The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUAR v 18, 1F144.-

But, though their clay be far away
Beyond the Atlantic foam—
In true men, like you, men,
Their spitit's still at home.

The dust of some is Irish earth;
Among their own they rest;
And the same land that gave them birth
Has caught them to her breast;
And we will pray that from their clay
Full many a race may start
Of true men, like you, men, #
To act as brave a part.
They rose in dark and evil days
To right their native land;
They kindled here a living blaze
That nothing shall withstand.
Alas ! that Might can vanquish Right—
They fell and pass'd away;
But true men, like you, men,
Are plenty here to-day.

Then here's their memory—may it be
For us a guiding light,
To cheer our strife for liberty,
And teach us to unite.
Through good and ill, be Ireland's still,
Though sad as theirs your fate;
And true men be you, men,
Like those of Ninety-Eight.

These were the publications, continued the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman, by which it was intended to poison
the minds of the people ; this was one single specimen
of this volume. He had examined the publications of
1797, and in the Press, a paper published at that period,
he had found nothing more exciting. On the 29th of
April an article appeared, called " Something is
Coming." The Learned Gentleman then read the
article at length. It contained allusions to sympathy
from France and America, and it exhorted the people
to watchfulness, patience, and courage. It said that Eng-
land was crippled, and her finances were declining, but
called on the people not to be premature. It then referred
to the meeting of 300,000 persons, which it said would
baffle the foe. In the same publication there was an
article headed " Our Nationality," which stated that they
had no foes but the Saxons, and they ought not to de-
spair. Tipperary had exhibited itself in peaceful array,
and that 20,000 Tipperary men, who would as soon be
called on to pay their blood as their subscriptions, would
not form a bad national guard for Ireland. He had
stated what Ns as the opinion of the late Govern-
ment with respect to the repeal of the union, and
he would now read the declaration made by Sir R. Peel
in the House of Commons on the 9th of May. The
Learned Gentleman then quoted the words used by Sir
Peel on that occasion, in which he said that a repeal of
the union meant a dismemberment of the empire, and
every prerogative of the Crown and the Executive would
be used to put it down. A similar declaration was made
by the Duke of Wellington in the House of Lords.
Within five days after that declaration the meeting at
Mullingar took place. At that meeting Mr. O'Connell,
Mr. Steele, Dr. Gray, and Mr. Barrett, were present.
There was a great display of banners at it, and the bands
of the Temperance Societies, which he believed were
formed with no political motive by the Rev. Gentleman
who was at the head of them, were present, and as in the
year 1797 sobriety was recommended by the United
Irishmen, so it was also recommended at present. On
one of the banners was inscribed the motto, " That a na-

tion of 9,000,000 was too great to be dragged at the tail
of another nation." Mr. Barrett spoke at the dinner

