PROCEEDINGS AT THE BANQUET HON. JAMES A. CGORMAN. 1903. Glass. Book: luS' .1 £^ PRESENTED BY PROCEEDINGS AT THE BANQUET TO HON. JAMES A. O'GORMAN. Reported and published by order of the Society, 1903. PRESS OF W. p. Mitchell & Sons, . 39 BHEKMAN STREET, NEW YORK. Gift The Society 2d copy accepted Order Div, (^ffxttvB at tlt0 ^ortrty of tltp iFrtPttiln i'otis of ^t Patrtrk. 1303. PRESIDENT JAMES FITZGERALD FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT JOSEPH I. C. CLARKE SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT MICHAEL J. DRUMMOND TREASURER JOHN D. CRIMMINS RECORDING SECRETARY JOHN J. LENEHAN CORRESPONDING SECRETARY WILLIAM TEMPLE EMMET ALMONER FRANCIS HIGGINS U?ru?rtz^ /x?rr>^ya/n/ At a meeting of the Society of the Friendly Sons OF St. Patrick in the City of New York, held on Mon- day evening, January 5th, 1903, at Dehnonico's, the fol- lowing resolution proposed by the Hon. Morgan J. O'Brien, and seconded by Mr. Stephen Farrelly, was unanimously adopted by the Society : "RESOLVED, That the members of the Society of the "Friendly Sons of St. Patrick tender to the retiring presi- "dent, the Honorable James A. O'Gorman, in some suitable man- "ner, an expression of their personal esteem for him and their ap- "preciation of his devoted service to the Society's welfare during "the three years of his presidency, and in recognition of his sue- "cessful zeal for its prosperity. "And that a committee be appointed by the chair to advise "the Society in the matter. The Chair thereupon appointed as such committee the following gentlemen : Morgan J. O'Brien David McCIure Daniel F. McMahon Stephen Farrelly John Stewart William N. Penney Bartholomew Moynahan The committee, after consultation, reported to the So- ciety as its recommendation that Judge O'Gorman be in- vited to accept a dinner of the society to be given in his honor, at Delmonico's, on Tuesday evening, February 3rd, 1903. The report was unanimously adopted and the com- mittee continued with full power to carry into effect the wishes of the Society. The Dinner took place at Delmonico's, Fifth Avenue and Forty-fourth Street, on February 3rd, 1903, and dur- ing the proceedings a solid silver service was presented to Judge O'Gorman. The following members and guests were present : DAIS. Hon. James Fitzgerald Justice of the Supreme Court President Hon. James A. O'Gorman Justice of the Supreme Court Hon. Edward Patterson Justice of the Appellate Di- vision, Supreme Court Hon. Frank C. Laughlin Justice of the Appellate Di- vision, Supreme Court Hon. Henry A. Gildersleeve. Justice of the Supreme Court Hon. James S. Coleman Col. David McClure Hon. Charles H. Van Brunt Presiding Justice of the Ap- pellate Division, Supreme Court, First Department Hon. Samuel Sloan Rev. Charles McCready Hon. Edward W. Hatch Justice of the Appellate Di- vision, Supreme Court Hon. Charles H. Truax Justice of the Supreme Court Hon. Francis M. Scott Justice of the Supreme Court Hon. Morgan J. O'Brien, Justice of the Appellate Division, Supreme Court TABLE A. lion. John D. Crimmins Rev. Michael J. Lavelle Guest Hon. James J. Phelan M. F. Loughman John M. Murphy- Laurence J. Callanan Rev. Denis P. O'Flynn Robert J. Beechinor John B. Manning Francis L. Manning David O'Brien William A. Kane Peter F. Kane F. J. Breslin H. A. Metz Francis O'Neill James A. McGuire Patrick Farrelly Nicholas J. Barrett Hon. Daniel F. Martin. Justice, Municipal Court Dr. Bryan D. Sheedy John J. Delany John G. O'Keeffe Hon. Miles M. O'Brien George H. Fahrbach Edgar Murphy Philip A. Smyth J. P. Caddagan Hon. Henry A. Brann Dr. James M. Ludden James Curi'an Robert D. Petty Herbert E. Bowen F. A. Duneka John Slattery John R. Slattery A. X. Pheland Isaac Bell Brennan John B. Finn Dr. C. E. Byrne John J. Rooney Stephen Farrelly TABLE B. Bartholomew Moynahan Abraham Gruber Thomas Kirkpatrick Peter J. Loughlin Hon. Leonard A. Giegerich Justice of the Supreme Court Charles J. Leslie John Cotter Stephen J. Geoghegan Hon. John Whalen John B. McDonald Louis F. Doyle Gilbert G. Thorne Edward Hassett James J. Nealis Harry L. Davis Andrew A. McCormick Daniel F. Cohalan Daniel W. Patterson Ambrose F. McCabe John M. Scribner Col. Richard Deeves Frederick A. Burnham Warren Leslie Hon. John Proctor Clarke Justice of the Supreme Court Hon. James A. Blanchard Justice of the Supreme Court Thomas S. Dolan William H. Leslie Maurice Quinlan Henry J. Smith John Kirkpatrick James Flynn Daniel O'Connell Charles Blandy Edmund L. Mooney William S. Gray Thomas J. Nealis Thomas F. Keogh Francis W. Judge, Jr. Martin J. White Hon. John J. Ryan Hon. Charles L. Guy Clarence Lexow George Burnharn Elbert Crandall John Stewart TABLE C. Hon. Edward B. Amend Justice of the Supreme Court Joseph F. Mulqueen Rev. Wm. J. B. Daly Rev. E. T. McGinley Michael J. Mulqueen Hon. Edward E. McCall Justice of the Supreme Court John Delahunty William J. Fanning Francis J. Lantry Hon. Thomas L. Feitner Theodore Connoly Alfred J. Talley Josiah A. Waller Thomas P. Kelly Henry J. Braker James G. Johnson Myles Tierney Vincent P. Travers Hon. Joseph F. Daly John J. Pulleyn Ira Leo Bamberger Hon. John F. Carroll Maurice Untermeyer John B. Sexton James T. Malone Edward R. Carroll Emanuel Blumensteil Hon. Michael H. Hirschberg, Justice of the Supreme Court William H. Bradley Hon. Rastus S. Ransom John J. Kennedy Charles F. Walters Peter McDonnell Bryan L. Kennelly Hugh King Austin Finegan William P. Mitchell Adrian T. Kiernan P. J. Scully F. C. Travers Hon. Eugene A. Philbin Edward J. McGuirc Dr. John P. Davin John McClure Michael J. Drummond TABLE D. Dr. C. J. MacGuire Hon. Vernon M. Davis Justice of the Supreme Court Hon. Lewis J. Conlan Justice of the City Court Murray C. Danenbaum Matthew Corbett Samuel Saunders Hon. James J. Martin Philip J. Britt John J. Harrington Sylvester J. O'SuUivan Hon. Charles W. Dayton Dr. Francis J. Quinlan Dr. John A.spell Hon. George J. Gillespie Hon. Charles Murray Thomas J. Reilly Rev. J. A. Shepard Michael Blake Rev. J. A. Stafford Stephen J. McArdle Frederick Cromwell Julien T. Davies W. J. Clarke J. L C. Hon. John W. Goff Recorder of the City of New York Francis W. Pollock Hon. Edward F. O'Dwyer Justice of the City Court John Fox Hon. Francis B. Delahanty Justice of the City Court Francis Higgins John H. Spellman Thomas F. Conway James Dunne Mark W. Brtnen Edmond J. Curray John McLoughlin Florence J. McCarthy P. E. Demarest Thomas M. Blake A. B. Horton John P. Dunn Thomas C. Blake Theodore A. DriscoU Charles A. Jackson William G. Davies Clarke ' TABLE E. John O'SulIivan Lawrence Winters John O'Connell Owen J. Brady Benjamin S. Harmon L. T. Fell James G. Marshall Willard B. Spader Frederick Kroehl Albert C. Twining Dr. Taylor Dr. Johnson I. R. Benjamin M. J. Shanley Eugene Kennedy Dr. James W. O'Brien Otto Strack Joseph P. Day Emmet J. Murphy Hon. Thomas C. O'SulIivan Col. George W. McNulty Hon. Frank T. Fitzgerald Surrogate of New York Hon. Daniel Frederick Holbrook Hon. D. Cady Herrick Justice of the Supreme Court William Temple Emmet William N. Penney Hon. Thomas J. Dunn Hon. William L. Brown Edward D. Farrell Thomas Byrnes John P. O'Brien Hon. George M. Pinney Laurence T. Fell, Jr. Joseph L. Cliver F'ank A. McHugh Col. William E. Paine William H. Hurst Thomas F, McAvoy John H. McCarty William V. Creighton Hon. William E. Burke Charles W. Buchholz Bernard Naughton Hon. Charles F. Murphy F. McMahon TABLE F. Herald Sun Times Irish-American Sunda}' Democrat John F. Doherty John J. Dowdney Dr. Charles J. Perry W. J. Woods WilHam F. Clare Rev. Joseph F. Smith Dr. Daniel J. Donovan Denis A. Spellissy P. Gallagher Hon. John B. McKean Judge of the Court of Spe- cial Sessions. Hon. John M. Tierney Justice, Municipal Court Hon. Joseph P. Fallon Justice, Municipal Court Tribune World American Press Irish-World Michael J. Koran Daniel J. Early Timothy J. Hayes Joseph P. McHugh Roderick J. Kennedy Edward J. Gavegan Timothy J. M. Murray William J. Broderick James J. Duffy Col. Patrick Kiernan John T. Booth Willis P. Dowd Matthew F. Donohue John J. Lenehan 14 Canapes Pimolivars Consomme Daumont Green Turtle Bressoles Chateaubriand Saddle of Mutton, English Style 8AUTERNE BrAISED CeLERY SHERRY CHAMPAGNE jEtttrfP CHAT. COUFFRAN TeRRAPIN BALTIMORE MINERAL LIQUEURS ciQARs SHERBET WITH RUM CIGARETTES Eoaat Red-head Duck with Hominy and Jelly Chaud-froid of Mauviettes Chicory Salad Fancy Ice Cream Assorted Cakes Pyramids Coffee 15 REMARKS OF MR. JUSTICE JAMES FITZGERALD The coffee having been served and cigars Hghted, The President rapped for order and said: Gentlemen of the Society and Guests: I rejoice exceed- ingly that I am called upon for the first time to preside over a public celebration of our association which is assembled for the purpose of doing honor to a worthy fellow member, our retiring President, whose administration has been productive of the most brilliant results. (Applause.) And when he looks around this assemblage to-night and sees the approval with which he is greeted upon all sides, your appearance and de- meanor speak with an eloquence of which words are incapable and assure him of the secure position that he has in your affec- tions and regard. (Applause.) Our Society is an old one. Its early days bring us back to the time when the founders of the government were struggling with the problems of their times and when the question of the permanency of republican institutions was still an open and debatable one. There never was a time in all the long interven- ing years that the Sons of St. Patrick have not been true to the flag of Washington. (Applause.) The prayers of our people, who never have seen the shores of Columbia, have pe- titioned Heaven for its protection. Thousands of those who have had the privilege of living within this great nation have sac- rificed their lives in its defense. Wherever a native of the green isle looks out into the darkness of the February sky to-night, reverently wondering at the marvelous mechanism that con- trols the movements of the universe, if his thoughts wander for a second to home or to liberty, his prayer goes forth to the Omnipotent One, and if that silent prayer could be illuminated it would read "God bless America, the home of the free and the hope of the oppressed." (Applause.) But we are not assembled to-night for the purpose of cele- brating any national event ; we are here to pay a personal i6 compliment. James A. O'Gorman (applause) is a native of the City of New York and all his life has been spent within its boundaries. Without having particular advantages, he en- tered into the struggle of life with the opportunities that are open to all in this community and by perseverance, pluck and manly worth, he has won a position for himself which it is given to but few to attain. Educated in our schools, in the dawn of his early manhood he allied himself with one or other of the great political organizations that from time to time control and model the policy upon which our national, state and local governments are administered. He also quickly and consistently identified himself with every movement in this city since his youth for the welfare of the race from which he sprang. Many phases of his life will be spoken of to-night by gentlemen selected by the committee for such purposes. I will confine myself to speak- ing of him as the president of this patriotic society. I might state for the benefit of the strangers who are among us that the chief quality looked to by the members when they are se- lecting a president is modesty. If you doubt me, let me call your attention to both ends of the table : we have Brother McClure on one end and Brothers O'Brien and Coleman upon the other, (Laughter.) I do not for a moment say that Judge O'Gorman is a particularly emphatic representative of this disease — or virtue — depending upon the standpoint from which you look at it, but I do say that in this as well as in all other respects he maintains a more than respectable general average. (Ap- plause.) When Judge O'Gorman was called to the presidency of this Society, it was in an exceedingly flourishing condition. The ad- ministration of Judge O'Brien for three years (applause) had brought the Society forward in a great many directions ; the nrembership had increased until the question of limitation became paramount, our dinners afforded Delmonico an opportunity at least once a year of illustrating how all Irishmen would live un- der proper conditions (laughter and applause) ; and our quarter- ly meetings, from being ordinary routine affairs, became oc- casions of the keenest pleasure and enjoyment. But particu- larly by the action taken at that time in connection with the volunteers who were going into the service of the United States for the Spanish War we were brought into close touch and sympathy with our people and for the first time in its long 17 history the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick was taken out of the circumscribed limits in which it had previously acted and was toned up to high patriotic and national standards. (Applause.) It is to the credit of Judge O'Gorman that the burden of duty that devolved upon him by having the leadership of such an organization under such circumstances placed upon his shoul- ders has been magnificently discharged. (Applause.) Our roll of membership to-night is up to the limit and we have a long list of worthy candidates waiting for an opportunity to be ad- mitted within the circle. Judge O'Gorman, during the time that he occupied the pres- idency of the Society, has the credit of securing for us inter- national recognition. You will remember that a few months ago when the delegation appointed by the' French Government to assist at the unveiling of the monument to Rochambeau at Washington visited this country, it was proposed that this So- ciety should entertain them, and you all recall the brilliant and glorious evening that we had on the occasion that they were here. (Applause.) The exiles of Erin, so to speak, as hosts in America, were permitted to welcome with Irish hospitality their French friends to an American banquet in celebration of a joint triumph over British aggression. (Applause.) The memo- ries of Aughrim and Limerick, Landon and Fontenoy, Mon- mouth and Yorktown were revived. (Applause.) While Judge O'Gorman is entitled to praise for those things, he is also entitled to great credit for keeping the national character of our association up to the most advanced standard. Ireland, a Nation, was ever his watchword and when occasion presented itself he deemed it a labor of love to declare and re- declare that sentiment. It was a sentiment connected with every fibre of his being, inherited from a patriotic ancestry, a senti- ment that time could not obliterate nor tyranny destroy. (Ap- plause.) We have to-night at this board a number of gentlemen who will speak upon other aspects of the distinguished career of our guest. I will ask you to manifest your admiration and regard for him by drinking his health and vociferously cheering his name. The toa.st was heartily responded to, the entire com- p.iny rising, cheering repeatedly, and then singing, "For i8 He Is a Jolly Good Fellow." The demonstration con- tinued until the President again exercised his gavel in creating order. The President: Gentlemen, we will vary the usual ^custom at gatherings of this kind, and the response of the guest of the evening will be deferred until later, after certain other interesting details of the evening are carried out. Meanwhile, it is my great pleasure to call upon one of the ex-presidents of the Society to speak to you. I do not know with what particular sentiment I will associate his name, but if from his long connec- tion with this body and his deep reading into its history, he can give us some matters of interest connected with its past, I would suggest such to him. ' I call upon our friend upon my right — Mr. David McClure. (Applause.) Mr, McClure, who was warmly received, said : Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick : Of course, the dominant note in the harmony of this occasion is that one which sounds the praises of our retiring President, Judge O'Gorman, and tells of the splendid service which he has rendered to this Society. But it seems to me that upon an occasion like this, which is somewhat in the nature of a family gathering, lacking some of those formalites and condi- tions connected with our St. Patrick's Day dinners — ^that another note should accompany that one of praise to Judge O'Gorman; one perhaps sounding less loudly, but yet which adds to the music of the occasion ; a note which denotes the dignity of the position which he has held with so much success; which tells of the past of the Society, how it was made up, and what manner of men it was created it and constituted its membership in its early days when success was not easy of attainment. And it is proper also, "Lest we forget" what we owe to the men who, in the early days of this Society nurtured and brought it to the position which it held while Judge O'Gorman presided over it 19 On the twenty-fifth day of November, 1783, the last British Soldier departed from the shores of our city, the British flag which had been nailed to the flagpole of Fort George was hauled down, the American flag was run up in its place, and the Con- tinental Army entered the city. It was led by George Washing- ton, then an honorary member of the Hibernian Society of Phila- delphia. At his side rode Governor and General George Clinton, the son of an Irishman; and the advance battalion was com- manded by General Henry E. Knox, also the son of an Irishman. In the atmosphere which was produced by these conditions, in the atmosphere of liberty and of Constitutional government which followed the advent of the American army into its final posses- sion of New York City, was born the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, it holding its first annual banquet on the seventeenth day of March, 1784. That Society which was or- ganized amid all the difficulties which we may imagine sur- rounded its organizers was formed of the best citizenship then known to the City of New York. Of its founders, Daniel Mc- Cormick, who for twenty-five years held the office of its President, was one of the great merchants of the city, the last one of them to hold his residence in Wall street, a nian as liberal with his money in aid of American projects and charities, as he was de- voted to the interests of the Irish people. And there was Alexan- der Macomb, one of the great property holders not only of the city but of the State also, whose son attained the proud position of Commander-in-Chief of the American armies following a vic- tory over the English forces in the war of 1812, — and William Constable, whose name has come down to us of this day as one of the merchant princes of his time. These men, with others as prominent, who, a writer of old New York has said, were "the cream of the cream" of the society of the New York of their day, constituted the small group which organized the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Of course, there had been celebrations of St. Patrick's Day before the formation of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, but they were spasmodic attempts, chiefly limited to celebrations had by soldiers of the British army — and I need not say that cele- brations of St. Patrick's Day by soldiers of the British army necessarily could not succeed. (Laughter.) And this Society has gone on to this day, passing through troublous times, for- eign and civil wars, when money was scarce among its members. days of famine in Ireland, and when there were active societies in opposition, and to-day has reached the proud position when all of the prominent Irishmen and Irish-Americans of this city are united in this Societ}^ as Irishmen should be united every- where, upholding its past and anxious to provide that its future shall be eminently successful. (Applause.) Now, gentlemen, I want to call your attention, for a moment, to the men who constituted and who made up the life of this Society. Just as riches, force, power and armies do not con- stitute a State, but men, high minded men do, so the success and greatness of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick have been due to the eminent men of high character and public renown who have been of it. I venture to say that no national society in the City of New York can present a list of members and of officers equalling in distinction in the citizenship of New York those whose names can be found upon our roll. I have mentioned the names of some of the founders of the Society, the organizers of it when it was a weak body striving for existence. When, in 1828, De Witt Clinton died, he had for almost forty years held it as a matter of the greatest pride that he was an active member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. (Applause.) He was nephew to General George Clinton ; grandson of an Irishman ; was Mayor of New York when that office carried with it the performance of the most important and highest judicial duties; was Governor of the State of New York and a Senator of the United States represent- ing that State; and the father of the Erie Canal, which united the waters of the great Lakes to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In 181 5, two men whose names should be written in large type on the pages not only of Irish history but of the history of this city and State, became members of the Friendly Sons of St. Pat- rick — Dr. William James MacNeven and Thomas Addis Emmet. (Applause.) Exiled for participation in the movement of 1798 —a movement in which the people of Ireland were united from one end of that country to the other, irrespective of conditions or circumstances as they have not been united until to-day — these two men, after having been imprisoned, came to this coun- try. Dr. MacNeven was one of the most famous physicians of his day, not only in his native country but in New York, where he led the physicians in the colleges and hospitals with which he was connected. He was active in matters affecting our city and country, and ever a public spirited citizen. Thomas Addis Emmet, a great lawyer in Ireland, participated in the defense of men charged with crime under the 1798 Acts, and in defending one of them was courageous enough in open court to take the oath for having taken which as a member of a society his client was charged with crime. Those were the times that tried men's souls. Thomas Addis Emmet became famous in this city and State, was one of the leaders of the Bar becoming Attorney-Gen- eral of the State, and when he died the most prominent officials, the Governor and Chancellor of the State, the Mayor of the city, and the Judges of the United States and State Courts bore his pall, while all of its citizens participated in the grief attending his demise. And those two men, comrades in their services and exile for Ireland, in their efforts to benefit and uphold their adopted country, and in their membership of this Society, in death were not separated. Facing Broadway, in the graveyard of historic St. Paul's are reared the columns upon which are noted their services to their native country and to their adopted land, flanking on either side the tablet which perpetuates the mem- ory of that other great Irishman, who fell at the siege of Quebec. General Richard Montgomery. (Applause.) The greatest lawyer of the century which has just closed was for many years a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick — that man to whom the leadership of the Bar not only of this city and State but of the whole country was conceded, and whose reputation as a great advocate and as a pure public spirited citi- zen will live long after the events of to-day are forgotten — Charles O'Conor. (Applause.) There is a long list of men whose names I could scarcely more than mention. There was a group of 1848 men, exiles from their native country, among them John B. Dillon, father of John Dil- lon, one of the leaders of the Irish Parliamentary movement of to-day, who came to this city, attained an honorable place at the Bar, and returned to Ireland to die among his kindred. There was John Savage, the poet and writer of Irish history, charming companion, and worthy member of the Sons of St. Patrick. And there was that brilliant, magnetic orator, one of the bravest of American soldiers, Thomas Francis Meagher. "Meagher of the Sword." whose green plume waved at the head of the Irish Brigade in the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. (Applause.) .-\nd there were bankers, merchants, lawyers and artists like Dominick Lynch, Stewart Brown, Henry Hilton, John E. Devlin, Richard S. Emmet, a relative of Thomas Addis Emmet, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, and that dear friend of our later days for whose untimely death our tears are hardly yet dried, that great lawyer and judge, Frederick Smyth. These were of the members in the ranks of the Society. Who were the presidents, the men who were chosen to lead the splendid body whose list contained names such as I have called to your attention, and others equally eminent? After McCormack and Constable and Macomb there came Hugh Gaine, John Chambers, Dr. Robert Hogan, Joseph Stuart and Henry L. Hoguet, and then one who I think was the greatest orator I ever heard, Richard O'Gorman. (Applause.) He was prominent at our Bar, served the city as Counsel to the Corporation, and later Judge of the Superior Court. I hope, gentlemen, my mem- ory will never lose the beautiful impression it holds with refer- ence to the oratory of Mr. O'Gorman. That erect, graceful form, classic head, flashing eye — the dignity of his utterance, the clearness of his enunciation, and above all, the melody of his voice, all of these constituted him the most perfect orator I have ever heard. Wendell Phillips, in his lecture on Daniel O'Connell, quoted John Randolph of Roanoke, himself an orator of great repute, as saying when he heard O'Connell, "this is the man, these are the lips, the most eloquent that speak English in my day." And then Phillips, referring to the solemnity of Webster, the magnetism of Prentiss and the graces of Clay, said that putting them all together they did not surpass O'Connell as an orator, and none of them equalled him. I have heard Phillips and Sumner, Beecher and Dougherty, Conklin and Ingersoll, and many others of renown, and I say that putting them all together they did not surpass Richard O'Gorman as an orator, and none of them equalled him. (Applause.) Following Mr. O'Gorman in the presidency came the two Bradys, the elder, James T., witty and brilliant, who stood in the front rank and was the darling of the Bar, so much so that I have heard Edwards Pierrepont say that the whole Bar, would rise in his defense if one hair of his curly head was touched (applause) ; and his only little less distinguished brother. Judge John R. Brady. There was Hugh J. Hastings, one of the bright- est minds in journalism of his day, who had the faculty of mak- ing a dead newspaper live, and who himself embodied all that »3 was charming in a brilliant and cultivated Irishman. There was Thomas Barbour, a prominent merchant and manufacturer, and that great American citizen who never failed in practical moral and financial support of Ireland's cause, Eugene Kelly. (Ap- plause.) Mr. Kelly's devotion to the society was so great that when he laid down its presidency he became and continued to be, because we were proud to have him, our treasurer until the last day of his life. And there was our friend so active in every cause he enlisted in, carrying with him a delightful freshness and enthusiasm, Joseph J. O'Donohue. There was another whose life, I think, touched the life of all that was best in New York in his day, best in everything that was intellectual and professional during the fifty and more years that he was a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, who received more honors pro- fessionally than any other man of his time — Chief Justice Charles P. Daly. The friend of Washington Irving, William Cullen Bryant, William M. Thackeray and of all of the great intellectu- al lights of his time, there have been in the century just past no such assemblages of lawyers, and judges to do honor to any one lawyer as have gathered in honor of Charles P. Daly. He was for twelve years president of this Society, and his delightful reminiscences of its early days, are something not readily for- gotten. He outlived all the friends of his early and middle life, and felt, as I heard him express it in the language of Moore's beautiful poem: "Like one who treads alone Some banquet hall deserted, Whose lights are fled, Whose garlands dead. And all but he departed !" (Applause.) Now, gentlemen, these men, members and presidents, of whom. I have spoken, are all dead. All have joined the great majority. "Have drunk their cup a round or two before, And one by one crept silently to rest." There should be no gathering of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, where the Irish spirit of gratitude and aflfection should 24 not be strongly expressed in behalf of the men who have digni- fied and illuminated the Society by their membership. And there are living ex-presidents who have had much to do with the past of this Society. Gentlemen of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Presi- dent's speech has called to your attention the fact that the great Constitutional government of this country was built step by step with the growing life of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. The Constitution of the United States was adopted only two or three years after the organization of the Friendly Sons. I do not mean to say that it was adopted because of the organization of our So- ciety, but, as the President has said, the Friendly Sons have al- ways been deeply interested in and formed an important part of the growth of this country. I am reminded that although we have five' living ex-presidents, not including Judge O'Gorman, the United States has but one living ex-president, and he has honored our board with his presence. I hope you will pardon the digression of a moment, while I say that the events of the last few weeks, when two or three of the great governments of the Old World have set their war dogs upon a little South Ameri- can Republic to collect a few miserable dollars of indebtedness, remind us that that living ex- President of the United States was the man who sent thundering across the Atlantic that message, with reference to that same Republic, which startled the people of the Old V/orld. (Conttinued applause and cheers for Grover Cleveland.) It was his message which brought the governments and the peoples of the Old World, for the first time, to a realiza- tion of the fact that the government and people of this country knew their rights and dared assert them. And it required only the experience of the Spanish-American War for them to realize that we were not only a nation of the first class, to be respected, but to be feared and cultivated. The cultivation has been going on ever since. (Applause.) As to the living ex-presidents, good taste demands that there should be but a word. Judge O'Gorman's predecessor in the office of president is one to whom you all have given the compli- ment of great applause ; one who has secured not only an abiding name and fame as Judge of the Supreme Court and of its Appellate Division, but who has secured to an amazing extent a place in the warmest affections of every man who knows him. That man is Judge Morgan J. O'Brien. (Applause.) Judge 25 O'Brien's immediate predecessor was James S. Coleman, whose interest in this Society is only equalled by his interests in Irish affairs generally, and who will long be remembered not only as having been president of this Society but also as having been President of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish lan- g^uage. (Applause.) And just before him ruled John D. Crim- mins, whose energy and service in behalf of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick seem to be unlimited, and who has added to our indebtedness to him by recently becoming its historian. (Applause.) Back of the term of office of Mr. Crim- mins' immediate predecessor there extends a gap of 33 years until we touch the time when Samuel Sloan was president of the Society. (Applause.) Becoming a member in 1843, he was its president in 1857 and 1858. At that time he was and ever since has been one of the most distinguished men in the financial and commercial world of our city, and otherwise connected with many large corporations. To-day, having reached the