The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-19 00:00:00

eyed Celts, an Irishman ; one too, who, when only about twelve
years of age, received a wound on his cheek; the mark of which
continued ever after, from a Brutish brute, whose boots the high-
souled boy refused to clean. Tie firmness of the child on that
occasion surpasses anything we ever read i.f. The brute of a
British officer, for we cannot call him by any other name, com-
manded Jackson's brother, who was somewhat older than Jackson
himself, in the first instance to take up his boots and clean
them. This the manly boy refused, alleging that he would per-
form no menial service, as he was the sole of a gentleman.
What did the cold-blooded English miscreant then do ? He
ran him through with his sword, killing him, of course, dead
on the spot! The next step of this dog was to order Jackson
himself, with his slaughtered brother bleeding before him, to
take the boots and clean them. No, was the manly Irish
child's reply, you may murder, but you shall not dishonour
or degrade me. Then it was that he received from the
Cromwell-minded ruffian the wound upon his cheek.
Why do we recal these things now ? We will confess that we
have more reasons than one for doing so. The first is, that the
deeds of our illustrious countryman, as in the funeral oration of
Mirabeau over Franklin, should be recounted at his death. The
second is a desire we have to point out to Irishmen—aye, and to
Englishmen too—that although he exhibited such generalship at
New Orleans, he was only a lawyer, not having served his appren-
ticeship as a hireling to the committing of murder like Wellington.
e cannot help remarking again, by way of warning to those who
threaten us with aggression, that Jackson was only &lawyer. O'Con-
nell is one too. The former surprised the British by attacking
them twice in the night. So might the latter, were he driven
to it, especially as darkness equalises undisciplined with disci-
plined men, throwing the advantage, if any, in favour
of the former, the pike being, from the distinctive
peculiarity of its shape,
.the weapon best adapted for night.
We do not mention these things because we are anxious for
an outbreak, but because we wish to prevent it. The best
way to preserve peace is to show that we are prepared for war,
for even bulls, when they find that they are equally matched,
have the sagacity to be civil to, and shy of, each other."
The publication contains various other observations, which I shall
not detain you uy reading. I shall not repeat the observations of
this moral instructor of the people, who says we are to use the pike
by night as themost useful instrument. I shall not endeavour by
any comment to take away from the force of the observations. The
Learned Gentleman then called attention to a proclamation signed
T. M. Ray, for the holding of arbitration courts, and having ob-
served on their tendency to supersede all the courts of law and
petty sessions throughout the country, proceeded to notice the
monster meeting at Mullaghmast. The best calculation of the
numbers present on that occasion was 250,000, and Mr. O'Con-
nell stated at a dinner that there was a million present. The
Rath of Mullaghmast was selected as the place for this raulitu.
dinous meetin of physical force, nar the reason assigned by Mr.
O'Connell—" We are on the precise spot which English treachery,
aye, and false Irish treachery, caused massacre unequalled in the an-.
pals of crime, until the massacre of the Mamelukes by Mehemet
Ali." This spot was selected then, with the view of inflaming the
minds of the people of this country, who, if they had been left alone,
and not misguided and misinformed on the subject, would naturally
be obedient to the laws. Gentlemen, a document was handed about
at that rnes•ung, by a person who said it had been printed ex-
pressly for all well-wishers to their country; and at the desire
of Mr. O'Connell, groups of the country people were observed at
different parts of the field, listening to the people who were
reading this document to them. Under the apprehension
that the language front the platform, inflaming the people,
might not be heard throughout every portion of the vast
assemblage, the course was adopted of printing and ex-
tensively circulating, and reading for those who could not read,
a document of the most inflammatory description. The circular
is headed thus:—" A Full and True Account of the Dreadful
Slaughter and Murder at Mullaghmast on the Bodies of Four
Hundred Roman Catholics." At the meeting to which I refer,
flags were displayed. One was a motto to this effect, " Ireland
for the Irish, and the Irish for Ireland ;" on another, " Ireland
must be a nation;" and on another, " Repeal ;'• and Mr. O'Con-
nell, looking at some men with an inscription on their hats,
said he was proud to see his own police, and hoped he should
shortly see no other police in Ireland. Mr. O'Connell went, at-
tired in his scarlet robes, and on the platform a cap was presented
to Mr. O'Connell, which, according to the statement of some or the
defendants in this case eas embroidered, and ornamented with gold
to correspond with an Irish Crown that had been preserved in
Trinity College Museum. The cap was placed on Mr. O'Connell's
head, amidst the most enthusiastic cheering ; and although
everything that was stated could not be heard by every-
body at the meeting, the cap was seen by all.