after that meeting, and said that they would crouch,
but crouch like the tiger, ready to spring forward on
those who would touch their independence. The Learned
Gentleman then described the meetings which took place in
Cork and other places, and the language which had been
used at them by Mr. O'Connell, the Right Rev. Dr. Cant-
well, Dr. Higgins, and other speakers, which has been
before the public before. The next meeting took place
at Longford, on the 28th of May. At this meeting
Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Steele were present, at which
between 60,000 and 200,000 persons were said to be
present. Persons from the diocese of Ardagh, which
extended to seven counties, were present. Parties from
the several counties came attended by bands. No less
than eight bands were present. The platform was sur-
mounted with the motto, "Ireland for the Irish, and the
Irish for Ireland." On one of the banners it was, that
a nation of 9,000,000 was too great to be dragged at the
tail of another nation. At that meeting Mr. O'Connell
spoke, and asked whether France and America would
sit quietly by while they saw Ireland trampled under
foot. From this it was clear that it was the
interference of France and other Powers which
was to right Ireland, and not any constitutional
means. He also said that if they were at-
tacked he would, in their name, set those
who attacked them at defiance. At the dinner, which
took place in the evening, and at which Dr. Gray was
present, Mr. O'Connell used language similar to what he
used at Cork. In the Pilot of the 31st May Mr. O'Con-
nell corrected that portion of his reported speech, in
which he called the British army " a ruffian soldiery,"
and he deelared that he never applied the term " ruffian"
to the army, for if he had done so it would be false. The
object of his now referring to that correction of the
traverser's speech would be seen presently. The next
meeting to which he would advert was one held at
Drogheda on the sth of June, at which Mr. Barrett,
Dr. Gray, and the Rev. Mr. Tyrrell, since deceased,
were present, and there was also a dinner in
the evening, at which Mr. Steele and Mr. Barrett
made speeches in which were passages alluding to what
the speakers would be desirous of doing in case the
people of Ireland were driven to resistance. On the Bth
of June there were also a meeting and dinner at Kil-
kenny, when Mr. O'Connell, speaking of the sergeants
of the British army, expressed a hope that they would
soon be in a position to become commissioned officers.
Two days after that meeting an article appeared in the
newspaper of one of the travereers, headed The Mora-
lity of War ;" it should rather be headed " The Morality
of Rebellion." In that article the writer pointed out
what he conceived the circumstances under which war
was justifiable. That article showed the parity of
design which existed between the conspirators. At
Mallow the next meeting was held, and at it there
were said to be present between 300,000 and 400,000,
and at which Mr. O'Connell said " that they (the
Irish people) might soon be put to the alter-
native of living as slaves, or dying as freemen."
At those meetings temperance bands attended, and the
people marched so as to show the organisation that had
been effected among the Repealers. In Dundalk the next
meeting was held on the 29th of June, when similar
organisation was displayed,
that he felt sometimes tempted to wish that the Govern-
ment would attack them (the Repealers), but that was a
wild and improper wish, and where Mr. O'Connell said
that he never indulged in
it. At that meeting the traverser, Mr. O'Connell, like-
wise pointed out his plan for reviving the Irish Parlia-
ment, which he stated could be done by means of the
prerogative of the Crown, and without applying to the
British Parliament at all. Could it be that a lawyer,
eminent in his profession as the traverser, Mr. O'Connell,
was, spoke as he believed when he laid down such a doc-
trine in the face of the 3d article of the Act of Union ?
No ; it was laid down for the purpose of lulling the
apprehensions of the authorities. The object was to
crouch, but it was the crouch of the tiger to clutch its
foe in its grasp. At the next meeting, which was
held in Donnybrook on the 3d of July, Mr.
O'Connell inculcated, as at other similar assemblies,
peace and order—the absence of riot and tumult, and
that they should have the country shortly to themselves.
The object of that exhortation to the observance of peace
and quiet, was to carry the designs of the conspirators ;
for if the peace were not kept until the conspiracy was
matured its purpose would be frustrated. At that meet-
ing, also, the traverser told his hearers that the Asso-
ciation would meet on the morrow, when he would hand
in 1,1251. from America ; and he asked, what would
Wellington and Peer think of that ? In the course, too,
of his observations he cited the often-quoted words of
Mr. Saurin, Lord Chief Justice Bushe, and Lord Plun-
ket, in which those celebrated men opposed the usingpn
of the Act of Union, in order to show that,
opinion of these high authorities, the Act of Union was
void. He (the Attorney-General) denied that the Act
of Union was void, or that by the prerogative of the
Crown the Irish Parliament could be revived. He
denied that the opinions of the high legal authorities
on the Act of Union were such as they were pretended
to be by the traverser. On the 19th of July there was
a meeting at Tullamore, at which the same large num-
bers were present, and the same organisation exhibited
as at the other meetings to which he had adverted. Mr.
O'Connell spoke at the meeting, and told them that he
would now announce to them that the repeal was certain.
He asked them if he could not call them together at any
time and at any day in the week. A voice then cried
out, " The sooner you want us the better." This was
not the only meeting at which a similar question was
put and answered. He said that no General ever was
surrounded by such soldiers, because they were the
bravest and most moral people in the world. He then
spoke with regard to some repealers who had voted for
a Tory, and he advised the people not to associate with
such persons. Such was the system by which persons
were forced into the repeal movement. This was the
freedom that was so much talked of. Did not such
freedom always lead to tyranny ? The next meeting
took place at the Association, in which he believed that
branch of the conspiracy which related to the appoint-
ment of arbitrators was first broached. Mr. O'Connell,
in making a speech upon the subject, said that the credit
of originating the idea belonged to Dr. Gray, whom he
eato to r
month
called on to second it. The next meeting took place
in Tuam on the 24th of July, at which Messrs.
O'Connell, Mr. Steele, and Mr. Barrett, were present.
ythe language
of
The meeting was composed of the usual number, and
bands were present at it. Mr. O'Connell, on that oc-
castiohne,
same description.dressedthepeopulee no
in inflammatory
in
of August ; but as it would not be possible for him to
conclude that night, and as the jury must naturally be
distressed, he would, if the Court had no objection
postpone the remainder of his statement till to-morrow.
The CHIEF JUSTICE said he would not press his pro-
ceeding with the case if the jury felt at all distressed.
But ho wished to kilow from the Attorney-Genera
whether he had taken it into his consideration what was
to be done with the jury in the meantime ?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he believed the matter
rested with the Court altogether ; but his own opinion
was that the jury ought not to be allowed to separate.
They could be accommodated in some hotel, and the
Sheriff would see that no communication would be per-
mitted them.
Tile CHIEF ejcsTICE asked Mr. Moore if he had cm-
sidered the subject
Mr. MOORE replied in the negative,
Mr, Hamilton, the foreman, said it would be attended
with serious consequences to their businesses if they were
locked up for a month or two.—(Laughter.)
The CHIEF JUSTICE—I hope there is no danger of
what you anticipate.
Captain Roper said it would be a serious injury to
them if they were not allowed to go home at night 40
to give some COUSldentioll to their affairs. '