The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-26 00:00:00

TUE IRISH BRIGADE IN IT/1117.

The following letter appears in the Tinzos :
Sir,—For several months past the Irish press has
been teeming with news relative to the organisa-
tion, to the progress, and to the (glorious) prospects
of the Irish Brigade. The Nation in particular
seems to be deeply interested in all the concerns of
the brigade, for its columns have been filled every
week with letters and pamphlets and most glowing
productions, both in prose and verse, lauding those
young men to the stars who have allowed them-
selves- to be duped by it and other interested par-
ties into forsaking their comfortable homes and
going to Italy. But ad rem. I was one of those
fools who was trepanned by the glow and glitter of
those sweeping assertions that I saw in the Nation
about three months since, when it was suggested
by some enthusiastic supporter of the Papal Tem-
poral Government that it would be a grand thing
for Ireland to send out the pride and chivalry of
the country to Italy for such a noble purpose.
Many others were led astray as well as I was. The
movement progressed most marvellously, until in
the course of a few weeks some hundreds were con-
centrated inside the walls of Macerate, after per-
forming a journey of thousands of miles in an in-
credibly small space of time. I had forgotten to
state that many of us were thunderstricken on our
arrival in Italy at not finding the thousands of
Americanized Irishmen before us of whom the
Nation had spoken so much previous to our depar-
ture from Ireland. I was but a very short time in
Macerate until I saw that it was not to fight for
religion I had gone out, but for a Temporal Go-
vernment, with which the poor devoted children of
Italy are, in my humble opinion, most deservedly
dissatisfied, and from overturning which they are
only prevented by the bayonet's point. I looked
about me for that flourishing state of affairs which
I had always thought was to be found in the
" beautiful, the brilliant, and the gifted Italy ;"
but nowhere did I find it. I looked from the
slopes of the Apennines over the surrounding
country, but could not find that superior state
of cultivation that I was accustomed to hear so
much of in Ireland. I looked carefully through the
town and villages, but saw nothing calculated to
form a favourable impression of the trade and com-
merce of the place ; on the contrary, the country
seemed more than a century behind Great Britain
and Ireland in agriculture and commerce--i.e., in
the great staple commodities that constitute the
wealth and greatness of any country. However, I
was afraid to trust to my own judgment. I tried
to think well of matters, for fear of scandalising my
neighbours, and I patiently put up with all the ills-
appointments that presented themselves. After a
stay of several weeks in Macerate, we got the route
to Rome, where we arrived after a long and tire-
some march of eight days. By the time that we
got to Rome many of the more intelligent among us
began to get somewhat cool on the subject, and to
wish ourselves once more at home. We had to put
up with many trials and inconveniences at Rome,
for, as our officers were (with few exceptions) young
men without military experience or training, it may
be easily supposed that instead of order. regularity,
and comfort, we had nothing but confusion, " tossi-
cation," and dismay. Some of us took measures
and steps by which we hoped to be sent home, and,
after a good deal of altercation and delay, we at
length succeeded in getting away, to the number of
16. After our departure from Rome we were de-
layed by passport regulations at Civita Vecchia for
some days. During our stay there we met a batch
of men on their way out from Ireland, the majority,
of whom were young men who had been in the con-
stabulary in Ireland for some years, and who threw
up their positions to get out to Italy, full of enthu-
siasm and zeal for the cause. At our departure from
Civita Vecchia, to our great surprise, we found
ranged along the qaays before us, just embarking for
Ireland, the whole body of constabulary who had
gone on to Rome but two or three days previously,
but who were so dissatisfied with the overbearing
conduct—theimpertinence, tyranny, and despotism
—of a few of the commanding officers, that they one
and all demanded their passports and expenses
back, and retureed home without a moment's delay.
We embarked from Civita Vecchia in a body, and,
though the voyage to Marseilles was to be of
about 40 hours' duration, we were not provided with
any food or sustenance. We were doled out a few
pieces of Roman coin on the quays of Civita Vec-
chia, but, lest they might be of the slightest use to
us on board, the captain of the steamer issued the
strictest orders against selling either bread, meat,
or vegetables to us, for he said we were Irishmen,
and consequently should he kept underhand. Now,
this was a French vessel, and the captain was a
rampant Frenchman, so I hope this piece of infor-
mation may reach the Emerald Isle, and act bene-
ficially on the diseased minds of those quasi patriotic,
but in my opinion mercenary vendors of political
wares, the editors of newspapers who fake so much
pains in placing in a favourable light for their de-
luded countrymen the contents of such vile, venal,
and intriguing productions as " La Question Irlan-
daise" and " M‘Mahon, Roi d'lrlande," thus illus-
trating in the clearest and most forcible manner
the boundless liberty that is allowed them.
On our arrival in Marseilles we were lodged at
an empty French garrissn, into which we were
handed supperless, after our long fast of 40 hours
on board the vessel of Imperial France. Some of
us, I may say seven out or every ten, were com-
pletely- penniless, for the few coins we got in Civita
Vecchia were not of the slightest use at Marseilles;
accordingly, with tears of desperation in our eyes,
we were forced to lie down on hard straw pallets,
without covering, and try to sleep our hunger away,
We appealed to a French officer who was waiting
to receive u 3 at Marseilles harbour, and horrified
and indignant and hungry as we were, we asked
him if this was the way the boasted Emperor
of France was accustomed to meet Irishmen:' If
this was the rerurn we should „et for the glo-
rious deeds performed by our fathers at Pante-
hey—where, when the armies of France quailed
and fled in dismay before the bayonets of Great
Britain, the honour of his country was preserved
from an indelible blot by the generous effusion
of Irish blood ? We foolishly imagined that such
remarks as these would suffice to alleviate our
condition, but in a few minutes we were brought to
our senses by hearing our hardehearted con-
ductor mutter with venom and asperity his fearful
and abominable " ,Saere!" and " biable!" and
tell
us in imperfect English that we should " Go to hell
and do with that, or he would soon obtain a change
of circumstances for us"--i.e., that he would hand