Gentlemen, the same day a dinner took place in a pavilion erected
at the Rath of Mullagmast. You will recollect that on this rath
—bear that always in mind—according to the statement circulated
on the occasion, some Irish chieftains had been invited to a repast ;
and that there they had been massacred. We therefare understand
the meaning of the figures in that pavilion—of an Irish
harp without the crown, and of an Irish wolf.dog, with
the motto.--" No more shall Saxon butchers drink blood for
their repast--the dog is watching—he is roused, and treachery is
expelled from Mullaghmast." There was another expres.ive
motto used on the same occasion—" Mullaghmast and its Martyrs
—a Voice from the Grave." At that dinner Mr. O'Connell, Mr.
John O'Connell, Mr. Ray, Mr. Steele, Mr. Barrett, and Dr. 'Gray
were present—six of the traversers. John O'Connell, Esq , was in
the chair, and as chairman he spoke as follows :
, " I do not, because I cannot, anticipate that, in any
, phase of circumstances, the toast I am now to give will be
received otherwise than well by Irishmen—it is the health of the
Queen. Whatever may happen, her throne in Ireland is se -
. cure. When, the other day, we distinguished between the vain
and babbling words that were put into her mouth, we distinguished
well between the Monarch and the Ministers; and we would make
the same distinction as clearly and as well, were bloody deeds
and hard blows to be attempted. Her Ministers may fix her
throne amidst bloody fields, and blazing cities, and slaughtered
corpses. Let them take care that the ruddiest stream :flowing
might not be their own blood, and the brightest and fiercest flame
might not be from the strongholds front which they now insult the
Irish people. Whatever they do, whatever they threaten, we will
go on ; and so sure as there is a heaven above us we will establish
her throne here among a peaceful, a happy, and a contented people
—' The Queen, God bless her.' "
On the 2d of October another meeting of the Association took
place, at which Mr. O'Connell repeated his declaration that the
Queen could summon an Irish Parliament in Dublin. On the
3d October another meeting of the Association took place, at which
Mr. O'Connell, Mr. John O'Connell, Mr. Ray, Mr. Steele, Mr.
Duffy, the Rev. Mr. Tierney, and Dr. Gray were present.
At the meeting to which I have been referring, Mr. Steele made a
speech which shall be fully proved. It has been stated that that
speech never was spok en although it was published at the
time in the newspapers of three of the defendants, and their
own reporters who were present can, it' they wish to call
them, disprove what I say. But I prophesy that not one
of those reporters will be called to contradict the charge.
And, Gentlemen, if they question the accuracy of our re-
porter, let them compare notes with their own, and there will be
found not the slightest material difference. They say that it
is all imagination, that there was no meeting at Mullaghmast,
and that the swearing is all corrupt. Why now in the esta-
blishment of criminality I would just as soon take the report of
the newspapers as our own ; and I ask you, Gentlemen, when
you ascertain that, and find that they do not bring forward one
of their own reporters, to consider the probability of their state-
ments.

The Learned Gentleman, after reading reports of speeches and
proclamations, atnounting to six or seven columns, thus concluded :
—On the 30th of September there appeared the following
advertisement In the Nation newspaper:—" Repeal Cavalry
Mutat( Meeting —The Committee for :this great national demon.
stration, being apprised of the intention of many Repeaters to ap-
pear mounted at Conquer.hill, Clontarf, recommend the following
rules to be observed for the regulation of the cavalcade at this
first muster and march of the mounted Repeal Volunteers. First—
All mounted Repeaters of the city, or from the south and west
side of the county, to muster on the open ground, Harcourt.
street fields, on Sunday, the Bth of October, at twelve o'clock
at noon, and form into troops, each troop to consist of twenty.
five horsemen, to be led by one officer in front, followed by
six ranks, four abreast, half distance, each bearing a wand
and cockade distinguishing the number of his respective troop,
Second—The regulation wand, and cockades will be furnished
by the Committee to such gentlemen of the city or county as shall
apply and be approved of to lead each troop. Third—That no
person shall be permitted to join the cavalcade without a cockade
and-wand, and that until one troop is complete no second troop
be formed.—N.B.—The Committee will make the neces-
sary arrangements, to prevent delay or confusion, at the
Turnpike.gates. Fourth—Each horseman to take and keep
the place assigned to him on joining him troop, and remain
in rank until dismissal of the parade in the meeting-
field. Fifth—That such troops as shall have formed by half-past
twelve o'clock, do proceed in their order, at slow time, by the fol-
lowing route :—Harcourt-street, Stephen's.green west, Grafton-
street, Westmorland-street, Sackville-street, Britain-street, Sum-
mer.hill, Ballybough-bridge, Clontarf-road. Sixth—The mounted
Repeaters from the northern parts of the county, to muster and
form, as above described, at the southern extremity of the
Howth-road, and bring up the rear of the Dublin cavalcade
to the meeting-field, Conquer-hill. Seventh—That the Chair-
man and members of the Committee, bearing wands and cockades,
do form the mounted staff in advance, and that the muster, march,
and parade at the meeting-field, shall be under their sole order
and direction, until dismissed after the proceedings of the meet.
