North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-09-18
Eand.
tsisarAirn-iRtsn HONOUR


/ The oognlTy which boasts The honour 81
lofi Edward Fitzeera.d's bsrth was The
/ Gui 10 raise The standard in the eveniful
struggle, and the plans o: Kildare which
/ for centuries hal been the adobe Of tram
guilty and peace, presented, ere the NOR.
foW . Sun bad set. ten Thousand men in
arms Had Lord Edward Fitzgerald sue
! ccedcd in erecting the standard, IN Lem
sieT, II Is uncertain what might have been
ihe result of this measure, or It's influence
on the future destinies Of Ireland. But vain
are the hopes Of man, for the power that
msrks his destiny TO human force can arrest
The protection Of Lord Edwards person
wss an object Of the most anxious solIci-
tude, aud the heroic fidelity of those to
whom It was entrusted recalls 10 our Temem.
hrauce the romantic aud chivarous attach
ment, which distinguished the natives Of a
sister country, (Seoiland) when the fugi-
tive descendant Of her former monaTchs
(Charles Stuan) possessed no portion OF
the prineely domain al his ancestors, beyond
the faithful hearts OF her hardy mountain
GERS. Neither the large rewards offered by
government for his apprehension, nor the
threats held out againts any who should
shelter or protect him, had the slightest
influence on those 10 whom his safety was
committed. To AVOID suspicion, his place
Of residence was frequently changed, on
which occasions he was always escorted by
few brave and determined friends. Hun
drerds were from time 10 time in possession
Of the secret, and some were arrested on
suspicion OF having afforded him an asylum;
but no breath ever conveyed the slig hlest
hint that could lead to his discovery.
A few hours would have place Lord Ed
ward or the head of the troops of Kildare;
measures were arranged for this purpose
which the government could neither have
lorescrn nor prevented. But fatal desti~
ny intcrpoSed; his concealment was discov-
cred though the imprudent zeal of an
incaulious friend and after a desperate
struggle with an overpOwering force,
wounded, exhausted, and fallen, the gallant
Edward was captured.
Lord Edward was reclining on couch |
when the party entered; they called on him
10 surender,-he grasped dapger,-they |
instantly fired "a bail entered his shoulder, |
he sunk on the couch. Bleeding and
extended on his hack, he braveIy maintained |
the unequal conflict, killed the leader OF
their band, wounded a second officer Of the
party, and only yielded when resistance
was no longer avaiing. Even here his
native generosity triumphed; for or the
arrival of surgical aid, he declined the
protlefed assistance, desiring that the first
attention should be paid to his wounded
antag The surgeon complied with
bta and bt,
to Lord Edward, who eagerly enquired the
result, that Captain Ryan was killed and
Major Swan MORALLY wounded. "Then,
SIR" said he, with the milGest composure,
'yoa may dress me. II was hard strug-
gle,--and are two OF them gomez" The
surgeon who attended on this occasion is s
yet living; lie can pronounce whether the
of Lord Edward were mortal, /
whether under prudent and skiful attention {
hey might have caused an early or a lin {
gering death, and whether the visits or this /
lpmane gentleman, whose skill might have /
elieved, or kindness soothed the suilerngs I
VI his noble patient, were forbidden to his t
ordshp's cell. But the days of the gallant r
edward were numbered, & rapid his trans t
ton from the dungeon to the tomb h
mpeach no man with so foul a deed; forbid h
justice and humanity. "The secrets of C
he prison house are yet untold" but, in O
he emphatical language OF his friend and
O'Connor, Sin those DAYS OF j,
talking butchery, for Edwards precious d
hood noi even the semblance of an inqui- "
lion has been had. - Telling.