age of four score and five years, this "grand old man of our Society" is still devoted to its interests, the only diversion that he permits himself outside of his family life being his attendance at the annual ban- quets of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. The chief anxiety of our living ex-presidents is that the num- ber shall not decrease. I have not included Judge O'Gorman among the living ex-presidents. His glory as a President does not terminate until the end of this banquet. How well he has served the Society your presence here to-night attests, including as it does his associates, distinguished judges of the Supreme Court and of the Appellate Division of that Court, testifying to the re- spect and esteem in which Judge O'Gorman is held, and more particularly to his splendid administration of the office of Presi- dent of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. (Applause.) And we note with pleasure the presence of the presiding judge of the Appellate Division, whose long service of many years, marks him with distinction. I want to say for the benefit and con- solation of his Democratic friends, if by chance there be any Democrats here, that his democracy is as pure and strong as ever, notwithstanding a recent apparent leaning in favor of trusts. (Laughter.) May I not say that of the past of our Association, and its splendid membership, we should be proud, and, using the lan- guage of Webster in his famous reply to Hayne. of South Caro- 26 lina, in reference to Massachusetts, exclaim: "The past at least is secure." Here is a good place for me to stop, because there are others to follow me who desire to speak of our Society and of Judge O'Gror- man. Seumas McManus, who writes so charmingly of Irish peas- ant life, tells of a jaunting car driver who pursued his vocation in one' of the small towns of Ireland. He was accustomed whenever the bishop of the diocese arrived to visit the parish priest to convey him to the rectory. Upon one occasion the bishop, upon arriving, was met by a carriage sent specially by the priest to con- vey him to his house, and the bishop said to the jaunting car dri- ver, "I am very sorry, Larry, but I cannot take you to-day, because if I did Father Dan would be offended, having sent his carriage for me," whereupon Larry, very much disappointed and a little bit resentful also, said, "It's all right, your lordship, but you tell Father Dan that I would be the last man in the world to go up to the altar and take the words out of his mouth." (Laughter.) Now, I would be the last man in the world to take the words out of the mouths of Judges Patterson, O'Brien or O'Gorman. A countryman once went to a sales-stable to buy a trotter. He was shown horses that in the past had accomplished a great deal, making records, and others of whom a great deal was ex- pected. At the close of the inspection he said, "You have been showing me has-beens and will-bes; what I want is an is-er." Judge O'Gorman for some years has been an "is-er" in the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. After to-night he will be a "has- been;" the prerogative and functions of a has-been president of the Society is, in the slang of the day, to "go way back and sit down." It will probably be different with Judge O'Gorman. John Mitchell said of Henry Grattan and his family, that the Grat- tans were an influential family who could raise ten thousand men. and I say that the O'Gormans are a family of orators. Therefore Judge O'Gorman will be compelled to come to the front. As one of the has-beens of this Society, I welcome him to our ranks. But for him I promise that the same zeal and intelligence which he has heretofore shown, and all of his influence and eloquence, will always be at the service of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. (Applause.) 37 The President : Gentlemen, we are deeply indebted to the last speaker for the beautiful and reminiscent truths he has given us. In one of the stories that he told at the end of his speech he alluded to a bishop and a parish priest. The Most Reverend Archbishop of this diocese would be glad to be with us to-night to do honor to our retiring president if his engagements had permitted, but in his place we have a most distinguished parish priest, a gentleman who belongs to the old class of devoted clergymen that are alluded to in the old land as Soggarth aroon ; a student of the great theological institution in Ireland, Maynooth College, and an in- structor in the Theological College of Maryland, in the United States. This gentleman is the pastor and long personal friend of Judge O'Gorman, and I ask him to speak to the sentiment of "Judge O'Gorman as a Neigh- bor, a Friend and a Parishioner." I have now the great pleasure of introducing the Reverend Doctor Charles McCready. (Applause.) Doctor McCready, who was warmly applauded, said: Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Friendly Sons: T regret very much that your Chairman when speaking of the modesty of Judge O'Gorman did not recall the fact that the Judge is not the only modest man in this assemblage ; he is not the only "pebble" in the matter of modesty. I am sure that my modesty is exceedingly well known, and I am sorry that I have to proclaim it here myself. I did not know, until I came upon this platform, that I was expected to address the distin- guished audience that appears before me here this evening. When your Chairman informed me just now, I said to him: "I am sorry that you did not tell me before, because I might have been able to find something to say about my friend Judge O'Gor- man," and he said, "Well, you know a good deal about him, and he is a man of family, and with a very large family, too ;" and I said "Yes ; but among the people from whom Judge O'Gor- 28 man is descended, that is not a unique distinction, thank God." (Laughter.) The presence of the thousands of Irishmen and Irish descendants in New York is proof of what I have just said. However, I did not wish to run any danger of contempt of court, hence I am on my feet now. You can see how dangerous it would have been. Even in my friend Judge Conlin's court, con- tempt of court would be a very serious thing; but to be guilty of contempt of the highest court we have in this city, and in the pres- ence of all these gentlemen on the Bench, would be something my respect for authority would not permit me to do, and so I will try to say something for my friend Judge O'Gorman. I am pastor of Holy Cross Church — I don't know as you all know it, but I may as well tell it to you now. A certain news- paper man in this city, a friend of ours, generally on such occa- sions as this, represents the pastor of Holy Cross Church as standing with a hand on the head of each of "his two boys," Judge O'Brien and Judge O'Gorman. Holy Cross parish has the unique honor of having sent two of its sons to the bench of the Supreme Court of this city. That is a marked distinction ; and I do not know which of them deserves my paternal blessing the more. I might almost add "How happy I'd be with either if t'other dear charmer were gone." (Laughter.) My relations with Judge O'Gorman, however, have been later and longer continued, because, when Judge O'Brien changed his life, he went off to another part of the city, and Judge O'Gorman came nearer, when he took that charming lady for wife, who has been the inspiration of his life, and who has been his worthy help- meet and solace all these years. (Applause.) It is not for me to speak of the relations that exist between the pastor and individual members of his flock; they are too sacred to speak of thus in the presence of the world ; but I may say that Judge O'Gorman, for the time that he has been a member of Holy Cross parish, has been the right-hand of the pastor and the leader in all affairs undertaken for the church or its charities. I will say of him that he not only is a distinguished judge, but a pious, practical, Catholic Christian. (Applause.) You will excuse me, then, my dear friends, if I do not say much of him in his presence; warned, as you have been, by the Chairman, of his modesty, I will not bring that blush to his face which I feel would be embarrassing if I said more complimentary things about him. 29 We are asssembled here to-night to do honor to Judge O'Gor- man, not simply because he has been a distinguished rriember of the Bar or a conscientious Judge upon the Bench ; but we are here to join in a paean of praise to him as he descends from the lofty position that he has occupied here among you. It is not for me to say, either, what he has done for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Some say there is nothing in a name. I believe a celebrated author has said so. But there is a great deal in it The name of "The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick" surely means something more than is generally understood to be, a merely social organization. One has only to attend the annual meeting and banquet to learn the object for which it was instituted. And Judge O'Gorman, following up the lead that Judge O'Brien and the others have set him, has done a great deal in the right direc- tion for this association of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. He has — I will not say instilled into you — but he has called forth and aroused perhaps, more than ever has been done before, that spirit of patriotism and love of the old land that is to be found dormant, it may be, but present, in the heart of every Irishman and the descendant of every Irishman. (Applause.) In season and out of season he has had a good word to say for the land his father came from, and he has left no stone unturned that he might uplift the race that he sprang from, and obtain for it all those blessings which God has destined to bestow upon us all. There is no doubt that the time has come when a man at the head of this influential association, composed as it is principally of men of Irish blood, without distinction of creed, will be able to accomplish a great deal more than has been yet brought about for the bettering of the race. There has been a great deal done, and he has done much, but this is a time when a great deal more can be done ; because we are now on the eve of realizing the long-wished-for desire of every Irish heart, and of every man who loves liberty and hates oppression — ^namely, obtaining for the Irish people the land in which their fathers have been reared, and from which so many of you here have come. (Applause.) I remember our celebrated orator, Bourke Cockran, some time ago, in putting the question to himself, "What is the Irish ques- tion," answered it by saying, "The Irish question appears to me to be this : That, whereas all other peoples in the world had one of two things, either they owned the land on which they lived: 3° or had the making of their own laws, the Irish people had not either of them. But