THE O'CONNELL CENTENARY AT ST. BATHANS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 336, 13 August 1875, Page 3

THE O'CONNELL CENTENARY AT ST. BATHANS.

(From our own correspondent.) St. Bathans, may-well be proud of the celebration held here to honorO'Connell's metnoryi. 'The programme! conceived, and-asrwell carried; out. At three o'clock a/procession took, ♦ place to Keenau's paddock, where aj splendid game of football took place.! captaihs cbbaen for >the were Messrs. Webb and Hanrahan. After an hour's hard kicking the match! was declared drawn. It would take! of your' space" te c 'dwell upon tlie attractions of the ball room during the night; suffice it to say they 5 Were many and grand for a place like St; Bathans. I understand the Committee are loud in their praise of those ■ladies and gentlemen who came from a distance, and it is only right that ;they should be, because without the '.respectable contingents from Naseby, Blacksj and Tinkers, the affair would not have been the great success it proved to be. During the dancing Mr. Campbell kindly presided at the harmonium, and the violinists engaged , <for the occasion were Messrs. Melvin, .and Deaker, who were kindly assisted .afMntorvals.by Messrs. Pyle, Dillon,, and Eanwiclc. Taking it altogether .the music was excellent, and everyone fleemed to enjoy themselves. At 11 .o'clock dancing was for a time" suspended. Mr. Kenny was. called to the chair, and made a few brief and appropriate remarks. Mr. Mulvey, Secretary to the Committee,said: .< adies and Gentlemen— On behalf of myself and several members of Committee 1 beg to offer you •our warmest thauks for your presence here to-night. lam well aware that many of you have come a long distance, and at considerable inconvenience to yourselves, and for what ? -Not altogether to enjoy yourselves, I am sure; and the Committee are not vain enough to think for a moment that you came just because they have asked you. No, "ladies aud gentlemen, we have merely sounded the talismanie name of O'Connell, and behold here you are to do honor to !>is memory. Who was. o'Connel 1 , and what good did he do in his lifetime to deserve this (nark of your respect ? are questions which would lake up much time to answer, and much more ability than I can lay claim to. J will merely ask you to look back at one great good tbmg which he did. .You know that before O'Connell's time all the.subjects of the Crown in Great Britain and Ireland were notequal in the eye of the-law-one portion of them might fill the highest positions in the land, and not one of the others would be, allowed to collect even the water rates say of.,such places as Naseby or St. Batbans,, O'Connell sought to do away this scandal, to make all the subjects of Jhe Crown equal; and ho had a difficult battle to fight, by speech, by pen, and sometimes, too, ladies and gentlemen, pistols and coffee were in request; but he overcame all difficulties. In.,the hour of his triumphal can imagine some of his great political opponents with nobility of. soul enough coming forward and O'Connell, h'a'se fought you to the bitter end 5 ; 'backed toy the prejudice,and usage'of denturies we thought your defeat was .certain.; but, instead of that, you have triumphed over us. You fougbtuobly and deserve your viovory\because your' ■quarrel was just. Yb'u' uave.given to millions of people in (his Kingdom of Great Britain . and Ireland a right hitherto shamefully denied them, viz., "the right to worship God; and look their fellow-man in the_ face' without fear, as conscience dictates anil as Heaven intended they should do. Wo congratulate you upon your great victory ; you deserve it, for your quarrel was just." Yes, ladies and gentlemen, . his quarrel was just, and we are told that

Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just,. And he bui naked, .though locked up icsfceL. Whose conscience niih injustice is corrupted; Yes, O'Connell'a quarrel was just, and that fact, backed up by favorable circumstances, enabled him to obtain a; .greatvictory against great odds. When ■ the news of this great victory Teachecl the emancipated million's .in their homes great were their rejoicings. Oh ! ladies and gentlemen, we, assembled, here to-night, can have no idea of the -depth and sincerity of those rejoicings, particularly in the land of O'Connell's birth. Slaves yesterday, freemen today! They lit huge, bonfires in the "valleys and on the jhill tops ; -vast processions aid congregations of men and women thronged the cities and highly waysfrom sea io sea. 1 believe they ■would have crowned O'Conneli King if be had permitted them. As it was they bestowed upon him a title more glorious; ; and wore feuggesiive of the good ihe had done;' they called biin the. [Liberator, "When' the mews of the great' political, victory -reached the continent of '.Europe, the joy df millions of people there, too, was. great, but'for a different reason. In •every country of Europe where millions of subjects labored unde v wrong, or sought the removal of grievances, those millions and their leaders blessed 'O'Connell's name, and sang his praise in every tongue, because he had just led the way— -he had just shown them how they might gain great political triumphs, and. work out great changes for the general good, 'without an appeal to the sword. For this, if for nothing more, his name deserves the iegpect of posterity. Such was the man, ladies and gentleman, whose memory jou honor by your presence here tonight; but I have detained you too long; other gentlemen will address jou. Once more, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for your presence on this occasion. (Cheers.) Mr. Bunny then addressed tho as-

sembly, and said.; I.purpose, speaking on this occasion, because to cpmmemo-. rate the*; "centenary of Ireland's great; Liberator by mere dancing alone, would be a meaningless way of show-! lingdu'r veneration for him;. YTj.canj.as-. sure yo,u, proud; in taking a. part—however small—at a; demonstration hi —honor of Daniel; O'Connell's; centenary. -,. OJCpnnelll was born'at Kerry on the 6th August,'; 1775, and, remarkable to say, Henryj Gractan, splendid QiatoEjtpokj 'his seat that year in the'lrish "Com-i mons. O'Connell had great ambition.: In 1795 he writes thus to his uncle,; Maurice O'Connell—-" I havetwo ob-i jects to, pursue: The-one ment of knowledge, the other the ac-i quisition of those-qualities which con-i stitute the, oolite gentleman.,,, I convinced that the ftfrmor, ; besidelrthe; immediate pleasure vtbat; ij> r -yields, isj calculated to raise me to and fortune; and'i'krfow%nat''th i e £ lat-j ter serves as. a general passport." And,f he continues, the of; ambition which you suggest I can' as'-] sure you no man can possess more'of; it than I do. I have'indeed a glowing! and—if I may use I enthusiastic cbnveftsj every toil into pleasure, and every j study intoi an amusements . Though! nature may have given me subordinate; talents, I never willbe satisfied with 4: subordinate situation in my profession:^; He was over burning; with a . desirei to j do something whieh would make,,his! name f immortal, and he v was equajly | anxious that" that something should, be for Ireland. O'Connell's darlingwish ' was realised, - and Ireland' is""''gratg L ! ful. O'Connell was op6n'-hearted ; , generous,, and humorous,, but, withal r as j irritable as a poet. ' After passing of the Belief 1 measure" oP I793J ::: which admitted Catholics-tb:the : barj-we 'find O'Connell in London. In the stpring of '9B he was called.t,q,thJ3.bar,and (to use Luby's words) "the iriu'mpiis' that he won for himself as~a;-'-barrister cast the lustre of renown over himself and the whole Irish ' Some of you will no doubt be that in 1799 DanieV.O'Connell became a member of the Society of Free and Accepted Masons. . "^His.,lodge met in Dublin; and cohsis'ted ''bit Is 9 members. O'Conuellwas, it appears-, master of the lodge. O'Connell, writing about this passage of his life, says: " It is true. I was. a and Master'of a Lodge: -'ltTwas'-ai a Ji vWy early period of my life,, and either before an ecclesiastical censure had been published in the Catholic Church in Ireland prohibiting the taking of the masonic oaths, or atleast,before I was aware of that censure."