The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-13 00:00:00

land, his much iiiipr_ed country, he
:would care not I repose, there is not one of you whose case it might
how they had tressed him ;
he would forget it all in the , not be to-morrow.—(Hear, hear.) I say not this to
country, and co-operate strenuously : intimidate you, or to warm you in support of the
prosperity of his . • •
with them for the benefit of his native land.—(Cheer- people of Ireland, for I would be the most mistaken.
lag.) What return had these -Ministers made to this ;of human beings, if I was not already aware that it
man 1,--s(Cheers.)- What was their reply to the pro- is owing to no other motive but your own generous
position ? Why, the reply was this—that con- ; feelings that you sympathise with them. I arraigned
cession had seen it utmost limits, and that ' the prosecution against me, and lam just in arraigning
condign punishment must be his reward.—(Cheers.) it, for their was nothing of legal form about it; there
It was quite clear that the last act of that contempti- ; was nothing fixed or tangible whichyou might encoun -
ble drama, which had been played in Ireland, had yet j ter. It was a monstrous shadow set up by
to be enacted ; and that the Government, helloed on the miscreant administrators of the law ; but there
by the blood-hounds of the Tory press—(Great was nothing which could be met but by fair argument
cheering)—meant to send their law officers or or by legal discrimination.—Hear, hear.) I next
of the Crown again into the Court o arraigned the conduct of the judge, and I have this
Queen's Bench in Dublin, there to demand the consolation, that no human being justifies him. The
vengeance of the Court upon their victim.—(Cries usual practice when a man is arraigned for his con-
of "Never, never," " No, no," and cheers.) Nay, , ducti inPeri Parliament,
irl ament,r fora
Ministerial Member, if he be
fora Member of the Opposition, if
society, but if you met any person
at this moment you could not go into any a l‘i
who be- he belong to m
thaatn' o
side of the House, is suddenly to get
longed to what was called the Orange faction, up and discover him to be a man endowed with
with that peculiar delicacy which invariably attached every virtue, and then they eulogise him. This was
to all their proceedings, they were heard commenting the usual course in Parliament, and I appeal to those
as
to the number of years for which Mr. O'Connell who are familiar with its proceedings ; but no person
wsas to be incarcerated.—(Laughter.) More than was found to rise up and praise Chief Justice Penne-
this, they might be heard speculating on the relative father.—(Hear, hear.) It s admitted, since the days
strength of the gaols of Kilmainham and Carrickfergus. of Scroggs and Jeffries, such a one-handed charge,
—(Hisses and derisive laughter.) Deluded and such a side-handed charge was never pronounced by
short-sighted men ! Did they think that by his a common-law judge's lips. He has taken you
incarceration in a prison they could conceal Mr. back to the worst period of our law. Why, I saw
O'Connell from the eyes of his countrymen ?—did myself that he borrowed a part of the prosecutor's
they think that by imprisoning such a man counsel, and as out of the fullness of the heart the
that his virtues, and that his patriotism, would be lost tongue speaks, he talked of counsel on the other side.
to their memories ?—(Loud cheers.) No ! He told —(Groans.) Let it be proclaimed from the extre-
them in their name, and he told them in the mity of Cornwall to the highest point of Scotland—
name of the people of England—(Great cheering) let it go through the length and breadth of the land,
—yes, and in the name of the toiling millions of that the conduct of the Chief Justice was not capable
England, that how dark soever might be his of being defended by any Government or any party.
cell—how strong soever might be his dungeon— —(Cheers.) You see how I am coaxing him to
how gross soever the indignities they might heap I pass a lenient sentence upon me. My next im-
upon his head; he told Mr. O'Connell in that vast I peachment is the omission of the names in the jury
and gorgeous assembly that he might lay his head list.—(Hear, hear.) (Jut of 710 names, 63 slipped
in peace upon his pillow, for that the petitions, aye, and by accident.—(Laughter.) We had a lot of them,
the remonstrances too, of millions of the virtuous, the and out of the entire number of names, 63 were
patriotic, and the good, would not only attest to his absent. It was said to be an accident—(Laughter)
innocence, but would proclaim his liberation from —but out of the 63 names that were omitted, 27
within the very walls of Parliament itself.—(Great were Roman Catholics ; perhaps you do not know
cheering.) He had told them before that he had ; that I am of that persuasion. Your esteemed and
already gone beyond the limits he had assigned to I excellent friend the Chairman, has told you that the
himself, and he was satisfied that nothing he could Roman Catholics were indebted to me for Catholic
urge would strengthen the feelings they had towards Emancipation. He might have added with truth, and
their patriotic and illustrious guest, and he should, j I might say with pride, that I sought it not by the
therefore, conclude his observations by saying, assertion of any sectarian preference.—(Cheers.)