now we are coming to obtain that footing that will enable us, the Irish people in Ireland and all over the world, to realize the grand prayer that has been ascending to Heaven for the last seven hundred years, to give them finally their beloved land and the rule over their own country. It is a comfort to Judge O'Gorman to know that when he steps down to-night from the high position of president of the Friendly Sons one will succeed him who will carry aloft the banner he has held, and, if he has any just hatred of the oppressors of his race, he will have the comfort of knowing that he leaves one in his place who will bear all that hatred of oppression that inspires heroes and makes martyrs. I am reminded of the story af an old man who had an enemy who had been his foe for life, and on his dying bed the priest came to him, and after hearing his confession he asked him if he would not forgive that man. "Oh, no, I will not forgive him; he has done me so much wrong that I cannot forgive him." The priest reminded him that there must be no such feeling; if he would not forgive him he could not receive the last Sacraments, and then went away. He came back soon, and the old man said: "I forgive him. If I must I will forgive him, but I leave it as a legacy to my oldest son, that he will follow up and oppress him, and if he don't do it I will turn over in my grave and never forgive him." And so, I think. Judge O'Gorman can step down to-night with the assurance that Judge Fitzgerald will ably succeed him and scrupulously carry out his commission. I do not know that I can add anything to what has been said of Judge O'Gorman. He has all our best thanks on this night that he leaves the position that he has occupied with so much honor for the past three years ; he has our thanks for what he has done, and we wish him success in the grand career into which he has raised himself by his own unaided efforts, that he will con- tinue to occupy it until he reaches the highest position it is within the power of our people to elevate him to. We wish him, there- fore, long life, health and happiness, and that it may be his con- solation to look back and see the Friendly Sons going along and increasing, day by day, in that path that he has marked out with so much glory. (Applause.) 31 The President : When accidentally I used the word "modesty," I assure you that I was entirely in- nocent of any malice; but from the manner in which the word has taken root, I feel called upon to recognize it in some way, and I state to you that we have in the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick an element of true mod- esty ; as a representative of that element ; its personifica- tion, its quintessence, and in that connection, I call now upon the member of the Friendly Sons who would not be President — Judge Edward Patterson, and give him for a subject Native Modesty. (Applause.) Mr. Justice Patterson, on rising, was received with en- thusiastic applause. He said : Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick : I was not aware that I was to be called upon this even- ing to say anything to you upon matters connected with the Society. It is true that I declined to be your President. The first reason I had was peculiarly personal, and that was that I would not wear a soup plate on my front, such as decorates the expansive bosom of the President. (Laughter.) The second was that I desired to impress upon this community a great moral lesson, which is that there is here a man of Irish ancestry who declined to take an oiifice, no matter how distinguished it may be, unless it had profit or emolument connected with it. (Laughter.) Still another reason was that I knew what Irishmen are (laugh- ter) and what was required from the President of this Society. There are two things requisite to make a successful president : The first, that the incumbent shall have illimitable gab (laugh- ter) — that thing which would qualify him to be a junior senator of the United States (laughter), and I did not aspire to that distinction. The other, that he should faithfully perform the duties of his office. I knew I could not perform those duties ; they are purely and essentially gastronomic. (Laughter.) I have not the digestion of an ostrich, and my brother Fitzgerald has (laughter,) and Judge Morgan J. O'Brien has, and Judge O'Gor- man has, and do you think that I would minimize the importance 32 of this Society by declining the invitations that come to its Presi- dent from other societies, even attracting, as they do, dyspepsia and all those evils which threaten a man who presides over this body? Look at these wrecks! (Laughter.) Look at these men who are physically exhausted by what they have done in their day. And then look at my condition. (Laughter.) Are you not glad, gentlemen, that I did not accept the Presidency of this Society? (Laughter; cries of yes and no.) Now, striking a more serious vein, Mr. McClure has referred to the Society and to its antecedents, and to what has been accomplished by it. He referred to its membership. Those of you who are acquainted with its origin know that it was an outgrowth of that association which was established in Phila- delphia ten years before this Society came into being. Do you remember the names of the great men who belonged to that Philadelphia organization? Have you read the records of the Friendly Sons' Society of Philadelphia ? Do you know that among the first names inscribed upon its membership roll was that of George Washington? (Applause.) Do you remember the names that followed in close succession? Sullivan, Anthony Wayne, Montgomery — and every man of them, except Washington, an Irishman. (Applause.) That Society after ten years of existence, was merged in the Hibernian Society, which still exists to-day as a great Irish society of the United States of America. (Ap- plause.) Never was an organization formed in the United States that included in its active and honorary membership such an array of distinguished men as the allied societies of St. Patrick and the Hibernian in Philadelphia, and the St. Patrick's organization in New York. You may talk of those who are here present and what they represent, in reference to Ireland and Irish nationality. I have sat upon the knees of the men who were at Bantry Bay (ap- plause) ; I have received the caresses of those who were on Vine- gar Hill (applause) ; I have seen those old-fashioned gentlemen, fifty years ago, who then, octogenarians and almost nonogenarians, used to recount at my grandfather's house what took place in 1797 and 1798. (Applause.) There is much that has come down traditionally from those old Irishmen, from those men, Catholics and Protestants, who stood together (applause) and never made a question of faith, but only one of loyalty and duty and right, as they conceived it to be, and who, exiles from their native land, 35 came over here united as friends, never minding religious differ- ences, to help build up the strength and the glory of this great country. (Applause.) There is something more than sentiment in this — there is historical fact. Take the names of the men, take those who stood shoulder to shoulder, through the Revolutionary War, to help secure the independence of this country, and you will find Catholic Irishmen and Protestant Irishmen, together, not only in the field, but in the council chamber, aiding in the rescue of this land from the grasp of foreign dominion and in forming that government under which we now live and which makes us one of the great nations of the world. (Applause.) I do not think there is a proper appreciation of what united Irishmen can do. They placed this government — I mean helped to place it — on the foundations on which it now stands. I have mentioned the names of some of the prominent generals of Irish birth, who had commands in the Continental Army. Of course they were impelled to come here and fight for this country, because of their opposition to Great Britain ; that was a sentiment which was bred in them deeply, and with it a strong belief that there was something else that could govern and control men than monarchy; but in revolutionary times, antagonism to those who ruled was not altogether personal ; it arose from the belief that the great thing that would lift men above the ordinary level, strike down the privilege of class and bring the common people up to a high standard, was a republican form of government. (Applause.) There were no men in the country who did more to strengthen the institutions under which we now live and which it is our purpose to preserve than the Irishmen who came over during the Revolutionary War, or shortly afterwards, and their descendants. (Applause.) This naturally suggests individual names. Mr. McClure has referred to some of them. Those who came over and aided in the Revolutionary War were Sullivan, Montgomery. "Mad An- thony" Wayne, a man whose name ought to stand foremost among them all. and as to whom I feel an especial reverence, because iny great-grandfather was an officer in his regiment. (Applause.) They were among the men who in those days, fighting for the ■governmental principle they hoped to see established, rescued it .from monarchv. Afterwards came another generation prominent 34 in aiding in the establishment of the Constitution of the United States, under which we are enjojang to this day the blessings of a great, strong and free national government. (Applause.) Again as to individuals. Mr. McClure has referred to Emmet. to Dr. MacNeven and others; but there is the name of Ferris, that you have never heard, perhaps. He was one of those who helped to establish this government on a strong foundation. There was Duane, who came to this country, settling in Pennsyl- vania. Then to come down to a later generation and see what Irishmen have done for the City of New York. What is there in all the city, in the way of its prosperity and grandeur, which has not been contributed to by men of Irish ancestry? Look at the list of men who have been strong and great in bringing the prestige of the City of New York up to the highest point: In the legal profession there were Thomas Addis Emmet, Charles O'Conor and James T. Brady, among the greatest advocates of our times ; men who have never received the honor which ought to have been bestowed upon them — and probably, from the evanescence of the lawyer's fame, never will. It is all very well to extol ourselves. We are Irishmen, or the descendants of Irishmen, and some of us — I myself — the fourth generation of American-Irish, and we all of us glory in our antecedents ; we all glory in the land from which we or our forefathers came. We have received from that land an inheri- tance which has not come down to other people, unless it may be to some few individuals, as among the Dutch, from whom Judge Van Brunt springs. I need not exclude some of them from a general panegyric. Some Dutchmen