ing have commenced. Eighth—That the horsemen on the meeting
ground shall keep a proper distance from the platform, so as not to
incommode those attending on foot ; and it is earnestly requested,
on the other hand, that no obstruction or interruption will be of-
fered to the cavalcade by those on foot or in vehicles, so that the
order and regularity of the march may be preserved. God save
the Queen. Mount for Repeal. March for Clontarf." That ad.
vertisement appeared on the 30th September; and I have already
stated that a meeting of the Association took place on the 2d
October, at which meeting Mr. O'Connell was present. That was
on the Monday after the Mullaghmast meeting, and on that occa-
sion Mr. O'Connell said, " I saw with great surprise, a para.
graph which has appeared in the newspapers. It was
a good quiz, but it ought not to have been printed.
It is hardly necessary that I should warn the Asso-
ciation not to. have anything to do with it. It Is likely
the gentlemen on horseback will be present at the meeting, and
they will of course observe the most perfect order, so as not to
trample oil the people." No doubt Mr. O'Cthinell thought it
would be more discreet not to have the matter printed—but what
was the course the Association adopted ? Instead of disavowing
the advertisement, that which Mr. O'Connell had designated
-a quit,: the' copied it themselves, substituting " groups " for
" troops," and striking cut all the other military allusions. The
Learned Gentlemen, after adverting to the opinion of Lord Ten-
terden in reference to advertisements such as that which ap.
peared in the "Freeman and Nation newspapers relative to the Clon-
tarf meeting, said, there can be no doubt that the advertisement
which he would read for them was illegal. On the 6th of Oc-
tober, the Pilot, Mr. Barrett's paper, published an article headed
" The Battle of Clontarf." This excitable article appeared on the
Friday previews to the intended meeting at Clontarf. On the Sa-
turday a letter appeared in the Nation, which recommended the
use of Irish names to places that were now called by Saxon ones,
You are aware; Gentlemen, th-at the meeting which was to
have been held at Clontarf, and which was to have
been the first "Of five or six monster meetings, as an.
flounced, by Mr. O'Connell, was proclaimed, and slid nut
take place' ; and my belief is, that it did not take place, because the
promoters of it were conscious of its illegality. On the following
day, however, the 9th October, a meeting took place in Calvert's
Theatre, at which Mr. O'Connell, Mr. John O'Connell, Mr.
Ray, Dr. (tray, Mr. Steele, the Rev. Mr. Tyrrell, and other
Repeaters were present. I don't think it will be necessary
for 'me to advert to the speeCh of the Rev. Mr. Tyrell,
except so far as regards that part of it which intro-
duces the very important resolution which I am going to
read for you. The Rev. Gentleman said, " They would
not let us meet, yesterday, and we have come here to-day
to propose the resolutions to this meeting that would have
been proposed for the adoption of the meeting yesterday if it
had come off. I will read the resolutions, and then I will place
them in the hands of our excellent chairman, who will propose them
to you for your adoption. He then handed the resolutions to Mr.
John O'Connell, who read them. They were as follow:—That
this meeting, highly approving and coinciding in the principles
and spirit of the Leitister declaration for Repeal, as pro-
; nounced at Mullaghmast, do now adopt the following resolu-
tions. Resolved—That this- meeting hereby declares its devoted
loyalty to the person and throne of her gracious Majesty Queen
Victoria, Queen of Ireland, and its determination to uphold and
maintain inviolate all the prerogatiVest of the Crown as guaranteed
by the Constitution. Resolved,—That we, the clergy, gentry,
' freeholders, and other inhabitants of Fingal, in public meeting
assembled, declare and pronounce, in the presence of our country
before Europe and America, and in sight of Heaven, that
no power on earth ought of right to make laws to bind this
kingdom save the Queen, Lords, and Commons of Ireland;
and here, standing on the ever-memorable field of Clontarf,
the ,Marathon of Ireland, we solemnly pledge ourselves to
use every constitutional exertion to free this, our native land,
from the tyranny of being legislated for by others than kts own