that they in honouring Mr. O'Connell did honour i I always considered that religion was a matter be-
to themselves; and, farther, that they testified their tween a man and his Creator, and that there was no
sympathy and regard for a people whose rights ! right or justice in excluding any man, on account of
and liberties, whose prosperity and happiness ought to i his religion, from civil rights ; and that every
be, and he was sure were, as sacred to them as their 1 man was justified in worshipping his God accord-
own.—(Cheers.) He had now, therefore, only to ing to the dictates of his conscience.—(Cheers.) It
propose—" Health and long life to Daniel O'Connell." was on that principle I sought and obtained eman-
Perhaps a more magnificent sight was never pre- ' cipation, and I would not have it on any other ground.
tented than that which offered itself to the eye of the It was on that principle that we petitioned for the Pro-
observer at this moment. The whole company rose, testants in England, and helped to obtain their eman-
and from the point where the Chairman sat, to the cipations---(Hear, hear.) Here is the hand that
opposite side of the house, and the very top of the I drew up the petition.—(Cheers.) It was signed by
gallery, there was one moving and hurraing mass of 28,000 Roman Catholics, and it prayed for the
human beings. The ladies in the whole tiers of boxes emancipation of the Protestant Dissenters in England.
rose, and the waving of their handkerchiefs betokened After that petition was presented, Lord John
their heartfelt sympathy in the proceedings of the even- Russell succeeded, and Peel was compelled to email-
ing, whilst the loud and earnest hurraing of the mass of cipate the Dissenters.— (Hear, hear.) Pardon me
men seemed as though its reverberations were never for the digression, but it is incumbent upon me that
to cease. At length something like silence was oh- we should understand each other well.—(Hear,
tabled, and hear.) The Catholics were in power three
Mr. O'CONNELL rose, and said—l protest that in my times, and 'they never persecuted a Protestant
long and varied life I never was so embarrassed as lam at —(Hear, hear.) Oh, let us contend with each other
this moment—in truth I am not ashamed to say, 1 in good and charitable and benevolent feelings, and
fun almost unmanned—my feelings are overpowered. take no credit to ourselves for any particular or sec-
The dungeon has no terrors to my mind— tarian advantage, but in the establishment of liberty
(Loud cheers)—and if to it were added the of conscience on a broad and secure basis.—(Cheers.)
scaffold and the rack, they could not appal me But I come back to the trial; sixty-three names
arSer the awful magnitude of the compliment you slipped out of the panel.—(Hear, hear.) Mark me,
have paid to me.—(Loud cheers.) Oh! how ardent for one moment, for there is something technical in
must be your love of justice - how steady and severe what lam going to tell you, but I think you will
your hatred of tyranny ; how you must glory in
easily comprehend it. We challenge the array, as it
seeing justice honestly and uprightly administered, is called, on account of the sixty-three names—(A.
when, with the intensity which you have exhibited voice, "It was villainy")—certainly it was not acci-
to •night, you proclaim the hate in which you hold dent.—(Laughter.) We alleged that those names
any partiality in its practice !—(Cheers.) What is were fraudulently taken from the list. We alleged
my claim to your kindness and your support ? It is that it was done to the detriment of the traversers.
this—that you consider me the victim of injustice That plea we put on the record; the Attorney-General
___(Lond cheering)—it is because you consider had power to join issue on that allegation, and say
that the law has been violated in my that it was not in fraud. That issue would have
person—because those in power have used that power been tried by triers duly sworn. The Attorney.
in a spirit of iniquity, and in your integrity you know General declined that issue.—(Cries of " Shame,
how to despise and hate them for it.—(Loud cheers.) shame.") He left the allegation to stand uncontra-
Yes, you are able to turn defeat into victory, and to dieted, and it stands uncontradicted to this day. He
make conviction not a source of punishment but of relied on this, that he had judges who would tell him,
triumph.—(Loud cheers.) Glad am lat what has as they told us, that as we did not know
taken place, because it has given me the opportunity who had committed the fraud, we were
(and I say it in all sincerity of heart), to be satisfied without remedy.—(Laughter and loud cheers.)