are mildly wise and some are stolidly great, and their greatness and wisdom are illustrated by the Chief of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the First Department. (Laughter.) Then there are men of undisclosed ancestry who are here from different parts of the State, like Judge Herrick, who sits at the other end of the table looking blissfully at me; and so with Judge Hatch and Judge Truax, looking in the same way and as if they wished for the time being they were Irishmen. (Laughter.) But their ex- cellences are individual. We who are of Irish race and descent, can trace our pedigrees far back. There is Judge O'Brien. He plumes himself on being an O'. His ancestors were kings of some place ©r other. And here is Judge O'Gorman, but his ancestors were French; he need not masquerade as an undiluted Irishman, 35 In his origin, he was a Frenchman ; O'Gorman is "Guerreman," and the etymology of that explains itself. (Laughter.) Now, gen- tlemen, I have been one of the nominal officers of this Society for the past three years, and during that time, I have been the most absolutely inefficient man ever connected with its administration. I recognize the cordial reception you have given me this evening as an Irish tribute to inefficiency. (Laughter.) There is some- thing in it so beautiful, so inconsistent, so intensely Irish that I cannot help feeling under peculiar obligations. The success of this Society for the past three years is attributable to Judge O'Gor- man and Mr. Crimmins, and Dr. McGuire and Mr. Rooney. I have had nothing to do with it, but I have carefully preserved myself from the destruction of my digestion by staying away from every dinner to which I was invited, and I have done nothing whatever except to add to this particular feast those graces of personality, of which you are aware and to which allusion has not been made. (Laughter.) But under the administration of Judge O'Gorman, this Society has risen to a very high plane. It was started on its successful career long before ; it was aided and promoted by Judge O'Brien and he. as President of this Society, stood in the most conspicuous position that any man has occupied in it in our time, except Judge O'Gorman. (Ap- plause.) Do you yet understand why I declined the Presidency? I could not take the places of those two men ; I could not eat din- ners such as they ate ; I would not make speeches such as they made; and if I did, I might be subjected to the same peril which Judge O'Brien was subjected to, when he made that great speech of his four years ago in this very place. (Laughter and ap- plause.) Then, with spirited eloquence (just at the end of the Spanish War), he described the extinction of that race feeling which existed formerly between Irishmen and the negro. He told in the most glowing terms of the charge up San Juan Hill of those negro regiments of the United States, when they went up there, if I remember rightly, "with their merry eyes gleaming and their white teeth shining, singing as they went, 'Climbing Up the Golden Stairs.' " (Laughter and applause.) Do you remember the burst of enthtisiasm that followed that speech of his? Why, there was not a man there who did not rise to his feet and cheer him to the echo. What was his reward? The next day he was turned out of a society (to which he never belonged), because his remarks were unlrish. Now, do you suppose I was going to ex- 36 pose myself to that peril? Never! (Laughter.) And, therefore, I did decline to be the President of this Society, knowing full well that the gastronomic and oratorical requirements of the posi- tion would be better filled by that artistic personage who sits there with that soup plate on his bosom, from which he ought to eat on the table instead of having it on his chest, and I modestly r^ired to that privacy which Mr. McClure has recommended and which I am very glad to share with him. I congratulate Judge O'Gorman and the other gentlemen upon the service they have rendered the Society, and I only wish for Judge Fitzgerald and those who follow him, the same measure of success that his and their predecessors have had, and I trust that they will receive, at the end of their respective terms, a similar demonstration of confidence and love to that shown Judge O'Gor- man this evening. (Applause.) The President: Gentlemen, I cannot challenge any assertion made by Judge Patterson, neither can I dis- pute any statement of Judge O'Gorman, and conse- quently I find myself in a dilemna ; because when I asked Judge O'Gorman, in the innocence and confidence of my heart how it was that he managed to preserve his health and attend so many public dinners, he con- fidingly placed his arm upon my shoulder, and said : "Don't have any trouble upon that score; I had none. It was always a race between the First and Second Vice- Presidents to see which could represent me." (Laughter). Gentlemen, we will now listen to Dr. Constantino J. MacGuire, who so faithfully served as our second vice-president during the past three years, and whose fidelity to duty was recognized and admired by all of our members. I will ask him to explain, if he can, how Judge O'Gorman's statements to me and Judge Patter- son's to you, can be reconciled. Gentlemen, I present Dr. MacGuire. ^7 Doctor MacGuire, who was warmly received, said: Mr. President and Gentlemen : If I say, as has been said by the gentlemen who have preceded me and who have given such an exhibition of extempore eloquence, that I have not been notified that I was to be one of the speakers to-night, you will possibly question my veracity — not that anything I may say can have any claim to eloquence. Judge Patterson, in the modest way peculiar to the Supreme Court, said that he lacked the one essential attri- bute necessary to satisfactorily fill the position of President of this Society — "the gift of gab" — but he has sufficiently satisfied me, and you also, gentlemen, that with very little training he would be well fitted to more than grace the office. I feel a little embarrassed just now, because the talking in my profession as distinguished from my legal brethren, is not done in public ; and what we do say in private is appreciated as sincere and so accepted. Here to-night, at this meeting of the Friendly Sons, I feel some what like a young and bashful girl I once heard of, going through a ball-room seemingly seeking something. She was accosted by a good-looking, obliging young man who said : Miss, are you look- ing for something or anybody ; can I help you ?" And she said : "Yes, sir ; I am looking for a son-in-law for my mother." (Laughter.) I find that I am looking for something to say that might interest you after the feast of eloquence you have enjoyed. For three years I have enjoyed intimate close association with Judge O'Gorman and my other fellow-officers of the Society. I have had many opportunities of becoming familiar w-ith the work done by Judge O'Gorman ; I have admired his tact and diplomacy — and both were often called into requisition. The Judge in counsel was always ready, practical and governed by sound common sense, the result of experience and observation. Judge O'Gorman during his term of office as President of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, was abstemious except in the way of coffee, though during this time he was holding other offices of great dis- tinction in other societies which might well have created bad habits. (Laughter.) During the past three years, while I have been one of your Vice- Presidents — and I thank you for the honor you did me in electing me to the position — I had many opportunities of becoming familiar with the difficulties which have to be met with bv the President 3^ and officers of this Society in getting up your entertainments. Be- fore I became one of your ofiticers and had the opportunity of showing "strenuous work" after the style so pleasantly described by Judge Patterson, it had always seemed to me a simple thing to get up a dinner and a list of after-dinner speakers that would satisfy you ! A great mistake — a delusion ! The dinner of itself is an easy proposition, but the speakers — why, gentlemen, from what I know of you and from what I have heard others say of you, j'ou are not the easiest men in the world to satisfy in the way of speakers. (Laughter.) It has been stated there are so many natural-born orators in the Society and so many who believe they are natural-born orators (but as yet not discovered), that your Dinner Committee finds great difficulty in getting men to accept the invitation to speak at our annual banquet ; it is not criticism they say, they fear, but comparison. (Laughter.) In listening to the speeches to-night. I have been particularly struck by what was said by Mr. Mc- Clure and Judge Patterson about the men of the past who were in the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and who, they said, gave distinction to the Society by being members of it. I was impressed by the thought that no people on the face of the globe are more generous in giving due credit to the good deeds of the dead, than we. To this we testify in o'ur banquets, wakes and orations. In life do we give the merited recognition, the helping hand, the word of praise that shows appreciation of work well done, the greatest gratification that man can enjoy? I am afraid not. I am glad on this occasion that we seize the opportunity, while Judge O'Gorman is in the fulness of his health and the ripeness of his ability, to do honor to the good work he has done. (Ap- plause.) Incidentally I might remark in connection with that work, that of the functions that took place during the administra- tion of President O'Gorman, the most distinguished and success- ful was the banquet given to the Rochambeau deputation. In connection with that, gentlemen, I might tell you a little history that might possibly be of some interest to you. You who were present at the May quarterly meeting, remember you ap- pointed a committee with power to give this banquet and to make it worthy of the Society, our people and the distinguished French representatives. You went away rejoicing, saying a good thing has been done that will reflect credit on the Friendly Sons and the 39 Irish race in America. You thought the trouble was all over and that there was nothing to be done except to pass that resolution to give full power to the President and his committee. You placed upon his shoulders a great responsibility and weight which rested heavily on him. I can frankly so testify, as I happened to be close to him during all the preparations. After we had supposed that there was no question as to the success of the banquet, the day being fixed and the speakers all invited, we learned that the estimate in which we gentlemen held ourselves, was not held by some other people in this country and in other countries — in fact, the statement was made that