The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-30 00:00:00

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THOMAS DAVIS.

(From the Nation.)

The blow with which it has pleased an All-Wise God
to strike us is too fresh, and has been too stunning, to
allo.v of anything like a free and worthy utterance of
our feeling for him whom we have lost. He is laid in
the earth, and yet we cannot scarcely bring ourselves to
believe that be is gone—that all his deep affections, his
mounting hopes, his manly labours, his earnest life, are
ended in this world for evermore ! The change seems
still unreal, like a dark dream which we struggle to put
away. We base no power to speak of him as we
ought. Curse !eyes loquuntur - ingentes stupent. But,
painfully and weakly as we may, we must say a few
broken words of one of the truest and purest and
noblest men whom friend ever honoured, or country ever
mourned
Thomas Davis has died in his youth; before his ma-
tured understanding and his ripened knowledge had
poured their wealth upon the world. But, whilst he
lived, he was a faithful worker, and the few years which
were given to him were rich enough in wise and generous
notion, to win him lasting honour from the land which
he loved with a love that had no bounds, and served
with a devotion which never knew the taint of sel-
fishness.
Of his powers—as an intellectual man, a thinker, and
a writer—it were idle, in this place, to speak. Widely
and well have the people recognised the vigour of his
conceptions and the magic of his style, and they need
no one to tell them of the mental strength of him who so
impressed himself upon their understandings, and so
commanded the passage to their hearts.
Within a short period he wrote much in politics and
literature, as a poet and as a critic, and wherever his
genius was exercised, its mastery was felt. Men differ
as to the political opinions which he held; but they can
have no difference as to the large resources, the capacity
of reasoning, the affluence of illustration, .the untiring
energy, and the heart-sprung eloquence with which he
enfore d them.
His poetry was the spontaneous expression of a soul
instinct with high impulses and kindly feelings, and full
of affection for all goodness and beauty in art, in nature,
an lin human life. What he did was a mere promise of
the thins to come, had he been spared to inform the
mind and lift up the spirit of his countrymen ,• but even
so, he has left behind him abounding proofs of the great
qualities of his intellect, which will live whilst Ireland
has a life.
Of his acquirements, it were almost as vain to speak
as of his genius.. They ranged through all the walks of
human thought and speculation, and they were as pro-
feund as they were various. But of his own people—of
their.artnabt, their statistics, their topography, their lite-
rature- his knowledge was especially remarkable. No
man of his years—we believe, no man of his generation—
bad achieved so full an insight into these things. He
toiled to gain it with. the most strenuous industry and
the most unflinching resolution.
Dar antiquities—the story of our later days—the lives
of our great men—the resources of our island—he
sought to understand at once with the patient devoted-
ness of the scholar, and the fiery passion of the
patriot. Of his eminent success he gave proof, as well
in these pages, as in those masterly and most learned
papers which he contributed to the reports of the Re-
peat stssosiation ; but it was only in private intercourse
that the vastness of his accomplishments could be at all
appreciated. And all these faculties, and all these en-
dowments—all the gifts of his nature, and all the trea-
sures of his memory—ware valued by him only as they
were available for the isilivancement of his life's great
purpose—the exaltation of Ireland. The love of her
glowed at the core of his heart. It was with him no
passing phantasy of youth, fading in the "common day"
of a selfish and sordid world—it was the principle of
his being—the spring of his efforts—the abiding inspira-
tion of Lis hopes.
The extent of his loss, as a public man, it is not easy
to comprehend. Perhaps, his most striking characteristic
was the unceasing energy with which he pursued the
coarse lie had chosen for himself. Difficulty could not
ilishearti n, or opposition subdue, or failure depress him.
lle u.' v. aye struggled on to his object ; and those who
came within the range of his influence were heartened to
do their part bravely by his example. His spirit lent its
tire to :he spirit of other men, and it was hard for those
around him to indulge sluggishness of thought or apathy
of feeling.
Bat peat as was his value to the society, in which he
liv,d fur the reasons we have noted, the peculiar cit.-
sturnstm.cos of Ireland make his loss even more de-
ploratie on another ground. In such a community as
ours, miserably brokl'n into sections by political and
religious feuds, it is difficult to draw together the true
Inca who exist in every party, and combine them for
the ego al of all. Rare qualities ara needed in him who
would attempt to harmonise the struggling elements of
such a community, and bring those who have held
themselves apart. in mutual distrust because in mutual
ignorance, to look each other kindly in the face ; to
know that they have common thoughts, and wishes, and
aspirations; to recognise theircommon interests and their
common duties ; and recollect that they are not only mem-
bers of the brothood of humanity, but men who have a
common country to love, to serve, and to be proud of.
'are qualities must be his who, without compromise of
This owe opinions—nay, whilsthe asserts them with peculiar
strength and boldness—can fulfil a mission such as this
mid, whilst he >oftens bitter asperities and conquers
untie nt prejudices, can command the love and confidence
of his political foes. And such were the qualities of
'jhomas Davis. Taking his stand in the front of his
pasty and proclaiming its doctrines fearlessly and de-
fyingty, he went amongst the men whose intellect aed