of the extent of sympathy that England has for Ire- It is literally true. lam here talking to the common
land—because it has convinced me, not reluctantly, but sense of Englishmen—their sense of honesty, and above
with some difficulty I admit, that there is a higher mind all things, to that noble adhesion to fair play, which is
animating the middle classes and the better part of the highest and most dignified trait in the English
the upper classes towards us, and that we were born character.—(Loud cheers.) 'lt is curious that in no
to be united as a people, and to stand together other part of the' world can two men fight without the
against the world.—(Loud cheering.) Yes, Ido people who come up taking part with one or with the
delight in the events that have taken place, be- other. But in England it is proverbial,
cause in them there will result a mighty good that no people ever come up to see men
to both branches of the empire.—(Loud cheers.) so engaged, that they do not immediately
Oh, what a scene is this to-day ! When I see the insist on seeing fair play.—(Loud cheers.) I ap-
rank and station—when I contemplate the wealth, peal to that sense of fair play.—(Cheers.) There is
the talent, the rank, and the virtue—when I think no word to express it in any other language, and
of the manly determination here evinced, and mark it deserves to have a word coined for itself.
the kindly feeling that glistens from those fair eyes. The fraud is undenied to the present moment;
When I behold those lovely forms that turn this and the only answer we got was, that as we did not
scene into a fairy land—when I see those sylphs know the name of the person who committed the
those celestial beings, animating us to our duty, and fraud, we had no remedy. I suppose that a person
smiling sweetly upon us—l do rejoice in the incon- is not robbed if he does not know the name of the
venience I have suffered, seeing that in consequence thief who robs him. (Loud laughter.) If
of it I behold such a transcendent spectacle as this. you were to go before Sir Peter Laurie, or any
Yes, they have convicted me ; but you ask how, and other of your white witches, and bring a
of what ? I am here to tell you of what. They man before him, saying, " I caught this man stealing
have convicted me, not of a crime defined or definite; my property, and just escaping from my premises
not of anything that you can read in the law-books ; with the goods," everybody would laugh,
more than
but of something which the judges have spelt out of they do at Sir Peter Laurie, if it were said " Oh, we
those law-books, and have put together to form a can't listen to your complaint if you don't know the
monster indictment. There is no exaggeration in this. name of the man." (Laughter.) Yet upon
--(A person in the centre of the theatre here exclaime this most ridiculous assertion, we were told that the
"If you will come forward, Mr. O'Connell it will fraud should go unpunished, and that we should be
gratify the audience." Considerable interruption was punished for alleging the fraud. There remains
caused by this circumstance, which was at length one impeachment more of these proceedings, ,
terminated by Mr. O'Connell's leaving his position at and that is my impeachment of the jury
the right of the Chair, and proceeding to a central sworn. In point of law, Catholics and Protestants
part of the building amidst loud plaudits front had an equal right to be upon that jury.—(Loud
the boxes and the more' distant portion of the cheers.) In point of justice, it ought to be
assemblage. The Honourable Gentleman standing so. In fair play it would be so. Chief Justice
'on one of .the tables, went on to say)—The task Fair-play will decide it for me at once. —(Loud
which I was endeavouring to perform was that of laughter.) Yet what was the first step ? Ele--
vindicating you to yourselves—(Laughter)—of en- yen Catholics, who were on the reduced list,
deavouring to prove to you that you were perfectly were struck off by the Attorney-General.—(Cries of
justified in :the ardour ofyourenthusiasmin supporting " Shame, shame.") They say that they were Re-
my own cause and that of the Irish people.—(Cheers.) peelers. In the first place that was not true. That
The accusation which has been made against me, and is one answer to it. In the next place, if it had been
upon which I have been convicted, is ofsuch an enor- true, 'it is no reply—(Hear, hear)—because though
mous nature, that it is interesing to every human being, to be a Repealer may be a great folly, it is not a
whether he be himself liable to a similar machination crime. It is not a crime that makes a man an out-
or not, to understand distinctly its bearings, its form, law, and if they say that Repealers would have been
end its hreadth.—(Hear, hear.) It is not a crime favourable jurors to me, T ask whether the most vio-
defined by
.the law, or definite—it is not a crime lent Anti-Repealers—men who voted against me
respecting the evidence of which there is any three or four times over—could form a fair and
possible resort to law books, or to the conjurations of impartial jury against ire ?—(Cheers.) I use their
inen of my trade.—(Great laughter.) It is called, to own argument. I convict them out of their own
be sure, a conspiracy ; but there is nothing of private mouths.—(Cheers.) I appeal to the common sense
agreement there is nothing of arrangement of Englishmen to say it' Repealers would have
there is nothing of plot or plan in it— been favourable to me, would not anti- Re-
( Laughter)—it is something that the judges imagine peelers be favourable to others ? But recol-
when they dream and make the public suffer when lect it was snore important to have an impartial
they are awake.—(Roars of laughter.) One of our jury on this trial, as the crime was not a definite
female ate hors of celebrity, in the fulness of her one. Had it been murder, or robbery, or forgery,
feminine imagination, has depicted to the world an any human intellect could have judged of
imaginary being, of extraordinary dimensions, and the nature of the crime, and would only
of ferocious capacity, and has denominated that have had to decide on the question of fact;
being " Frankenstein." This conspiracy, which but here the crime was imaginary. One partaking
has been tried in Ireland, is the Frankenstein of more of identity than of reality. One which empha-
the_ law,--(Great laughter.) As the one is uncouth tically required a thoroughly impartial as well as
0..
