The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-19 00:00:00

THE LIBERATOR'S POPULARITY.

"In the summer of that year I accompanied him to
the county of Clare, when going to his new election.
All down the lino of road from Dublin to Limerick his
progress was a continued triumph. The popular posse
comitatus' turned out at every mile of the way; and the
post Ii rses, where nut actually impeded by thronging
thousands lying in wait for us, were urged on from
stage to stage by the shouting and running of the peop!e,
instead of the traditionary red-hot poker which figures in
the well known pictures of 'Posting in Ireland.'
" To those who witnessed for the first time (as I then
did) one of these progresses' of Mr. O'Connell, the
scene was most exciting and curious indeed. Literally
the whole country turned out! By some extraordinary
instinct or other, some cart.) ing of the matter by the
birds of the air, his approach, even when his journeys
were most unpremeditated, and in no way previously an-
nounced (because often not previously resolved upon),
the population of the districts through which he was to
pass came to know of his journey; and from not merely
the cabins and fields close to the lino of road, but from
those distant a mile and upwards—in short, from every
point whence there was the least chance of arriving in
time to salute him i❑ passing—men, women, and child-
ren, were to be seen running at the top of their speed,
and waving hats and fragments of garments, or green
boughs, shouting all the while at the top of their voices.
"The poor old women used particularly to attract my
father's attention. Some few of them, throwing aside
for the moment their load of years, used to skip and
jump as merrily as the joungest there, and join the
screech with their cracked voices, greatly to the amuse-
ment of the impertinent youngsters of the crowd. Bat
the majority dropped upon their knees as the carriage
approached, and raising their aged eyes and hands to
heaven, were to be heard praying fervently, and invoking
blessings and mercies upon the man who was labouring
to upraise a fallen nation, and to vindicate an oppressed
creed.

" The object of their prayers ever seemed most pro-
foundly affected by these scenes; and I have often heard
him say that ho valued ono prayer of these poor old
creatures more highly and deeply than the proudest
honour which this world can confer."

As to our author's personal opinion of the character
of Daniel O'Connell, he confesses that "it is not for
him to speak in eulogy." "his deeds," he continues,
" are before the world ; and it is for pOsterity to
pronounce upon them, when the heats, jealou-
sies, passions, and prejudices of the present
time shall have passed away." Even the bitterest of
the opponents of that great man cannot but regard
the affectionate and respectful language in which he
is ever mentioned by his son, with the reverential
silence due to domestic grief and filial tender-
ness. Many of the letters addressed to him by
the Liberator are introduced among these " Recollec-
tions "—letters breathing the warmth of paternal
fondness, and written in the heat of the busiest
moments. Even the most trivial details are pre-
served, as where O'Connell gives all his elaborate
directions respecting the "post," numbering each in
succession; as thus, Vol. I. p. 318—
" Ist. Get my copy of the Dublin, Evening Post, di-
rected to Limerick.

" 31. Givo similar orders respecting The Sun.
"7th. Send me one Tablet to Darrynane.
"Bth. Send me Humphrey's Clock' to-morrow to
Limerick, &c."
Mr. John O'Connell speaks out boldly enough upon
the English press, and its treatment of Ireland. Our
readers will be interested with the following dashing
allusion to ourselves and our contemporaries—
" The tone and manner of the attack may vary, but
the substance is ever the same. Whether in the brick-
bat and bludgeon style of the 7 imes, the dulled and
clouded sarcasm of the fading Examiner, the uncompro-
mising and heartless harshness of the Morning Chronicle,
the inveterate virulence of the Post and Standard, the same
diluted pith twaddle in the mopping and mowing Morn-
ing Herald, the official impertinence of the Observer and
Gloie, the Muago-Malagrowtherisra of the Spectator,
the pandering to anti-Irish prejudice and bigotry of the
half-Radical, half-Tory Economist—the matter is still the
same—dislike, ridicule, and contempt for Irishmen and
Irish things; and evidences of a disposition, more or less
developed, and more or less self-acknowledged, to
consider Ireland but as a conquered and mutinous pro-
vince, and not as an important member of the confederacy
that gives name and being to the British Empire.
" The Daily News and The Sun are nearly, if not
altogether alone, in moderation of language, and consi-
deration of bearing towards Ireland. True, there are
times when the prevailing fever carries even them away,
and Irishmen and their country must only bend the
back for the blow in humble submission. But often a
redeeming, a truly liberal and manly article, shines out
in either paper; all the more valuable and welcome
from the powerful contrast with the tone and matter of
the scribblings of their contemporaries."
A strange variety of subjects is treated of in these
volumes. One while we have a "true history" of the
long- talked-of " Lichfield House Compact." Another
we have—marvellous to relate !—some very sensible
strictures, from Mr. John O'Connell (of all peoplein
the world), on the clearing of the galleries of the
House of Commons ! Here he insists upon the ab-
surdity of not placing Irish and English barristers
upon a common footing as to the power to exercise their
profes,ion in either country indiscriminately. Here,
again, in one part he calls Mr. Macaulay's recently
published " History of England" (I. 161) " a
great Whig party pamphlet ;" and in another
(11. 321), exclaims, in allusion to the same work—
" as a Catholic, I enter protest against it for gross
sectarian bigotry undeniably visible, under all the
assumption of candour and historic truthfulness; and
the general reader has a right to complain, when he
finds himself called upon to accept, as accurate recitals
of historic events, details and facts warped and co-
loured by the party feelings of the day." Sometimes
the Hon. Member for Limerick is guilty of Hiberni-
cisins in his book as glaring as those recurring in his
speeches. Instance the former, where he
.writes
(Vol. 1., p. 2.63)—" The railroad in question is now
made and in operation eleven or twelve years." Ge-
nerally speaking, however, the volumes are as agree-
able in composition as they are delightful for their
tone of drollery. Even in quoting from another Mr.
John O'Connell cannot resist the nudge of a note of
admiration, or a chuckle in italics, as where he quotes
from a French newspaper, in a description of a stormy
debate in the Commons, that while some Members
yelled and hissed, and imitated all sorts of animals—
"d'autres out si.gles avec leers cies jusqua rextermtna-
lion" M. Altogether Mr. John O'Connell has, in
these two volumes, produced one of the most amusing
works of the season, and one which will prove valuable
to the future historian of Ireland.