The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-08

Defense of Robert Emmet need
not be made by any man who loves
liberty declared Hon. Cornelius Coll
1inss judge of the New York court of
special sessions, as he paid glowing
tribute to the memory of the Irish
patriot and martyr at tile annual
Memorial Concert under the auspices
of the Emmett club Of Bridgeport at
the Plaza theatre last evening.
Right or wrong, " declared the
judge, Emmett typified that devotion
and love. of country which made him
willing to lay down his life in the hope
that by his act the day would be
FASTENED when ireland would be a
nation He typihed the hopes and the
prayers of the Irish people and their
protest against seven centuries Of
tyranny and oppression and he lives
still in their hopes and their pray
ers.
enunciation, ease Of delivery and
ability to lead his audiepee, Judge
Collins held close attention and there
was not a dull moment from the start
to the end of his address. He rebuk-
ed the scoffers who speak of Emmett
as an enthusiast who attempted to
preeipitate an uprising when there
was no possible chance of success. He
said Napoleon had promised Emmett
to send a fleet to ireland in August
1903 and that but for unforeseen cir
cumstances Em1net's attempt must
have succeeded
The judge touched lightly on the
recent attempt by the British gov
eminent to give home rule to Ireland
and said he hoped it would come
true, but judged by the past there was
reason to question whether or not
England would keep its word
An audience which filled the thea
cert numbers enthusiastically. As
usual one of the beautiful features
of the concert was the rendition of
Irish classic music by some of Bridge
ports sweetest singers. The exquis-
tie and pathetic notes of Irish love
songs, the lifting. roIIicking tones of.
folk songs and stirring, swinging
strains of Irish marching and battle
songs made the theatre ring before
and after the speeches
Judge Collins said in part:
Eat this season of the year the
world over, wherever there is a conn
.mIlnity of Irish people or their de-
.scendants on either the Sunday ey-.
ening before March 4 or the Sunday
afterward, meetings like this you are
holding tonight are held in loving
tribute to his memory.
fsI bringsyou greetings tonight from
the Napier Tandy club of New z ork
which in a similar memorial services
pays tribute to the memory of Enamet.
Robert Emmett was born in Dub
lin 4 81 years ago at the time when
the American war for Independence
was still raging. He was the son of
DR. Robert Emmett an eminent Irish
physician of Dublin. Just 112 years
ago he gave up his life on the scat
fold.
SIN considering the memory of Rob
ert Emmett and his work on behalf of
his country there are many who while.
shonoring him do not do him full JUS
tiee. It has been said that his plans
for an. uprising were not well formed
and that his attempt was but the eff
fort of "a foolish enthusiast from
which no good or measure of success
could possibly have come. Nothing
would be further from the truth.
ssEIrnraet has been described as be
ing of morbid turn of mind 1t is
known that from his early youth he
was fred with the idea of some day
striking a. blow for his country. Be
ing one day at a reception where one
of Thomas Moore's poems was being
recited he cried out, =tOh, that I had
10000 such men to lead and Ireland
would be free.
IF we consider the events of EN-
NETS time we see that the, United
States had achieved independence
and the French revolution had taken
place. Although the fu-starred up
rising of '9S in his own land had been
crushed, the air was still filled with
the spirit of freedom and revolution.
There were some districts in Ireland
where there was no attempt at resis-
lance in SO but militia, wearing the
red coats of England had been sent
into these districts. Women were
outrag ed and the men were obliged
to take the field to protect the honor