at least 300 000.''
 And remember, urged the speaker, that when this great famine held sway and while the great tide of emigra- tion swept over the country there were twenty-four million pounds in gold in the treasury of England Ireland's loss in this time was greater than the total loss of Europe during all the Napoleonic wars And if England ever had a chance to manifest the slightest semblance of good will it was at the time when these loyal subjects were writhing in the bangs of hunger and despair.
 The SpeakGF then CIldllciIS0O luG dC- cusation that the Irish were unworthy subjects He pointed out the bravery of the Irish in the army and navy of England even at those times of trou- ble Then with tragic and convincing dramatic effect when summoned We'll ington to burst forth from his marble tomb at Westminster Abbey to grasp with his withered hand his broken sword marshall his triumphant le- gions once more about him and pro- claim to the world the bravery and loyalty of the Irish soldiers under his command
 At the close of his address a storm of applause burst forth that continued for an unusually long period. Then Father Husson was presented with a handsome bouquet of roses, from Divi- sion No. A. O. H..
 The committee in charge comprised: Patrick Cuddy chairman; Joseph P. Reilly. N. D. White, James T. Rourke, Timothy O'Shea, Daniel Donohue. Martin Giblin, Patrick Donohue, John Nolan w. J. McElroy and James To- bin. following numbers each of which earn ed for the artist the generous plaudits l of the audience. Song Dear Little Shamrock l
 M. F. Fftzimmons. song ys crean Wearing df Ter or the Rr,ter sreen
 MrS. M. o. SledIl ol NeW DIltdNH. Song ........ Sentenced to Death |
 John Hughes. .... .... | Song ............ St. Patricks' Day l
 Mrs. James T. Rourke. Song ...... .. Killarney and You |
 Mrs. M. J. Crean or New Britain. Song Harp That Once Through |
 Taras Hall l
 Mrs. James T. Rourke.
 Song ... Shamrock or the Rose |
 M F. Fitz1mmons.
 Song ......... The Minstrel Boy
 MT. John Hughes.
 Song God Save Ireland l Mrs. M. J. Crean, Mrs. James T |
 Rourke, John Hughes, M. F.
 FitZSimmOnS.