us over to the benevolence of the gendarmes, that I
we should have adequate accommodation in a bas-
tile ; and, lest there should be too much dullness
and monotony about our imprisonment, that we
should be plentifully supplied with handcuffs and
fetters. So far for " glorious France," under whose
blighting dominion our kind newspaper editors
would fain see us ! However, as the mention of
Napoleon's magic and omnipotent name was not
enough to procure for us what we stood so sadly in
need of, we stretched ourselves on Napoleon's pal-
lets for the night, but before five minutes were half

elapsed I solemnly declare we were covered from
head to foot with a swarm of fierce and ferocious
_ _

bugs, which, after the manner of fabled harpies,
did all in their power to make us most supremely
miserable. After some minutes on the pallets we
found it would be better policy to go back to the
street. We lay down dejected and exhausted on
the pavement of the street, bitterly bemoaning our
hard fate, and loudly reproaching ourselves, and
we one and all swore, that if the day should ever
come when the liberties of Great Britain might be
threatened by the armies of France, we would come
forward ourselves, and beseech our countrymen to
come on also, and generously sacrifice our lives in
defence of the most glorious constitution in the
whole world. At break of day we arose from our
couches, and were anxiously looking out for intel-
gence relative to our breakfast, but instead of such
joyous tidings we were apprised of the fact that
some wicked person or persons—whether from
among the military or police or civil functionaries
of Rome, of course we cannot say—had got inserted
in the leading journals of Paris an article to the
effect that a certain number of Irishmen had been

sent home from Rome in disgrace at the request of
the Italians. This, no doubt, was calculated to
make us forget the want of our breakfast for