*" "freemasonry in Ireland," continued O'Connell, " may be said to have, (apart from its oaths) no evil tendency, save sofarasit may counteracttho. those most laudable and useful institutions, the Temperance rSocieties. >- The) atn-' portant objection is," he tells us, " the profane taking in vain the awful- name of the Deity in. the .wanton .and -.multii plied oaths—oaths administered on the Book of God without any adequate motive." Of course it is needless for me; ito tell -you; .that? Q.'ConnelLi nounced Ereemasonry.......Qn ; the. 23rd June, 1802 } O'Connell was, piarrjed to his beautifu! cousin, Of her hei testified" ", shei gave me 34 years of the purest'happiness that man ever enjoyed." She was an exceedingly amiable, strong-minded, woman, and Mr. O'Connelltjit.is during her life, very much guided by her ad-, vice. O'Connell'commenced hil' i pb"li- 1 tical career on J.3th January, 1800, at the memorable meeting of the Catholic , citizens of Dublin;'held in the Boyal ! Exchange, to protest against; the Union, and be there delivered his first spe'ech at a public meeting. O'Oonnell'srern-. : barrassment in making'his' first "speech was great. He tells us that his !l face • glowed and his ears tingled ; at ; the' sound of his Jown voice, but got more courage as he went on*. t I imay here state th'at J the Dhioh : took ; place on the Ist January, 1801, and on ;that date a new Imperial standard (the one ever since in use) floated over toe Tower of London, and* on the castles of Dublin and, Ed This stans dard is quartered first and fourth "England, second Scotland; and third Ireland. It was then Ireland's harp got a place on-England's great" banner. The union jack, with its crosses of St. Andrew, St. Patrick, and St. George, jjwas ordained at the same time. In TSIO/John -Keogh retired: from the 'field of agitation, and henceforth. O'Connell was the recognised leader. The great Plunket, speaking, of him as I a leader, says :-rr".He!wa3 the 'first of Irishmen, and the mpst beloved. That he had createdanunconquerable spirit in the country.' His .objecti had been jto rally men of-all persuasions and Iparties and habits the : one title, that of Irishmen./' In' 181,5:''O'Connell's fatal duel 1 with! D'Esterre took place. O'Connell and.;the.: great Bobert Peel W.quld have .fought a duel that same-yeary only the, authorities interfered. After this O'Connell was so full of remorse for killing D'Esterre that he tells us he "registered a vow in HeavW-'tnafhTwould'"never 'fighTa" duel again." In 1828 O'Connell laid the first stone of the Christian Brothers" Schools. -Eor-'the' last' 28 years O'Cbnl nell had been fighting hard for entancfpation, and now victory v/as near at hand. .Theproximate cause of Cathor lie emancipation* was the celebrated Clare election.—that memorable elec-'j tion, when O'Connell polled 2057 votes against 1075 for Vesey Eitzgerald; Although the. chances at the outset were much,,againet O'Connell, Luby says that—"The Clare election was a tremendous event. The day it ended Catholic emancipation was virtually won." "Now at last, almost 137 years after the treaty of Limerick, the Catholics were emancipated. On 30th

March, 1829, it passed the Commons L «by aj majority of 36, on the 2nd April it passed the Lords bv a majority of 104, on the 13th April, 1829, George the-Eourth sighed the Bil), and Catho'licy.emaheipation became Jaw 1 O'ConWll was Lord Mayor. of Dublin in--IS4I. In 1846 a fearful national calamity is 'at hand; the potato crop fails a second time ; and this no doubt rhurried the death of "Kerry's Pride," "Minister's Glory," and "Ireland's Hero!" In 1847 lie is ordered to a. "wanner climate. He was now sinking 'rapidly. The fatal disease was softening of the brain. The last scene took place in Genoa, on the 15fch May, \ 1847y-when the great man's spirit appeared before its God. He was 72 years of age. He had vainly desired to live till he could reach Home and receive .the Pontiff's blessing. Ireland wept for his death ! Grand funeral -solemnities were observed in Genoa and R.pme. In Ireland, his funeral was a vast and imposing spectacle. O'Connell! I wish I had been able to do you jasti.ee.' I have done whnt I couldS'l:have done my best. Honor to your ; memory! Peace to your soul! (Cheers.)

