Among the early arrivals were: Hon. John C. Linehan, Concord, N. H.;
Hon. Thomas J. Gargan, Boston, Mass.; Mr. James Jeffrey Roche, editor of
_The Pilot_; Mr. T. B. Fitzpatrick, of Brown, Durrell & Co., Boston; Mr.
Joseph P. Flatley, Boston; Mr. Joseph F. Swords, Hartford, Conn.; Dr.
Thomas Addis Emmet, grandnephew of the Irish patriot, Robert Emmet; Mr.
Thomas B. Lawler, Worcester, Mass.; Hon. John D. Crimmins, New York; Mr.
Frank C. Travers, New York; Capt. E. O’Meagher Condon, Washington, D.
C.; Mr. Stephen J. Geoghegan, New York; Thomas Dunn English, Newark; and
many others.
The business meeting and annual election took place at 7.30 P.M., and
was held in the grand ballroom of the San Remo, which was comfortably
filled.
General O’Beirne called the assemblage to order. Secretary-General
Murray read the records of the previous meeting held by the society in
Boston, and the same were approved.
It was announced that since that meeting three members of the society
had died. They were: Hon. Owen A. Galvin, Boston; Hon. Charles B.
Gafney, Rochester, N. H.; and Hon. John Cochran, New York City.
Committees were appointed to take suitable action on the deceased
members.
The committee on audit, appointed to examine the books of the
Treasurer-General, consisted of Judge Wauhope Lynn, New York; Mr. T. B.
Lawler, Worcester, Mass.; and Mr. Michael Brennan, New York. The
committee reported the books as displaying excellent system and
arrangement, and the accounts of receipts and expenditures as being in
an eminently satisfactory condition. The report was unanimously approved
and adopted.
The society then proceeded to the election of new members, and some
thirty were admitted from New York, Virginia, Texas, and other states.
Among these new members is the Rev. Dr. McComb, a Presbyterian minister
of New York City.
The proposed amendment to Article XII of the Constitution was adopted.
It provided for an increase of ten in the make-up of the council of the
society. The new members elected to the council under this provision
comprise: Hon. Morgan J. O’Brien, a Justice of the New York Supreme
Court; Hon. John D. Crimmins; Mr. Joseph F. Swords, Hartford, Conn.; Dr.
Thomas Addis Emmet, New York; Mr. Stephen J. Geoghegan, Mr. Francis
Higgins, Hon. James S. Coleman, and F. C. Travers, New York City.
In addition to the foregoing, the annual election resulted as follows:
President-General, Edward A. Moseley, Washington, D. C.;
Secretary-General, Thomas Hamilton Murray, Pawtucket, R. I.;
Treasurer-General, Hon. John C. Linehan, Concord, N. H.; Librarian and
Archivist, Thomas B. Lawler, Worcester, Mass. These are all reëlections.
After the transactions of some routine matters the business meeting
adjourned.
A short time later the line was formed and marched to the banquet hall,
which was handsomely decorated. In the rear of the presiding officer’s
chair was a glory of flags in which the star-spangled banner and the
Irish tricolor predominated. American and Irish flags of small size were
also distributed adown the tables, mingled with flowers and potted
plants. Overhead the effulgence of a thousand electric lights served to
add further brilliancy to the scene.
In a bower composed of huge palms and smaller plants was stationed an
orchestra which discoursed sweet music during the repast. The company
around the board represented, without exaggeration, several million
dollars. Catholics and Protestants were there, Democrats, Republicans,
and Independents. It was a remarkable gathering in many ways, and was
indicative of the strength and representative character already attained
by the society.
General O’Beirne presided, and seated on his right and left were Dr.
Thomas Addis Emmet, Hon. Thomas Dunn English, Hon. John D. Crimmins,
Hon. Thomas J. Gargan, James Jeffrey Roche, Joseph Smith, Judge Wauhope
Lynn, Hon. John C. Linehan, F. C. Travers, V. P. Travers, John Crane,
and T. B. Lawler.
Also present were noted: Commissioner Coleman, New York; Capt. E. T.
McCrystal, of the Sixty-Ninth Regiment, New York; Dr. T. F. Harrington
and Dr. George Leahey, Lowell, Mass.; Commissioner McSweeney, New York;
W. F. Foley, Houston, Texas; John J. Rooney; and about one hundred
others.
The menu card was especially designed for the occasion and elicited much
favorable comment. During the evening a copy of the first Yearbook of
the society was presented to each member present.
A feature of the evening was the rendition by the orchestra of “Ben
Bolt,” out of compliment to the author, Dr. Thomas Dunn English, who
was present. He is now about eighty years of age, and tears glistened
in the old man’s eyes at this thoughtful tribute. The post-prandial
exercises were opened by General O’Beirne who, after a stirring
address on the objects of the society, read the annual address of the
President-General, which was frequently applauded. He then
successively introduced the speakers of the evening, who were Dr.
Emmet, Dr. English, Mr. Gargan, Colonel Linehan, Captain Condon, Judge
Lynn, and a number of others.
A great feature of this part of the program was an able paper by Mr.
Joseph Smith, on “American History as it is Falsified.” He said: