The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-22 00:00:00

IRELAND.

Doman, 11•11,CIC 20.
THE GREAT DEMONSTRATION OF TO-DAY.
The day of alarm has passed over quietly. The
"Great Demonstration" has taken place, and the
pavements have not been rooted up for barricades,
and the God of Battles rests in his hall of pikes with-
out an invocation or prayer. Like all the movements
and meetings of our city since the 28th of February,
peace and order have characterised the gathering of
to-day. Not a riot—not an act of disorder—no tri-
colour—no seditious or disloyal cry marked the pro-
ceedings, which, in all truth, were wholly tame and
spiritless. In point of rank, respectability, and even
common members, it was an utter and moat de-
cided failure. At any period of the day
not more than about 3,000 were present, and one-halt'
at least of the assemblage, which was to fire the '
Liffey, was composed of girls and gamine. Around
the platform some 2,000 were close packed while
another floating thousand hung on the outskirts.
The place of meeting was a piece of reclaimed slob
' on the north wall, on which a platform was erected,
consisting of planks laid upon empty tierces. Admis-
sion was to be had by tickets, but the privilege be-
came a nullity, for the boys scaled the parapet on all
sides, and took their stand by the chiefs of the con-

federation.
At 12 o'clock the committee quietly, and without
parade, reached the place of meeting. There was no
procession or music. The leaders arrived in twos
and threes, and it was not until the sun shone out at
two o'clock that the idle portion of the population
wended their way to the very disagreeable slob, which
repaid the pressure of the foot with aide walls of filth
and soft mud.
The speakers were of the confederation class. One
could see from a distance their gesticulations, but the
effect of their eloquence was dissipated in space. I
never witnessed less enthusiasm at any political
assembly of Irishmen. Their hearts, unquestionably
wherever else they happened to be, were not there.
The piping treble of the orators was unfavourably
contrasted by the multitude with the loud, clear, and
mellow voice of the " Liberator," whose name was
on the lips of all. The great mass did not appear to
comprehend the aim or object of the meeting. All
they could ascertain was "something about France."
I mixed much with the crowd, and in every quarter
heard them denounce the Young Ireland party as
enemies of the country. Knots of operatives dis-
cussed with much liveliness and sagacity the value of
the peace and war doctrines—the former always in
the ascendant.
I was struck with a circumstance which occurred in
one of those groups. "Look," said one, "at Gavin
Duffey ; last Saturday week he was all for fighting ;
now he is for peace." " Yes," remarked another,
" Smith O'Brien is the same. O'Connell was always
right." A tall gentlemanly-looking man, who, like
myself, had hitherto been a listener, turned smartly
round, and, with a sarcastic tone, observed, " O'Con-
nell was indeed right, for he provided right well for
his sons and relatives." And then he darted off. All
shouted out a " detective," and the same
impression was left on my own mind. The
members of the committee were distinguished by
a green ribbon worn in the button-hole. The great
proportion of them occupied the platform, though
several circulated freely among the crowd to display
their rank, and also to preserve order, which was
wholly unnecessary.
After one of the most languid displays in the re-
' cords of popular manifestation in Ireland, the meet-
ing came to an end about 5 o'clock, and the multitude
thronged up the quays into the city, and departed
quietly each to his dinner, lain, quails.
A gentleman connected with the French press was
present, and also Mr. Hodges and his assistant. The
government reporter left Conciliation-hall free. Upon
being asked why he did not divide his force, he re-
plied that there was no fear of the " Hall," whose
explosive matter bore no proportion to the powder
magazine of the confederation.
No police or military were at the meeting. In the
neighbourhood of Fort Crystal a dilapidated glass,
manufactory on the east side of the north wall, a
squadron of cavalry was stationed from an early hour
in the morning, and in the cuatom-house 300 men of
the 74th Regiment. Some patrols of horse police
rode along the quays throughout the day.
The Dublin Evening Herald says :
The government have this day determined to prosecute the
leading and more violent repeal agitators, but the names of
the parties have no: transpired.
It is stated that the warrants are made out and signed, and
that the arrests will take place this evening.
The signatures to the declaration in support of law
and order now amount to upwards of one hundred