attainments adorn our metropolis, and won from those of
them, to whom his political sentiments were most dis-
tasteful, cordial attachment and generous admiration.
In every effort to exalt Irish art and create an Irish
ili•erature, he was found working side by side with them,
and they are foremost now in speaking his praises, and
lamenting his early loss. He has established, to a large
.extent, a fair and friendly understanding between the
best amongst us of all creeds and parties and he was
peculiarly fitted to carry en the good work of union,
said create sentiments of trust and charity where jealousy
and division had dwelt before. For he was a man of
large sympathies, reaching intellectual persons of various
accomplishments and various pursuits. He had a for-
bearing and entirely tolerant nature. The transparent
sine-airy of his soul no one could question ; and his
childlike guileless and simplicity of heart made him
trusted as soon as he was known. Thus it was, that he
had amongst all parties warm and devoted friends, who
lookcd to his genius with pride, and to his life with hope ;
and thus it was, that he was enabled to promote, more
than any other, the junction for national objects of
those who cherish national feeling and national spirit,
whether they aro called Conservatives or Repeaters.
Of the most cultivated in Ireland, there are many,
:indeed, who bear to her a true attachment—who are
noxious to improve her condition, and raise her cha-
racier—who would give her a history, and a literature,
and make art, with all its glories, native to her
soil, bus who stand apart from the great movement
of the people. Between such men and Thomas
Davis political antagonism could not prevent a close
alliance ; they knew and honoured him ; and he was pre
Taring the way for a combination, fruitful of the highest
benefit to the country.
Of his services to the awakening literature of Ireland,
no es: imate car. well be exaggerated. It is not too much
to say, that whatever of vitality and progress it has
shown in Litter days, is largely to be ascribed to his con-
tinual prosoptings and endeavours.
His mind eever rested, or spent itself idly in mere en-
joyment. He 'vas always projecting and planning—
acting himself and stirring other men to action ; and
almost all the under!akings which have done so much
avitldn tl e last few years to rouse the intellect of the
peolle, and to give them higher tastes and wider know-
ledge, wt r! begun on his suggeeion, or carried forward
-with his constant and ever ready aid. Hereafter, when
we shall hale a literature "racy of the soil," and ex.
Pr' •
ssin,, truly the spirit of the country, and svhen men
^
MI3;1 tonne and tell how it was planted, and how it sprung
to vigorous life, what Thomas Davis thought and did for
it when it needed helpers will be held in grateful and
affectionate remembrance.
Of his public worth and his public services we have
poorly spoken; but of his relation to those who were
bound to him, by nearer ties, we can hardly venture to
sp,n• lc at all. By his family and friends he was fondly
and proudly loved. No one could know him without
loving him. No one could look into his clear, brave
epirit. and note the wealth of goodness which adorned
it, and fail to bear him deep attachment. His earnest
simplicity, and almost 'womanly tenderness of nature,
'were beautiful in their union with the severe integrity
oa' his principles, his masculine understanding, his high
entssesiasin, his marvellous energy, and his unconquer-
able vrseverance. It was no wonder that, abounding
in all trOh and gentleness, trusty in .every extremity,
and faithful in every trial, he was cherished by those
who knew him with thorough knowledge, as a man
worthy to be worn in one's heart of hearts.
It is vain to attempt description of the suffering
which his untimely fate has brought on those who were
his friends. We seen not speak of it; but of the public
demonstrations of respect in which the people have been
so prodigal, we are bound to say a grateful word.
John O'Connell has acted with a manly and generous
promptitude that does him lasting honour. Ile led the
way in testifying to the magnitude of the loss which has
beallen the country ; and he was nobly followed by the
-worthiest and the best in Dublin. Of the funeral there
is something said in another place ; and here we shall
only add, that the intellect of Ireland—its art—its com-
merce, were fitly represented there. Men of every class
of opinion crowded to offer the tribute of their tears at
the earlygrave of him in whose goodness they all had faith
—for whose genius they all had reverence. The homage
was worthy of the man and of the nation. It was the
triumph of single-hearted honesty, and proved powers
of mind over all the inveterate prejudices of party, even
in the land which it has most deeply cursed.
The people have done their duty ; nor has the press
been wanting. Sadly, yet proudly, we point to the evi-
cls nee which journals the most hostile in their views,
have combined to bear to the moral and mental great-
inc ss of one with whom few of them had full communion
4of sentiment whilst he lived and laboured.
When such things can be, there is hope for Ireland ;
see; whilst we humbly bow before the chastening dis-
pensation of Providence, which has startled us to a con-
sciousness of our mortality, and taught us to reflect on
the utter instability of all worldly things, it may con-
sole us to think that, even in death, our dear friend has
mot ceased to serve the land of his love, and that the un-
mounted combination of hearts and hands which signalised
thensemory. of his virtues whilst he was borne to his
cold home, is at once the proof that his efforts to unite
his countrymen have not been vain, andtheisdomd
inspiringa
premise
that Ireland shall yet achieve the w
the happiness to the promotion of which he had dedi-
cated his life.
Among his earliest verses—for he MO never published,
we believe never written, a line of poetry before the
pens.!of The Nution—was his touching piece, entitled