the moment,-but to form an idea of how horri-
fied we were at thinking that any official of the
Roman Government could be so wicked as to ful-
minate a public, barefaced, and infamous lie, with
the view of destroying the reputation of a body of,
innocent and unoffending young men, would be im-
possible for any person but an eye-witness. How-
ever, what was to be done ? We were obliged to
-hold our tongues. As soon as everything was made
ready for our departure from Marseilles we were
put into the train for Paris, a journey that occupied
two nights and a day, with the scanty allowance of
a penny worth of dry bread and a small bit of cheese.
We stopped in Paris for the better part of a day,
and left it for Boulogne in due time. Though we
were supplied with no provisions at our departure
from Paris, when we arrived at Boulogne, after a
journey of several hours, the agent who had the
management of our affairs, and who was also a bene-
volent Frenchman, thought to force us on board the
steamer without any provisions for the voyage,
telling us we should get it on board ; but after the
treachery we met with at the Civita. Vecchia em-
barkation we loudly protested against such conduct,
and accordingly the benevolent Frenchman was
obliged to purchase some necessaries for us. After
a rough and stormy passage from Boulogne to Lhia•
don we landed in due time, and were presented with
a 25.-piece each to get ourselves whatever we might
want in the way of food and raiment. We went
then in batches to different places to get some re-
freshment, delighted beyond expression at hearing
the vernacular idiom once more spoken by all whom
we met. I went with two or three others to a com-
fortable eating•house, and while dinner was being
served up I threw my eye over a London paper,
and what was my chagrin and dismay at finding
the Paris and Marseilles lies re-echoed in London,
after being freshly copied from the Nation of Dub-
lin ! I called the attention of my companions to the
publication, and when we read it two or three
times over, to assure ourselves that we were not
labouring under a delusion, or suffering from temp;,_
rare, insanity, we all of us wept together in same
and silence at seeing how foolish we were in throw-
ing up our situations, in leaving our homes, and in
throwing ourselves on the snares of the world at
the instigation of a newspaper editor, and for the
cause of a Government who made such dastardly
attempts at blasting our reputation and blighting
our prospects for ever, simply because we were
guilty of retaining a ray of common sense, and
would not allow ourselves to be treated like brutes
and slaves by despotic military officials, Messrs.
Hanley, O'Reilly, and others, of whom the corre-
spondent of the Morning News was so loud in praise
in one of his late despatches from Rome. I buried
my head between my hands, and while I reflected
on the enormity of this base act, and on the -moral
culpability of this enormous crime, I tried to re•
member from among my little stock of historical
and biographical knowledge some parallel or other
for this deed, which, in my opinion, was the climax
of human wickedness. I thought that in the annals
of ancient Greece and Rome nothing more flagrantly
vicious could be met with. To think that, after all
the sacrifices we had made for the cause of Rome's
present temporal Administration; after bursting
asunder the adamantine bonds of kindred, friend-
ship,and acquaintance ; after putting up with all
the disappointments and inconveniencesof Macerate,
and bearing up against all the misery, all the want,
all the starvation, all the deception, all the cruelty,
despotism, and tyranny that we had to put up with
during our most tyring march from Macerate to
Rome, for which space of time (eight days) we
never enjoyed the comfort of a bed of any descrip-
tion, nor half enough of food; and to meet, as a
requital, with such corruption, such villainy, such
wickedness and depravity, made me form a resolu-
tion, and swear on the spot, that I would not leave
London until I should have published to the whole
world how gross were the calumnies, how great the
misrepresentations, and how foul the vituperations
which were fulminated against a body of respect-
able men by slanderous and venal vendors of news.
I declare before Heaven I would as soon have
doubted of my existence as have thought that the
manager of this organ of Irish opinion could be in-
duced from any motives whatsoever to lend him-
self to so mean, so dastardly, and so unmanly an
act as I know this to have been. The author of
the
production of which I allude, and which was
copied into a recent number of the Times, wrote
as follows. He said that " Major Fitzgerald at
Ancona and Major O'Reilly at Rome, who were
both men of unquestionable reputation, and of
superior military abilities, lately reviewed their
troops in their respective localities, and after ma-
ture deliberation rejected a certain number of men,
as being partially unfit from depravity of character
to serve in the Irish Brigade." Now, without any
kind of prolegomena, or the least ceremony, I say
that this was as barefaced a lie and as great a
calumny as was ever invented or fulminated. The
men who returned from Rome were, with about
four or five exceptions, as fine, as imposing, and as
respectable a body of men as ever did honour to the
legions of either ancient or modern Rome. Most of
this stigmatised body of men are young men who by
birth and education are far and away superior to
many of the officers who are at present at the head
of the Irish Brigade. A small dividend, a mere item,
are from the middle walks of life. The Nation said
that among those returning from Rome (in disgrace
of course) were many who were only fit for the
English Militia. To this I also give the lie in the
most public manner, for three-fourths of the party
are, as I said above, ex qfficio constabulary men, and
a more respectably-dressed, a better-intentioned, a
better suited, or a finer phalanx surely is not to be
met with in any army ; no, not even in the unri-
valled legions of Great Britain, and that is, no
doubt, a great assertion. The Nation also stated
that things were going on flourishingly with the
present number in Italy. Now, this is a most undis-
guised falsehood, for when the order to march from
Rome to Spoletto was given at Cimana barracks,
previous to my departure from Rome, not one man
would march ; all had to be dragged downstairs
like slaves, and impelled onward only at the point
of Swiss bayonets ; and, again, when the oath of
allegiance was administered, not a man consented
to sign the papers or take the oath. These
are facts, and only a few facts out of many,
and I should like to know by what pro-
cess of ratiocination the editor of the Nation
would attempt to disprove them. Should he
make the attempt I will reply to him by another
series of facts, the publication of which could not
be very agreeable to him. I have in my hands
about 40 letters, which were given to me privately
when leaving Rome, and if I find further publica-
tion necessary I shall be able to give a series of
extracts from those documents, which are authen-
tic, integral, and true, and which would
.s inevitablyand
-
put to the blush the authors of those calumnies
lies to which I have alluded.—Yours,
j. O'BRIEN.

