The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-18

They stretch hands of greeting across
every sea.
They pledge, let us join in the pledge,
that one day,
One day, may that time be not distant
away,
One day, if needs /be, our fun duty as
we viii do. to make ireland. "a nation
again.
Following the poem, E. r. Farley
sang, .Aaeushla" Then came an adj
dress by Commissioner Lane on "The
Irish in America" The chairman in
troduced the speaker as a gentleman
who had been honored many times by
the people of Birmingham and who was
a true friend of Irish-Americans
Commissioner Lanes Remarks
The commissioner said that he was
glad of the opportunity of being pres
ent. He did not make a set speech,
but talked earnestly for about 20 min
utes, addressing himself first to the
part the Irish people had played in the
building of the republic. In the war of
the revolution the Irish fought bravely,
he said. and from the time this gov
ernment was founded the sons of Ire.
land had been the steadfast supporters
=
had resulted in signal good in the de-
velopment of this young nation. Com
missioner Lane portrayed the Irishman
with those sterling traits that have
made for true manhood.
Commissioner Lane had always, he
said been an admirer of the Irish. He
had always felt drawn to the Irish
people and he always warmed up when
he clasped hands with an Irishman, And,
he said. that he not only had an affec-
tion for the Irish Americans, but that
he had real affection for old Ireland
itself. He felt a sympathy for the
people of ireland in all their struggles
and he closed his remarks by express
ing the hope of seeing the day when
Ireland would be entirely free from
English rule and would be an indepen-
dent nation, as it deserved to be. Com
missioner Lane was heartily applauded.
The second part of the programme
opened with a cornet solo. Killarney"
played by Signor Nappi, who was
forced to respond to an encore. w. l.
Trice sang, Il Hear You Calling Me-"
and then Father Turner was presented
as the orator who would speak. to the
sentiment, "The Day We Celebrate"
Father Turner's Address
Il realize that we are not alone in
our little celebration here tonight
said the speaker. "This scene is but
one of many thousands throughout the
length and breadth of this great land
of ours. In the deep recesses of the
primeval forests of Canada, beside the
banks of the ghty Amazon, in far off
Australia, in New Zealand, In South
Africa, and in every capital on the con-
tinent of Europe, men and women are
gathered as you are here tonight. On
the breast of many is seen the little
sprig of green. In some cases il |
has lost its freshness; 1t is scared and
yellow, for 1T has come a long distance |
to find a resting place over a loyal and |
generous heart. On this day of wide |
and wondrous import the voices of ora |
tors rise in many tongues. They are
speaking of the same subject. 1t is a |
little island off the western coast of
Europe. Although it is not large. II
stands tonight as the center of civiliza-
ton"
Father Turner then sketched scenes
on childhood on the irish sod He said |
that. judged by the number of people |
affected by it. the day being celebrated
rivals in Importance with the great fes
tivals of Christianity. There are many !
saints days. he said, but In joyous
celebration this festival came close to |
those great festivals of Christianity
Christmas and Easter
The Apostle of Ireland
of this international holiday said |
Father Turner, "our wonder is but in |
creased, for the answer is, we COM |
memorate the death of a man who died !
1921 years ago He was no soldier |
though he lived in an age of turmoil |
and strife His name is not written |
with those of the great statesmen of |
the world, though the laws he framed |
aimed solely at maintaining the rights |
of the people. His fame rests on his |
zeal as a missionary, on his admins |
tration as a bishop of the Catholic |
church. There have been other good |
saints of the church whose feasts are |
celebrated by Catholics throughout |
Christendom. But why is 1t that the |
whole civilized world? Why is it that |
those who are not of our faith join |
willingly, nay, gladly with us as they |
do here tonight in honoring great |
bishop? We find the am
swer to that question in the character |
of the irish people.
Hero Worshipers
I'VE are naturally of an idealistic |
and poetic temperament. We are hero |
worshippers. When the character of
the hero Is In accordance with our |
ideals and his life work is to foster |
them, his memory is enshrined in the |
hearts of the people forever. Such is |
pre- eminently the case with the great |
est of all our heroes. st. Patrick. 1t is |
to him we owe our national character |
as a people. When in the year 432 he
landed on the shores of Ireland, we
were Catholic and Catholic We have |
remained ever since.
Even as pagans the Irish people |
practiced many of the natural virtues. |
They were always most reverential
people They gloried in ideals and
their highly Imaginative nature was
never satisfied with the baser forms
of paganism. They worshiped not the
cruel and 1ustful gods and godesses of
Greece and Rome, but the sun and the
spirits of the forest and the stream |
Patrick taught them that the sun was
but the creation of an Infinite Being, |
the beauty of the woods and streams
only an expression of His infinite good
ness. He encouraged the natural vir-
tues as fruitful ground on which to
plant the seed of the gospel
The speaker sketched the years Of
cruel persecution at the hands of. the
English government and emphasized
the heroic virtues of the Irish people,
who held steadfastly to their religious
faith even though it meant starvation.
Irish scholarship, he said. had 1nflu-
enced nearly all the countries of Eu-
rope. Irish monks had gone to France,
Germany and Austria and letters as
well as religion had been carried to dis
tant lands by these devoted monks.
Father Turner's peorratfon was Won
derfully eloquent and he closed by ex-
pressing the belief that when the HI
bernians celebrated next St. Patricks
day the home rule bill would have be-
come law and Ireland would be entirely