limb, unshaped in form, undefined and indefinite intelligent jury. From that jury one Protestant
in nature, having nothing of humanity about it—so was struck off-- an intelligent individual one
the other has nothing of law but its monstrosity. of a higher order of intellect than the others—that
How was it endeavoured to be
Why supported ?By intelligent Protestant was sent to keep company with
the history of nine months.—(Laughter.) plot did it disclose'? What the eleven Catholics—(Cheers)—and they call that a
carefully committed to those
aplot which was fair trial. I call that a persecution rather than a
keepers
of secrets, the prosecution. It was not a fair trial ; it
public newspapers.—(lmmense laughter.)
Not one was shifting, scheming management.—(Cheers )
witness was produced to prove any fact except that I say lam not convicted by due course of law, and
A and B were the proprietors of newspapers,: and in prison I shall feel that I am a victim—(Loud
that they:were members of the Association, and then cries e Never, never !")—and in that prison I shall
the newspapers were read in detail against us havef
the the feeling at heart that will raise me superior to
and the judges determined that that was evidence
openpumniehinent.—(Cheers.)lWhy, I have plenty here to
of a conspiracy; and here I stand before you a " con-
victed conspirator."—(Cheers and laughter.) The his- idle to sYuPpnpossTtilirt rls—(Cheers)—but it would he very
not thoroughly prepared for an
tory of nine .months was given in this satisfactory event of that kind. Brautwihatever may suffer for my
manner. The chronology and dates of newspapers country, I shall rejoice
were all that, varied from one week to another.— Whatever may be the innflinginn
erf the
osuseffieriineghu.l—lly7ayfor
(Chehearsv.e)
(Cheers.) The history of only one great meeting to undergo, I shall bear the
was detailed as it had appeared in the public prints. sake of my country.—(Loud cheers.
Was it allege(l that any one of them was illegal • that the whole of the proceedings ag ') I denounce
there was force, or violence, or turbulence, or tumult at words will not be confined to thes-eawmasltls.meiVahnedremveyr
any of them ?—(Hear.) Not a particle of any such the English language is spoken—and the sun never
allegation could be made.—(Cheers.) Was it al- sets upon the countries in which that language is
!Ned that the magistracy of the country or the spoken—wherever the accents of the English tongue
civil p„„,,r oe. the country, or the idle or the timid, are heard, will these my words be borne upon the
were intimidated or frightened at any one of these wings of the press—(Cheers)—and throughout
meetings ?—(llear, hear.) There was not a single America France India, throughout every country
allegation of the kind.—(Cues of "Hear, hear.") in the world, will this my protest go forth against
Time meetings: were peaceable--they were legal— that which I denounce as a dishonest persecution—
every one of them was admitted to be legei--(Hear, (Loud cheers)—and my contemptuous defiance of
hear)—but, by the dexterity of legal =sic,. though those who have conducted it.—(Loud cheers.)
the forty-one were perfectly legal, yet thv -whole, But I shall be asked, no doubt, what was my
taken together,. formed a conspiracy.—(La righter.) object in holding those meetings. You will say
It is literally a mockery to say that forty-or, ke legal it is true you ought not to have been convicted of
meetings made one illegal one.—(Laughter.) Forty- conspiracy, but you have an account to render to us.
one cyphers would not make a sum, and 3 ,et the Now, 1 have been accused of wishing to separate
law was so decided in our case that forty n, ,things England and Ireland--I have been accused of unne-
made something.—(Loud laughter.) IV 'as it cessarily meddling with an agreement entered into
not to be looked on with scorn and indignatis in, And ibrty-four years ago, of needlessly reviving old causes of
were not those men who planned this conspiraw r, with complaint, and creating new grievances to add to them.
trickery worthy_ of Old Bailey practitioners, them. Now lam quite ready to meet that charge, and I should
selves conspirators, and ought they not to be In Itnded be utterly unworthy if I were not ready here in the
with infamy you Englishmen, to justify everything
?-_(Hear, hear, and cheers.). What presence of
was called law to-day might be forced into a prece- that I have done, and to rebut every impute-
dent to-morrow : 'and if the question be allo
wed to tion which has been cast upon me—(Loud cheers)—