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Padráig
Pearse's Oration
Given at the Funeral of Jeremiah
O'Donovan Rossa
on 1 August 1915,
"It has seemed right, before we
turn away from this place in which we have laid the mortal
remains of O'Donovan Rossa, that one among us should, in the
name of all, speak the praise of that valiant man, and endeavor
to formulate the thought and the hope that are in us as we stand
around his grave. And if there is anything that makes it fitting
that I, rather than some other, I rather than one of the
grey-haired men who were young with him and shared in his labour
and in his suffering, should speak here, it is perhaps that I
may be taken as speaking on behalf of a new generation that has
been re-baptised in the Fenian faith, and that has accepted the
responsibility of carrying out the Fenian programme. I propose
to you then that, here by the grave of this unrepentant Fenian,
we renew our baptismal vows; that, here by the grave of this
unconquered and unconquerable man, we ask of God, each one for
himself, such unshakable purpose, such high and gallant courage,
such unbreakable strength of soul as belonged to O'Dovonan Rossa
"Deliberately here we avow
ourselves, as he avowed himself in the dock, Irishmen of one
allegiance only. We of the Irish Volunteers, and you others who
are associated with us in to-day's task and duty, are bound
together and must stand together henceforth in brotherly union
for the achievement of the freedom of Ireland. And we know only
one definition of freedom: it is Wolfe Tone's definition, it is
John Mitchel's definition, it is Rossa's definition. Let no man
blaspheme the cause that the dead generations of Ireland served
by giving it any other name and definition than their name and
their definition."
"We stand at Rossa's grave not in sadness but rather in
exaltation of spirit that it has been given to us to come thus
into so close a communion with that brave and splendid Gael.
Splendid and holy causes are served by men who are themselves
splendid and holy. O'Donovan Rossa was splendid in the proud
manhood of him, splendid in the heroic grace of him, splendid in
the Gaelic strength and clarity and truth of him. And all that
splendour and pride and strength was compatible with a humility
and a simplicity of devotion to Ireland, to all that was olden
and beautiful and Gaelic in Ireland, the holiness and simplicity
of patriotism of a Michael O'Clery or of an Eoghan O'Growney.
The clear true eyes of this man almost alone in his day visioned
Ireland as we of to-day would surely have her: not free merely,
but Gaelic as well; not Gaelic merely, but free as well."
"In a closer spiritual communion
with him now than ever before or perhaps ever again, in a
spiritual communion with those of his day, living and dead, who
suffered with him in English prisons, in communion of spirit too
with our own dear comrades who suffer in English prisons to-day,
and speaking on their behalf as well as our own, we pledge to
Ireland our love, and we pledge to English rule in Ireland our
hate. This is a place of peace, sacred to the dead, where men
should speak with all charity and with all restraint; but I hold
it a Christian thing, as O'Donovan Rossa held it, to hate evil,
to hate untruth, to hate oppression, and, hating them, to strive
to overthrow them. Our foes are strong and wise and wary; but,
strong and wise and wary as they are, they cannot undo the
miracles of God who ripens in the hearts of young men the seeds
sown by the young men of a former generation. And the seeds sown
by the young men of '65 and '67 are coming to their miraculous
ripening to-day. Rulers and Defenders of Realms had need to be
wary if they would guard against such processes. Life springs
from death; and from the graves of patriot men and women spring
living nations. The Defenders of this Realm have worked well in
secret and in the open. They think that they have pacified
Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and
intimidated the other half. They think that they have foreseen
everything, think that they have provided against everything;
but the fools, the fools, the fools! - they have left us our
Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland
unfree shall never be at peace."
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