the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in New York amounted to so little socially and financially, that a banquet given by them to the Depu- tation would be unworthy of that Deputation or of its national character. That was the position your President was in — a most embarrassing and humiliating one — but fortunately the good judg ment, tact, prudence and wisdom that characterize him on the Bench stood by us in the council chamber. It seemed for a time as if the banquet would have to be abandoned. Through inter- views and consultations with other men than those of the com- mittee, and mainly through the influence of Mr. Frank Travers, arrangements were made to send a deputation to Washington. Unfortunately, Judge O'Gorman's time was then so taken up with his judicial duties that he could not head that deputation. How- ever, he well considered every detail of the line of action of the mission and had us met at the depot by Mr. Frank Gannon, to whom we are greatly indebted for a most generous hospitality during our stay in Washington. The night of our arrival in Washington, interviews were held with prominent men of influence ; the situation placed before them ; the public programme gone over, where it was so arranged your banquet was to commence at 8 o'clock, the Deputation to ar- rive from Mr. Whitelaw Reid's luncheon at 8.30 and leave Del- monico's at 10 o'clock to be entrained for Boston. No time for presentations ; no time for addresses ; no time to tell the Deputa- tion and the world why we were giving this banquet ! Consider well the ridiculous figure you would have cut in the public e>-e; the cartoons and the usual fun that would have been made of the Irishmen ! On every side we were confronted by the same baneful influence which crops up when anything is likely to occur redounding to the credit of our race. 40 At one o'clock in the day that programme seemed as immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians. Officialisms told us no alteration could be made. We suggested that our function was an international one — the Whitelaw Reid a purely personal, social one. We were summarily disposed of by being informed that ours was of secondary importance, that speeches or addresses at such a banquet were entirely uncalled for and might be embar- rassing. The journals of New York were full of accounts of the prepara- tions being made for the banquet ; the names of some of the ora- tors who were to speak, were already published, and it was said Delmonico would outdo Delmonico by the banquet he would serve. Tickets were at a premium. Gentlemen, our position was a most unpleasant one, yet it is always darkest before the dawn ! A ray of sunshine struck us. We were introduced to an honorary member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. This member seated in the midst of a group com- posed of your committee, patiently and with profound interest listened to all the details I gave him of our preparations for the banquet; of the difficulties we encountered in New York and Washington ; of the hour so fixed for our banquet that it would be emasculated. He inquired who were to be our special guests, outside of *>!e French Deputation ; he asked whether we had invited any of tl. ■ descendants of the Irish names that were distinguished in the War of the Revolution ; the War of 1812; the War of 1861-1865 and in the American-Spanish War. He suggested names that we had overlooked, and then said: "Gentlemen, you are doing a patriotic duty in giving this ban- quet; you are giving great help to the Government in properly entertaining the Nation's guests, and as far as lies in my power to make the banquet a success, I shall do so. It must be a success. No private function shall interfere or mar its success." In fifteen minutes there was removed from our path every diffi- culty — every obstacle that stood in our way to make the banquet what it was — the greatest and most successful entertainment your Society ever gave. Gentlemen, we are all under great obligations to this honorary member. He saved us from deep humiliation and ridicule and did what he and he alone could do. Let us not wait until he has 4» passed away to express our thanks ! Let us do it now ! The Friendly Son who so well stood our friend on that day in Wash- ington was Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States. (Loud cheers.) The President: Gentlemen, I ask your close and earnest attention. The principal event of the evening is about to take place. A banquet of this kind, with all its pleasures, soon fades from the memory, but the So- ciety is desirous that something should be done to per- petuate the sentiments of which this gathering is the expression, and have entrusted to Judge O'Brien, who is the chairman of the Committee of Arrangements, and who organized this dinner, to speak the words that will es- tablish in the mind of Judge O'Gorman for many years to come recollections of the good feeling he has ex- perienced to-night. I have great pleasure in introduc- ing Judge Morgan J. O'Brien. (Loud and prolonged applause.) Mr. Justice O'Brien was received with enthusiastic applause. He said: Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick : The purpose of this gathering has been sufficiently described, and it is unnecessary for me to add, were I able, any- thing to the warm and glowing tribute that has been paid to an associate and to a friend. But one could not sit here without being struck by the significance of such a gathering brought for the purpose of paying honor to one who, though he has distin- guished himself as a man, as a lawyer, and as a judge is to-night peculiarly honored because of his relations as president and be- cause of the work he has done in perpetuating an ancient society. (Applause.) As a matter of first impression, this work might not seem an adequate cause for such an assemblage, nor a reason for such an exceptional compliment; and yet if we go farther and deeper into the currents of our social and moral life, we will find that a society such as this, which was organized to perpetuate 42 the memories of great deeds, which was intended to hand down the traditions of a glorious race, — and the men who are connected and associated with such a work, are connected and associated with that which is highest and best in our lives. (Applause.) For wherever we find that there exists a pride in achievement, wherever we find that a love of great deeds and great names exists, wherever we find an organization that is intended to perpetuate the best traditions of a great race, there will be found the abiding place of all that is true, and beautiful and good. (Applause.) This Society, as you have heard, was founded in the very midst of the sentiments that grew out of our revolutionary struggle, and it has been our custom as each administration succeeds the other, and on all commemorative occasions, to recall the great names and achievements of the race — ^not in any factious spirit, not for the purpose of making any invidious comparisons with the great men of other nations, but for the purpose of appealing to those great names and deeds in a spirit of generous pride, to show that the Irish have not beeil laggards in an advancing civili- zation, and to inspire us to greater efforts on the higher planes of human endeavor. The Society which is animated with such pur- poses, the organization which is committed to the perpetuation of such principles, must ever be a great cause, a great incentive, for the perpetuation of what is best in our social lives. We must never disparage the efforts of a society, we must never minimize the work of a man who endeavors to keep it firm and true in its objects and in carrying on its work, so that those who come after us may have the benefits that we enjoy, by having the in- centives of splendid traditions and splendid names. (Applause.) This is particularly a great work, when we remember the atten- tion which is paid, and the worship which is given at this time to wealth and to the development of a material and mechanical civili- zation. Commerce, and mines, and agriculture, and all the other factors that go to make a country rich — these can never make a country great. A country is great wherein we find great princi- ples, great names and great deeds. It is sentiments and princi- ples which control the world. Truths, ideas and sentiments are not mere facts and entities ; they are forces which have more ef- fect on the growth and development of a country than material civilization. Whatever touches the nerve force of a people, what- ever tends to the higher life, throws us into another sphere, raises 43 or lowers us upon a diflferent plane of activity. And so, I say, that the social and moral forces do more to the upbuilding and up- lifting of a country than any other factors in our civilization. I might say in regard to our own country that if we sum up its entire social destiny it will be found that when the record is made up of this great country it will not be a history of its great cor- porations, it will not be a history of its territory or its material wealth, but it will be a "sentiment to go out to other people and other nations, a sentiment which has been awakened by the cham- pions of liberty and that has been aroused by the apostles of hu- man right." (Applause.) Now, gentlemen, I see by your faces that you do not expect me to stay here all night and speak, and so I will come at once to the' very pleasant duty which, as Chairman of this Committee, has developed upon me. It was deemed proper and fitting that there should be some lasting memorial of this splendid assembly, and so, when the committee got together, this question of the character of the souvenir received considerable discussion. We, of course, exercising the right which belongs to the Irish in common with all freemen, could not agree. One man suggested that he thought that if the sentiments and feelings of Judge O'Gorman were alone to be considered, and he were asked what he would like, that he perhaps would suggest some target or shield, which would protect him from the reversible shafts of the Appellate Division. (Laughter.) Another gentleman said that there was a danger that ambition might stir him, and we would lose him from the court, and under those circumstances he thought the best thing we could do was to 'u.'atch him and chain him. (Laughter.) Another gentleman suggested that perhaps he would like to have a splendid Indian outfit, tomahawk, feathers, wampum belt and war paint, so that at his next appearance as Granri Sachem he would strike terror into the hearts of the Braves. (Laughter.) And there was another suggestion and that was that perhaps we might supply some form of an elastic addition to his house. He is a man of large and growing family and of great expectations, and we thought some provision should be made for the future. These in turn were all discarded, and