Evening journal., 1919-03-17
ASKS justice FOR
THE irish nation
People Demand Indepen-
dence, Father Grant Tells
Wilmington Audience
HONORS MEMORY
OF ST. PATRICK

ST. Palricks Church was taxed 10
oyerflowing last evening with an au-
dicnce which came from all parts Of
the city, to hear Rev James NJ. Grant,
ID. D., lecture on Ireland and her pa
tron saint
The speaker took as his text the
words OF Tobias, I'VE are the children
Of saints and look for that life which
God will give to those that never
change their faith from Him." Father
Grant said:
The feast OF st. Patrick is always
source OF joy to the church Of God
in every land and in every cline. For
is not Patrick to be numbered among
the greatest heroes? Has he not been
to her through fourteen centuries a
beacon Of light and tower OF strength?
Her proudest triumphs in history are
traceable to his influence.
Wherever there dwells today a child
OF Erin his heart is borne back on
wings OF love TO that Isle across the sea
where st. Patrick prayed and toiled and
wept The halo Of religion that sur
rounded his cradle the prayers that he
AAHNNh nA AAA0 AAANNANA = NM AAAf l~N'H
ful scenes Of innocence and mirth that
graced his boyhOod memory on this
festival day-for all the ardor Of pa
triotsm and all his love Of religion are
centered i'm one towering flgure-St.
Patrick What Washington is TO Amer
lea, this and more than this, is Patrick
to Ireland. He is not only the flrst in
the hearts OF his cOuntrymen, but he
is the living embodiment of their ma
tional sentiment and religious faith.
For fourteen centuries ireland has
been 4he wonder Of the world. But at
no period does he stand out in such
bold relief as during the three centur-
les Immediately succeeding his death.
Ireland was then cOntented and happy
at liberty to display the two shining
Of her peOple-their
love for learning and love for religion.
While the barbarians Of the north
were devastating Europe, and crushing
every vestige Of her civilization. the
Irish people were erecting sanctuaries
and endowing schools th0t attracted
students from all parts OF the world.
gave themselves up TO the
life and scattered TO the
four corners of the globe SO that even
Today Irish saints are venerated in eV-
cry known land. France has her 81.
Giles: Germany her st. FridOlin; Switz-
erland her st. Gaul-Irishmen all and
saints all.
"Just as a man says Holy Writ is
power in adversely, 50 is il with ma
tion. Ircland's first scOurge was the
Danes. For two hundred years this
implacable enemy devastated her shores
and razed to the ground those temples
and schools that formed her glory. This
enemy she had scarcely repulsed when
she met with another that has ever
since weighed on her like an incubus.
/ VIII not review those narrowing
scenes that have marked her subiectlon
TO England. Persecution, which the
mind can scarcely conceive or The mind
dwell on without mingled feelings Of
admiration and awe, for three centuries
formed the portion Of her cup. The
sword. and the rack, the dungeon and
the scaffold We're by turns employed
for the eXtirpatiOn Of her belief. Laws
inspired by hatred unsurpassed In
ferocity by the cruel edicts OF a Dio-
cetian or a Nero, disgraced the ANIMALS
of that gloomy period. To educate
ones children was a crime, to erect an
altar felony; the murder Of a priest
in those days was virtuous deed,
sanctioned by law-the perlldy OF son
TO the parents who gave him life an
act Of loyalty deserving q reward.
In spite Of all this, we see today
thousands OF Irish youths assembled
under the stars and Stripes fighting for
that country that would deprive her Of
very existence. Could there be any
greater test Of loyalty and Christian
And what now, that victory
has been realized-and England has
been saved from the avenging hour Of
the German hordes, is ITelands reward?
Does she ask for territorial gains2 No
Does she ask for money? Nol Does she
ask for favor? MOI She simply asks
for Justice. England. as well as Amer
lea, fought TO make the world safe for
emocracy-fOught TO give independ-
nee TO every small nation-this, and
only this, then does Ireland ask.
AS passionate lovers Of America and
all that America stands for, and con-
yinced Of the essential truth and politl-