The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-03-11
Address Of Hon. D. w. LAWYER at the
Emmett Celebration, Hiberninan
Halls, St. Paul.

The 10Th century is frequently re-
ferred to as the perfection of culture
and progress in all that relates to hui
manity. In the third year of that CEN
fury on the goth day Of September a
grotesque spectacle was being enacted
in one of the public streets of the city
Of Dublin, one of the most cultured
and civilized capitals of the world. A
man in the flower of youth, barely
twenty-five years of age. handsome as
god Of Grecian mythology, lowered
with priceless gifts Of intellect, born
to wealth and fame and all that the
world holds dearest, stood on a scat
fold of shame and ignominy and suf.
fered a felon's death because he was
true to the country of his birth. The
marvellous gift Of life with which God
had endowed him was choked and
strangled from his body by the exc
cutioner's rope and the hangman held
up to a weeping multitude the head
which he had torn from the mangled
body, exclaiming: Behold the head
of traitor" The trunk was quar-
tered and the bones were scattered to
the winds of heaven. Their resting
places are unknown today to mortal
man. The government which took his
life attempted to destroy his reputa-
tion and bury his name in oblivion. A
hundred and thirteen years have rolled
away and on this day wherever the sun
Of civilization Shines men have gath.
cred to commemorate this great sac
rifice. Not only in the land of his
birth, but wherever beats heart that
is true to the highest instincts of hu-
manity, wherever the scattered chill
dren of the Gael survive on land or
sea. is commemorated the story of this
day. No shaft marks his resting place,
but the monument of grateful people
has been raised in the hearts of his
countrymen and on this anniversary
of his birth wherever they are found,
whether in the republics of South
America, on the plains of Canada, in
the trenches of Belgium and France
or whether they gather as we have
gathered tonight beneath the splendor
of that starry flag, the memory of
this great sacrifice is recalled because
we celebrate the birth of Robert En-.
met. 1t is unnecessary to recite to
this audience the story of his brilliant
life and splendid death because that
story is known by heart as children
know their alphabet, by every audi
ence that meets today under the aus
pieces of the Ancient Order of Hiberni-
ans. The Emmett Rebellion was not
the hopeless freak of a fanatic. Mod
ern study and research show that it
was based on a reasonable prospect of
success. Emmet's plan was to seize
Dublin Castle and from that seat of
power Of the British Empire, direct a
rebellion which he expected to spread
to every corner of Ireland. 1t was no
more hopeless in the general lines of
it's project than had been the Ameri.
can Revolution when Jefferson and
Washington and the Adamses drew
the holy sword Of rebellion against the
power of the British Empire. Emmett
lived in an age of young men and of
young men who were great men.
When twenty years old he was ex.
PEELED from Trinity College, Dublin, by
reason of suspected sympathy with
the United Irish Society, and at that
time he visited the continent of Eur
ope and became acquainted with Ma
poleon and Talcyrand. Modern re-
search has shown that he had reason
to believe that if he could seize Dub
lin Castle and hold it for a few weeks
a French army and a French fleet
would land on Irish soil and assist in
winning for Ireland the same boon OF
Independent government which the
gallant sons Of France had assisted
Washington to win for the patriots OF
America.
We were told Il short time ago that
it would be dangerous to grant Home
Rule for Ireland and leave the Prot
estant minority at the mercy of the
Catholic majority. No one who knows
the history Of the Irish people and
who understands their character car
sincerely make this claim. With one
exception the great leaders in the gal
axy of Ireland's great sons have beer
Protestant. And when the son Of this
anniversary dawned on the mornine
of this day, as the Irish maiden knelt
IN prayer in some mud-walled cabir
high up in the mountains Of Wicklow
her eyes fell upon two pictures side b,
side in her humble cabin,-one tn.
picture of Patrick the Saint in hi.
robes of missionary and Bishop, tn,
other in the green and gold of tn,
United Volunteers. the Protestant mar
tyr Of ireland. The great lesson to b,
learned from the anniversary of THU
day is that Emmett died that his coun
try might be free, that she might lav,
not q half loaf Of dwarfed and cripple,
government, but that she might b,
granted the full and complete freedom