finally we concluded that if it were possible we should select a testimonial that was typical of the man, and so the committee in their wisdom thought that they would select something which in quality would be like his character — that it should be sterling 44 (applause) ; that like his heart and mind it should be a metal pure and without alloy; and knowing the affection and the love which he has for his wife and his children, we thought that we would give him something which they could share with him ; and he, being a practical man, we thought we would give him something that was useful. And so, to-night, we have here a box which is replete with pure solid sterling silver. But, gentlemen, this box is no fuller of silver than our hearts are of warm and affectionate sentiments. And to-night, Judge O'Gorman, we would ask you to receive from this Society this gift as a token of our respect and esteem, and of the sentiments which actuate every gentleman who is present here to-night, and who wish you health, long life and happiness. (Applause.) The President: Gentlemen, Judge O'Cjorman. Judge O'Gorman on rising received an enthusiastic ovation and was greeted by the repeated cheering of the entire company. When the president had restored order. Judge O'Gorman said : Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen : I am very grateful for this expression of your friendship, but my pleasure in being the recipi- ent of so distinguished a compliment is marred by the reflection that I have done so little to deserve it. When I assumed office three years ago I promised to do my best to keep the Society up to the high standard which it had reached at the close of Judge O'Brien's memorable administration. If we have flourished and the standard has been maintained, the credit of the achievement belongs not to me but to each and every one of the 500 Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. No society ever had more loyal and efficient officers than our vice-presidents. Judge Patterson and Dr. Mac- Guire', both of whom we have just heard with such delight; our treasurer, Mr. Crimmins; our almoner. Major Crane, and our secretaries, Mr. Moynahan and Mr. Rooney. (Applause.) Dur- ing the past three years they gave the best of their time and en- ergy to the welfare of our Society. But even their services, great and invaluable as they were, aided by the services of our ever 45 faithful stewards and committees, could not produce the conditions which now afford us cause for so much rejoicing were they not sustained by your splendid and enthusiastic co-operation. The high estate to which we have attained as one of the oldest soci- eties on this continent must be attributed to the intelligent, honor- able and patriotic devotion which has always distinguished the membership of our grand old organization. Indeed, this thought inclines me to give to this occasion a significance beyond the in- dividuality of any man. I prefer to see in this gathering an evi- dence of the Society's appreciation of its past glorious history and a resolution to make still greater strides and to wield a still greater influence in the future. We are proud of the position our Society occupies to-night, but with the close of Judge Fitzgerald's term I am sure we shall have even greater cause for felicitation. This has always been a progressive institution. It has always been widening its influence and scope of usefulness. The Society has always led, and speaking from my own experience, your presidents have had all they could do to keep up with the proces- sion. This has been so whether the president was that charming and eloquent orator and brilliant advocate, James T. Brady, or his gifted and distinguished brother, Judge John R. Brady, or that eminent jurist and citizen whose talents and high character adorned the bench of the Common Pleas Court for forty years, Judge Charles P. Daly, or that prince of journalists, Hugh J. Hastings, whose name and character are so worthily sustained in our times by his son, Hugh Hastings, who is winning laurels as the State Historian, or those men whose names are redolent of the memories of civic excellence and commercial and financial leadership in our metropolis, Eugene Kelly, Joseph J. O'Donohue and Henry L. HogueL It has been so under the presidency of our living ex-presidents, under Samuel Sloan, who became a member sixty years ago next month, and who became president forty-five years ago; under David McClure, John D. Crimmins, James S. Coleman and Morgan J. O'Brien, all of them men whose attain- ments and high repute and exemplary lives have shed a lustre upon Irish character and have given an impetus to Irish effort and in- spiration in this great city. (Applause.) To me it has been a great honor to occupy for three terms the highest office in your gift. I 46 shall ever treasure the memory of those years and of your kindness to-night. We cannot all be presidents, but we should remember that to be a member of this Society is no ordinary distinction. Among the founders of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick were men who risked their lives and fortunes in the sacred cause of Ameri- can liberty in the War of Independence. On our roster are the names of men who played an honorable and conspicuous part in every crisis in our country's history and in every stage of the marvelous growth and development of our city and State. Let us be worthy of these men. Let their memory confided to us be transmitted untarnished to those who will succeed us. Let us ever be animated by an earnest and intense Americanism. Let Old Glory and the institutions which her folds protect ever be the object of our tenderest solicitude and devotion. (Applause.) Let us keep ahve at the same time the traditions of the cradle land of our race. (Applause.) Our people in the old land are still suffering from the ills and oppression of an alien domination. They have never known liberty as we know it. They have made every sacrifice to secure it. In their resistance to tyranny they have often sustained defeat, and at times their cries for liberty have been hushed, but the aspiration, the living heart throb of the race for the blessings of human freedom has never been and never shall be extinguished. They have survived the vicissitudes of war and pestilence and most dreadful persecution, and they are now hoping for the dawn of a better day. For two hundred years every battle field of the world, from Corunna and Ramilles and Fontenoy, down to the last struggle on the veldts of South Africa, has been enriched with the blood, whitened with the bones and consecrated with the valor and prowess of Irish exiles. (Applause.) In every land where Irishmen have had a fair field and no favor in the contests of honorable competition they h&ve won high distinction in all human activities. It is about time that they were allowed to do something on their own soil and in their native land work out their own destiny. In common with our kin the world over I am sure you will suffer no change in your attachment to the land of your forefathers until we can look across the seas at a redeemed, prosperous and contented Ire- land worthy the genius of the Celt. (Applause.) 47 Gentlemen, I again thank you. Your greeting has been so cor- dial and the occasion has been inspired by such generous impulses that I would be glad indeed if I could convey to each of you the sense of appreciation and gratitude which I feel but which I have so imperfectly expressed. "Your bounty is beyond my speaking, But though my mouth be dumb, My heart shall thank you." (Loud and prolonged applause.) The President: Gentlemen, this assemblage has been graced by the presence in the gallery of the amiable wife of our worthy guest and four of his beautiful and accom- plished daughters. I think we should drink the health of ;Mrs. O'Gorman and the Misses O'Gorman, and I call call upon a life-long personal friend of Judge O'Gorman and his family to say the final words to-night. I take pleasure in introducing the Honorable John J. Delaney. (Applause.) Mr. Delaney, who was warmly received, said: Mr. President and Gentlemen : This is an occasion to which I am conscious I cannot do justice. The emotions which this splendid testimony to Judge O'Gorman's worth awaken in my breast, recall the associations with him of many years and carry my mind back to the days when we first met. Had I but an intimation before this moment that so great a distinction would be accorded me, I would have forearmed myself so that I might strive to meet the requirements of a public expression of my sentiments. I do not dare, therefore, to speak the thoughts that have swept over me with such delight as I sat here and heard your guest extolled. Across the years that divide us from our youth, I look back to the time when my acquaintance with him began and it seems to be appropriate to say before this organization that the cause of our ancient race furnished the occasion for our nieeting. It was the days when the entire world was listening to the demand 48 of Ireland for the right of self-government, and the enthusiastic devotion of our people and their loyal offspring everywhere had taken up the cause. We had both been instilled with the great hope of the redemp- tion of our race and over our cradles and into our childish ears had been sung the prophetic lay of the poet : "The nations are fallen, but thou still art young, Thy sun is but rising when others have set, And though slavery's clouds o'er thy morning have hung, The full noon of freedom shall beam round thee yet;" and even before manhood had dawned upon us we had already answered the demand of this cherished sentiment and espoused the cause. An intimate friendship since then afforded opportunity for a close observation of the man who is your guest to-night, and that very friendship, sacred for its unsullied joy and the tender benefactions of advice and encouragement to me seems to check an expression as generous as I would make it, though still inade- quate to do him justice. Of the wife of his heart and the children of that happy union a word should be said. He is blest in them and they in him. More than this I shall not trust myself to speak, but if the day be ever reserved to me when I may meet a son of Judge O'Gorman old enough to understand me. I shall tell him that I knew his father in the days when temptations are strongest and that through that strife he came unscathed. I shall tell him of the hidden history of his father's life in which are concealed his greatest virtues, and I know that it will be to the boy an in- spiration to a pure and upright manhood and the greatest glory and the greatest pride to her whom our guest calls by the tender name of wife. (Applause.) The President: In adjourning- the meeting, let me call on the guests to give three final cheers for our guest. Judge O'Gorman. (Cheers.) I c r --E' noi4 ^'^ i3r 5 y »