The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-16
ST. Patrick's DRY.

1
To the Editor of The Gate City:
| With your kind permission, the
writer wishes to say through your
valuable paper: He was a listener to
an argument among some OF his couh-
trymen in regard to the celebration OF
st. Patrick's day, March 18th. TheI
j saint, being known as the apostle Oh
Ireland, in the church. One contend
ed the day was celebrated in COM
memoration of his birth, while others
/ presumed it was on account of some
particular happening during his so
journ on earth, etc. Space does not
permit the writer to go Into details
| in regard to his young life before his
captivity, which we know so little OF,
! or after his return to the continent
after having been in Ireland six years.
| A brief study of Irish history prior to
| the fifteenth century will prove how
little is known to the majority OF our
/ countrymen of today with reference
| to her greatness, when the first seeds
Of christianity we're sown by Pailae-
! Jus about the year 49, A D., or the
/ obstacles which st. Patrick had to
overcome When the proud Druid by
| his magic and superstition held sway,
people who by their peculiar meth
ods In warfare challenged the arms OF
proud, imperial Rome which laid the
world PROSTATE at the feet OF the
| Caesars, but we're never able to pene-
trate Ireland Her sons were never
4 dragged after the chariot wheels o.
4 her victorious generals or sold as
slaves in her markets their blood
was never shed in the gladitorial arena
to grace Roman holiday, nor upon
/ her affairs to consecrate pagan rites
or sacrifices.
/ An old Irish adage says: Not TIC
Palladius but to Patrick did God grant
1 the conversion of Ireland. When we
i consider the bloodless victory s.. Pat,
! rick gained over fierce and warlihe
tribes, and the superstitious priests ol
a pagan religion, We must recognize
that her salvation was to be worked
out by him alone.
MOORE D6dulllui1s e1uo pJCtiSoiAy -.
claims: While in all other countries
the Introduction of christianity has
been the slow work of time, has been
resisted by either government or PEG.
pie and seldom effected without laT-
ish effusion of blood, in Ireland, on
the contrary, by the influence OF one
jealous missionary. In regard to his
!, birth. both as to time and place,
which has been warmly discussed and
disputed by writer's of Irish history
, though Usher. Ware and Colgan safe
he was a native of Scotland. the
learned DR.. Lanigan has proved ht
was native of Boulogna- sur-Mer, II
France. The best of modern writers
: concur in placing his birth in the yea
3s7 A. D. This we assume to be cor
n rect, he being in his sixteenth yea
when taken into captivity by Mail
which was in the year 403 A. D., cor
seuuently we are unable to commend
n rate his birth The year OF his deaf
r has been disputed by some writer
IS who claim he lived to the advance
age OF dlIlOot l-U SC0i bAN ~ iStAA@
"a gan again proves conclusively that n
al died March II. 465 A. D. His body wa
lg inferred at Dun-dalithglas. fort {
the broken locks, now Downpatricl
er The writer is especially surprise
ne that those who are most apt to dl
as cuss this subject SO far forget thi
~ the church celebrates the death
= her canonized saints which is the
4 emancipation from this earthly II
into life eternal. Knowing the impe
tan. part played by the successors
st. Patrick In spreading the doctrin
Il. of christianity and learning throug
pm out northern Europe, we should
er, ioice at what the immediate futu
seems to have in sore for the lri
gs people who have been the victims
at misrules OF st. Laurence O'Toole
OF 1850 A. D., down to the present \
lfm one Irish saint has been canonizt
a ns though Irish soil has been so free
up injured by the blood Of her marty
iere Trusting the writer has made t
-. point at issue clear in regard to I
-nre tln, suope tlldl oil my Souiti! AZ
Re- - fo,;o 81 ~ 1on5
the VINO reserve ieeiiHS ~ thS iahu
,tsa their birth will on st. Patrick's d
nent offer fervent prayer to the Supre
M ny Ruler of the universe for the succ'
and of the present parliament and it's pc
ali ali, less leader, Mr.. Asquith, in tn
edily grand and glorious struggle to win
old Ireland the long sought for no
LII
,,, teh rule What a BETTING celebration
ours. would be to the memory OF Br
. Roru. (Boroinshe), TO see the land
= which he gave his life at Clont