The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-06
BRIDGEPORT As II WAS s
1OO-5O-2O -YEARs AGO
(Taken from the Files of The Evening Farmer)
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
on f1ArHoIIC TRANSCRIPTION.


ON CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION
Counsellor Philips Speech on the
Catholic Emancipation, delivered be-
fore q large and respectable meeting
of the leading Catholics of Ireland IN
October. 1913:
.1f ever there was an opportunity
for England to do justice with dignity
it is the present-now, when Irish
blood has crirnsoned the cross upon
her naval nag, and an Irish hero
strikes the harp of victory upon the
summit of the Pyrenees-
England, England. do not hesitate;
thisg hour of triumph may be but an
hour of trial; the caprices Of fortune
are not to be trusted; one season more
may show the panorama Of European
vassalage, arrayed by your ruthless
enemy, and glittering beneath the
ruins of another capitol 1-perhaps or
London
a few months since MOSCOW
stood as, splendid and as secure; falry
rose the morn on the patriarcha1 city
the Empress of her Nation, the
Queen OF Commerce and the Sanctu-
ar.vF of sstran sers-her thousand spires
pointed to the heavens and her doneS1
Of gold enriched the sunbeams-
.-The tyrant came-he marked her
for his resdence-and, as if very
glance was destiny, with all her prize.
and ponp, and happiness, she Win
cred from the worldi Merciful GOD,
If this embroidered butcher of the
human race heading his locust le-
gfons, were to land in Ireland! do
not ask what would be the conse-
uuence-I am sure you would oppose
him in the Language of your young
enthusiast with torch in one hand
and d sword m the other But oo
ask upon what principle could the
advocates of your exclusion solicit
your assistance Would they say re-
conquer orr ascendancy,s and we viii
repay You with bondage p
cit has been said that there is a.
faction in Ireland. who would join this
3 1nonster-a French party There is
no French party in Ireland but there
As an Irish party, and would il not be
strange If there were not men who
cannot bear to see their country
faunted with the name Of a consutu-
tfon she has not ?--1nen who viii be
content with no connection without an
equality OF benefits, but who would
die IN defense Of the connection If
they had themHmen, who, sooner
than see this lovely green island pol.
1uted with the footsteps OF a slave,
would wish the ocean wave to become
its sepu1chre, and that the orb of
heaven forget we existed
ut has been said too, (ands when
we were to be. caluruniated, what has
not been said0 that freshmen are never
ut for freedom, nor grateful for fa,-
vorx In the first place deny that
to be favor which IT a right; and,
In the next place, Irishnen were
never U1ed-try them and my life on
IT. they will be found grateful
IT think know my countrymen--
Ghey cannot help being grateful for q
benefit and there is no nation on earth
where one would be conferred with
more dIsinteresteds benevo1ence-they
are en1phati ca11y the sc91ooIboys of the
heart-a people of sympathy-their
acts spring inztinctfvely brave-by in
herftance, generousEthe children of
impulse. they cannot avoid their vir-
tues, and to be other than noble, they
must NOT only be unnatural but un-
national
Enter the howell of an irish peas
ants do not say you viii find the
1ruga1ity of the Scotch, the comfort
of the English, or the tri1ing or fam
tastfc decorations of the French cot
tager-bErt I do say that within those
wretched gaIrisons Of mud and mis-
cry you win find senability the most
Affecting po1fteness, the most natural; ;
hospitality, the most grateful; merit,
the most unconsciouss their look is ell
ouuence; their smile is love- their re-
tort is witt their remarks are wis
DOM not a wisdom borrowed from
the dead, but that with which nature
herself has inspired them; an acute
observance of the passing scene and a
keen insight into the motive of its
agents.
God seems to have formed our peo-
pie like our island he has tumb1ed
round the one, its wild, magnificent,
decorated rudeness-he has infused
mot the other, the simplicity of vir-
tue and the seeds OF genfus-and he
says audib1y to MS, give them cu1tfva-
tom
(continned Tomorrow