thousand, including a great number of peers, prelates,
baronets, members of the House of Commons, deputy-
lieutenants, magistrates, members of the various
professions, clergymen of the various denomina-
tions, merchants, traders, and farmers, without
any religious or political distinction. In
the lists received to-day there appear the
names of the Hon. Dr. Plunkett, Bishop of Tuam,
and of Dr. Kennedy, Roman Catholic Bishop of
Killaloe, with all his curates. The following peers
hays signed the declaration, in addition to those
already mentioned :—The Earl of Erne, Earl of
Clonmel ; Lords Doneraile, Riversdale, and Mount-
morres. Twenty more baronets have given their
signatures. The new lists of deputy-lieutenants,
magistrates, and other country gentlemen comprise
a large proportion of the Roman catholic gentry from
almost every county in Ireland. The supplemental
list of the clergy comprises a great number of Roman
catholic parish priests and curates, in some instances
the protestant rector and the parish priest heading
the list side by aide. Altogether, this declaration is a
highly important and well-timed demonstration of the
sound opinion of the country against the wild designs
and the treasonable spouting of the anarchists.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE TRADES AND YOUNG
IRELAND PARTY.
The demonstration of the trades and Young Ireland party
was held this day at the North Wall. The chair was taken
by R. O'Gorman, sen., Esq. Amongst the leaders on the
platform were W. S. O'Brien, Esq., M.P., and Messrs.
Meagher, Mitchell, Duffy, O'Gorman, and several other
members of the Irish Confederation. Mr. Hodges, the
government reporter, was present.
The CHAIRMAN stated that the objects for which the
meeting had been called were, to address the French people
upon their gallant assertion of their legitimate rights, to ad-
dress the British Queen upon the unfortunate state of this
country, and to demand the exertion of her inducer° with
her ministry for a repeal of the legislative union, which had
been so disastrous to -Ireland.
Mr. J. MITCHELL, of the United Irishman, HMO to move
the adoption of • congratulatory address to the French as-
Bon. He said he had been permitted to move the adoption
of an address from the citizens of Dublin to the citizens of the
French republic—but he hoped that no one in that meeting
imagined that they, Irishmen, were addressing the people of
France on equal terms. That was, indeed, no gala day for
them. They, the citizens of Dublin, were the citizens of no
place. They were met together that day as strangers in their
I own homes, under the guns of a foreign garrison, by the sub
ferance of a military governor, who held their country for
another nation. It was under these unhappy circumstances
they were met to congratulate another nation on the achieve-
meat of its liberties. But even that was not all ; for
some of his fellow-slaves—his brother surplus, had been
i afraid to present themselves at that meeting, lest, per-
haps, some indiscreet, enthusiastic, or unconstitutional
I speaker should touch a note too defiant, and thus place
I them within the merciless grasp of their rulers. (Hear,
hear) He, for his own part, would say, that he would feel
the deepest shams in attending that meeting, had he net
felt within him en assurance that their own day of delivery
was fast approaching. They had met that day to congratu-
late the French people, with "bated breath and whispering
humbleness ;^ but the day was near at hand when the
French would have to congratulate Irishmen on freedom
won. (Cheers.) France had the glory of being the ori-
I fluster of all European wars for the assertion of liberty.
Having been for years past crushed to the dust by the des-
potism of Louis Philippe, suddenly the French workmen,
with one bold stroke, broke the cursed spell which
surrounded them, and raised a ball of fire to guide
other benighted nations to liberty. The first French
revolution which took place sixty years ago, destroyed
the landlords of France, and gave its soil to the
French people, amongst whom it was divided in small
lots to be retained by them and their heirs for ever.
By the second revolution legitimacy was abolished, and the
right of the French people to choose their own roles was
asserted. By the third revolution, that of 1848, the rights
of liberty were fully and finally established in France—
(cheen)—and the people of that country had specifically
affirmed the great right of workmen combining in order to
secure to themselves a fair remuneration for their labour,
end Christian usage. (Loud cheers.) In France, hence-
forth, the ma who weaved the cloth would have some
of it to wear on his own back; the man who raised food for
his fellow men would have some for himself and his family ;