RUSSIAN ACQUISITIONS ON THE AMOOR.—Russia
has obtained a territory more valuable than all the supposed
cotton districts of Africa, watered by hundreds of streams
flowing into the great artery that passes through its entire
length. The climate is good, and well suited for Europeans •
its animals belong to both the cold and warm reg,ions while
its luxuriant herbage and magnificent flora prove tliat the
temperature is neither severe in winter nor excessively hot
in summer. It is possible that some of these great plains
may be suited for the culture of the cotton plant; if so,f of
supply of this valuable product will, ere long,
tbee ulfiGmnd a
at
the Russian ports in. the Sea and
in h
Tartary-.—From .ritkinson's
[AnvEnTisEunra.)—Holloway's Pills. Bilious affec-
tions, induced by atmospheric changes or too liberal diet,
should be checked at once or serious consequences may
ensue. When any one finds his ideas less clear than usual,
his eyesight dimmed, and his head i zzy, which indispose
him for all exertion, physical or mental, he may be quite
sure that he is in immediate need of some cooling and puri-
fying medicine. Let him send at once for a box of Hollo-
way's Pills, which will free him from his sufferings, and
speedily renew his usual healthful feelings. If the bowels
be irritable, Holloway's Ointment should be rubbed over
the stomach and liver every night and morning. It will
wonderfully augment the cerrectiTe power of the pills.

TILE _ROAD CHILD 3ItRDER.

Sergeant Williamson, of the metroklitan detec-
tive force, has arrived at Road, and is .tively en-
gaged with Mr. Inspector Whicher,
Cat. Mere-
dith, chief constable, and other officers of tll county
police, in investigating this tragic affair, Mr.
Kent, the father of the deceased child and of Miss

Constance Kent, who stands charged with the nur-
der, accompanied by his solicitor, Mr. William
Dunn, of Frome, having obtained an order to visit
the prisoner, proceeded to the County Gaol 4
Devizes on Sunday last, but on their arrival the
feelings of the father overcame him, and he was
unable to undergo the interview. Every possible
exertion is being made by the police to collect fur-
ther evidence, and to find, if possible, the missing
nightdress belonging to Miss Constance Kent. It
is believed that, if not burnt, it is secreted some-
where in the vicinity of the house, and, with the
view of inducing the inhabitants of the village to
assist in the search, a placard has been issued, offer-
ing a reward of £5 to any person finding the night.
dress and delivering it to the police. It is now st -
posed by persons competent to give an opinion or. the
matter that the first intention of the murderee was
to have thrown the child down the privy with the
object of suffocating it, and that it was exp.lcted the
body would have sunk out of sight. The drawing-
room -window and shutters are supposed io have bee*
opened by some person inside the house to convey
the idea and lead to the belief that the child had been
stolen. A description of the privy will make this
theory better understood. It is situated about 20
yards from the kitchen door, and is surrounded by
shrubs, the well or cesspool being of extraordinary
size--viz., about 10 feet deep and 7 feet square. At
the time of the murder the well contained about 6
feet of waiter and soil, so that had the child fallen
through it would at once have been suffocated and
sunk out of sight. The peculiar construction of the
seat, however, prevented the body from falling
through into the cesspool below. The impediment
was caused by a splash-board, which is a piece of
board fixed from the front of the top part of the
seat and extending downward in a slanting direc-
tion to within about six inches of the back wall of
the privy, the consequence being that the body
would not pass through this small aperture. It is
supposed that the guilty party, being thus foiled,
resorted to the knife, and destroyed. the child in the
manner which has been already described. Mr.
Edlin, of the Western Circuit, will, it is understood,
appear on behalf of Miss Constance Kent at the
adjourned inquiry, which is to take place to-morrow
(Friday) at Road.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

SHEFFIELD-JULY 24.

