The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-08-24
New Richmond, Wis.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
, coves on each side with an altar in
| each one, besides the large altar at
the end, making thirteen affairs in
that one chapel. The Stations of the
Cross are there made up of beautiful
and costly carvings and the MAIN AL
TAR cost $4,000.
When the lights are turned on, that
| chapel is not only a beautiful but a
solemn and impressive spectacle.
At the time Of my visit arrange
ments had been made to have the
Honorable Senator from New York
Chauncey M. Depew-deliver the an
nual Grafton upon George Washing
ton. AS is we'll known, Mr.. Depew is
not only a man of profound learning,
but he is a man who has travelled ex-
tensively in America and in Europe,
and is a good talker, and a polished
orator.
The assembly chamber in Mcmahon
hall is quite commodious and the
walls are embellished with elegant
| oil paintings, representative of the
leading Catholic Hierarchy, and a full
sized picture of "The Father of His
Country" appears there, holding in
| his hand and guarding the Constitu-
| ton of the United States.
The audience was a learned and
appreciative one, consisting mostly
| of the professors and students with
goodly number of ladies and gentle
men from the city, so that the hall
was we'll filled. The orator perform
ed his part in a mastery manner, and
was frequently interrupted by loud
| and continued applause.
He portrayed The character of
Washington in manner entirely diff
ferent from any that had ever heard.
He told OF his life as farmer, SOL
der, statesman, then as the leader
of our forces during the dark days of
the Revolution; then how he resigned
his commission and returned to the
quietude of his own home, but was
called by the unanimous voice of his
countrymen to take upon himself the
arduous duties Of forming a stable
government out of chaos, with no
revenue. no resources, bankrupt
people, impoverished by the long war,
our notes had been protested in Eu-
rope, dissatisfied army that had not
received any pay for long time; but
under the master hand of that great
man form of government was found.
ed that had stood the strain of a CEN
tury, and had grown stronger and
stronger as time went on so that now
it Is safe to say it will prove eternal
There were very many eloquent and
brilliant passages in the Grafton all
through.
His description or Washlngton's
triumphal march from Mt. Vernon to
New York was truly grand. First, he
pictured out the generals of Ancient
Rome as they rode down the Appian
Way, laden with the spoils of the cit.
les they had plundered, and at the
wheels of their chariots were chained
as slaves the leaders whom they had
conquered in battle. Then he showed
them how the Father of His Coun.
try" proceeded on his way amid the
shouts and blessings of free people
and the little children looked up into
that loving face as if the Savior of
Mankind had appeared among them,
and the young men and women strew-
ed his path with flowers.
Finally, he closed by saying that as
the centuries went by, the name of
Washington would shine out like a
beacon light, and that it was but Just
and proper that, at regular intervals,
We should take time to study the life,
the character and the career of the
architect of the greatest republic the
world ever beheld.
/ had the pleasure Of being intro
duced to the gifted orator, and after
shaking hands with him and congrat.
ulating him upon his able Grafton
returned to the city and wrote these
observations.
i III - F. IA s