\ Mr. de Lautour, being called upon, said(j He, thought; the Chairman of the Committee had doubly cudowed the •company. jFirst of all he liad provided a great -pleasure, and then, with national politeness, had thanked the visitors foc'coming to partake of it. :, After the carefully prepared oration delivered by Mr. Bunuy, it would not be necessary for him to say much. He did not wonder that Irishmen were proudtofiDaniel O'Connell. O'Connell, more than anyone, had taught the humblest Irish peasant he was the equal of the proudest British peer or haughtiest commoner of the land, and .te f such r: equally entitled to the. enjoyment of his rights, and the protection of the laws. It would not be right for hipajtoiassume to, fully enter into all the feelings experienced by many on this which were the privilege of Irishmen alone. He could, however, •s'ay-'th'afc he felt it to be ati honor to be allowed to participate in a festival which was in commemoration of the birth of a man who proved true to himi self,.true t to his country, iiind true to i his G,od v ,,He could not help being struck on this occasion,, where every one was'"s6 f happily, enjoying themselves, with the contrast shown in that last journey 'to Genoa. There was something .supremely piteous in that. O'Cbrihelrieft his native land heartbroken with its miseries, and weighed down wjth the bitter idea that the people he had led so nobly for 40 years declined"„to follow him longer;—that "5/ou'ng- 'lreland, putting aside his weapon of moraLfbrce, wished to take up with*"physical power. He could not but think that in this there was something of the morbidness of disease, of;an overworked brain: that if the | well-known voice had once again been , enabled to sound every man in Ireland ; would still as heretofore have followed ! their well-trie'd leader to the end. Be ; that'W is ; not forI gotten now.; and, wherever the BritishEmpire. I ;,!^pxtends, there at this time i every" Irish heart will beat a pulse the •qu : ck»r at the thought of Daniel ; O'Connell, and what he did for Ireland, j A'hundred years ago Ireland was not 'destitute of great men, who, for the • most- : pa.Tt,'-"obtained their greatness jdutof'Treland. There were Dukes land Lords, in plenty Wellington, ! Castlereagh, and others. On the 6fch ! of Ai|gust,- ; however, time and mature appear to have combined tol&etherrtp pro,ve that Ireland eould projd'uce a inah,—a true, human, loving,, jma'n';'; 1 Ireland could hardly wish him Mother. (Cheers.) | Mr. Purton being called upon said : Catholic he had great assisting in paying tribute |to,the / :L t iberator., Living in an English j in his home he never :hadan ; lrish acquaintance; yet within jthe family .O'Connell's name was a ;family word. He had been requested a poetical tribute from a friend iat Blaekstone Hill, dedicated to the Celebration Committee : ; . r r -.... ; .1N ?.IKMOHIAM. >iiol Just a hundred years have fled Since first appeared upon this world's stage ;A giantrgenius o£ the stern age In whieh helivei : ■ Th' immortal dead Npw claim - him brother ; hut a never dying j «'• L fahie ' SBrightly encircles great O'Connell's name ! ;Oh ! Erin's sons, ye have good cause to prize | his natal day : Dark years, of.woe your, forefathers endured, ■ r And ev'ry.beani of freedom seemed obscured, •'Tillo'er the;horizqn spread the divine ray |His rising star shot forth, and all the gloom IFled from their hearts, that erst lay in the ; ..: .tomb.;. '. . : ". ' ~ ~" lOf direst "desolation. Ye may bless :The hour that;gaye him birth, iAnd your.compatriots,-wheresoe'er on earth Their homes'may bej to him that set them .free—. .'.'-'., f ,- ; .', I Whose ceaseless labors dicL their wrongs re'r '.dress—'" ;- :,; " "- '■ . • iShould render homage due, to hiin the good and true. .. ".' '... \ O'Connell! Ireland's'grandest, best beloved I > ■■■■ ■' '■■■"■"■ ' \ :Thy moral prowess bloodless vict'ry won 'For all her toiling millions !' Here to-day To doihimlionor, men from'ev'ry clime, :Celt, Saxon,; all with warm '• hearts come to pay The'praise well earned,' by-men v> r hose mark I sablime -■■■■■ :Glows gpldenly on ev'ry page of time ! i. "When the speaking was over, loud .cheers »vere given for O'ConneU's .Memory, the Ladies, the Member for Mount Ida, arid the Visitors. During the evening several songs were excellently rendered by Messrs M'Kay, Caddick, Gannon, and others