There was a small supply of grain, and the market was
very unsettled, but wheat sold freely, at an advance of 6d
per load. Flour also a free sale at ld per 141 b advance.
Other articles maintained late prices.
Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushols...22s ea to 23s a,
White 7) )1 ...24s Od to 268 6*

„
New red ,.
)) ---
...-s Od to-5 od
New white » » ...—s Od to -5
Od
Beans ~ ~ ...19s Od to 215 Od
Peas, per qr 4Bs Od to 52e oa
Grinding barley, per qr 335 Od to 36104
Malting ditto, „ 345 Od to 37501
Oats )9 26s Od to 3350 a
Millers' prices for flour-2s Id, 2e 3d, and 25 4d per
141 b.

NEWARK--JULY 25.
A limited supply of wheat to-day, and prices advanced
2s por qr. Barley scarce ; trade inactive. - The bean trade
was firm. Oats in limited show, with a fair sale.
Whito wheat, new, 608 to 65s Barley, grinding.. 30s to 334
Red do. sss to 60s Oats, old, .. 32s to 34e
Old white 6os to 65s New do 29s to VS
Red do. 55s to 60s Beans.. 48s to 011
Barley, malting.... 38s to 42s Beans, new 45s to 40

Peas,....

is to 435.

HULL-JULY 24.

At our market to-day there was again a very thin supPll
of wheat. Prices advanced 2s per qr. Barley, oats, beall
and peas met with an improved demand at an advance of 00)
per qr.
Wheat.... Old white.... per qr s9s Od to 62s °,l
Old red
New white .. „
New red .... ,
Dantzic, Konb , &c. old white 53s Od to 678 vd
Dutch, Belgian, and French s3s Od to 540 ild
Baltic and Hamburg, red
St. Petersburg and Riga, old. 45s Od to 490 Od
Barley.... English malting 3Bs Od to 428 ',J.J
Grinding 3os Od to 31s Od
Saal and Oderbruck
Holstein and Danish
Grinding
Oats English, old
8246
asss
°°°o
ddad
tttt 0000
433303503 '7°l'l
Archangel and Riga, per st Os 14d to 111
Friesland and Dutch 081414 to Os'
Swedish and Danish OBl4 to ' osid
a
Beans .... English, old, per qr 46s Od to 488 i 0
New pigeon 44s Od to 468 i
New tick 43s Od to 440 000
Egyptian 3Bs Od to 40s AA
Peas Foreign breakers
Grinding
Tares ....Spring
Indian Corn
Linseed, feeding
crushing
Linseed cakes (Hull)
Foreign 8 0 oto 810
o
10
Rape cakes 5 5 oto 5 - 6
Bones

DUBLIN—JULY 24.
In consequence of the advance in London holders of gr.. !.1.1
to-day demanded higher rates, but they were only maul;
for the best oats, which advanced 6d. Iniian corn met
limited demand, at 6d higher.
s. d. s. d.
Wheat, white 33 0 to 3 0
Do., red 3l 0 to 33 0
Do., new - 0 I
Barley
Oats
Do., black l5 0 to 15 6

e. d. 0. 0
Do., new — 0 to 0
Bere
Rapeseed 20 0 to 23 6
Oatmeal l5 0 to 11
2 °
Bakers' flour
Indian corn

COAL MARK
frrioes of Coal per Ton at
s. d.
West Hartley 16 0
Davison's West Hart-

.ET—JuLt 25.
the close of the market.)

Walla End.
it a,
•
South Hartlepool. ..... li 6
Acorn Close ..17 •
Raton...,
Cassop • 1 •
Thorpe
Brtddyll's Hetton .. 18 6
Frainvrellgate ...•17 6
Hilda l6 0
Peases West 15 0
Gosforth 11 3
Byron ..11 0
Wharnclifte l7 6
Eden Main . a 6
Thornley .16 0
Belmont .. .ll $
Kelloe lB
Carway and Duirryll a 6
Malting . P

by l6 0
Wylam 16 5
ranfield Moor 13 6
Tanfield Moor Butes l3 6
Holywell 16 0
Byass's Belgside West
Hartley ...16 0
Walker Primrose 13 6
'Bell's Primrose l3 0
Howard's West Hart-
ley 6....15 9

, 117 —Sold, 104.