Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-11-09
THE REPEAL AGITATION

Inc sincerity OF O'Connell, as to the extremity
to which he meant to carry the repeal agitation in
Ireland, has long been doubted by many but the
difficulty was to see how he could let himself
down from his perious elevation in safety. The
idea of assembling an Irish Parliament in Dublin,
it was foreseen could not be acted on without
bringing him and his party at once in collision
with the British government, and subjecting
their necks TO the halter while, on the other hand,
an abandonment Of it, without the adoption of
some equally decisive measure, would give color
to the charge that he was using the excitement
merely as matter of private speculation, and en-
pose him to the fury of his excited and abused
countrymen. His position is certainly mos,
critical aud interesting one. In the course of a
long article on this subject, late number OF
Blackwood has the following remarks, which de-
serve consideration the views of the hiph-tory
party:
" MIR. O'Connell is now showing the strongest
symptoms OF distress, and of conscious approach
to the condition of " check TO the King" OF
these symptoms will indicate one or two. In
January, 1913, he declared solemnly that an Irish
Parliament should install itself at Drblin before
the year closed. Early in May, he promised that
on the anniversary of that day the great change
should be solemniZed. On later day in Nav.
he proclaimed that the even. would come Off not
upon settled day in that month, but "in all of
May" 1914. Here the matter rested until Au-
gust l2;h. when again he shifted his day to the
corresponding day of that month, 1914. But
September arrived. and ''before those shoes were
DID, in which he had made his promise, he de-
clared, by letter to some correspondent, that he
must have forty three months for working out his
plan. Another symptom yet more significant is
tins, and, strange to say. IL has been overlooked
by the daily press: Originally he had advertised
some pretended Parliament of three hundred
each member by fee of one hundred mounds.
And several journals are now telling him that.
under the convention act he and his Parliament
Will be arrested on the day of assembling. Not
at all; they do not attend to his harlequin mo-
lions. Already has he declared that this assem-
ply, which was to have been Parliament, is only
ConcllIatory Committee, an old association un-
der some new name, for celebrating on means
tending to Parliament in some future wear as
yet not even suggested. May we not saw after
such facts that the game is up? The agitation
may continue and it may propagate itself. but for
any interest of Mr.. O'Connell's, it is now pass
ing out OF his hands. In the mean time, the
peaceful friends Of this yet peaceful empire re-
Joice to know that, without war, without rgor,
without an effort that could disturb OF agitate-
by mere silent precautions and the sublime mao
nanlmity of simply fixing upon the guilty conspii-
rator one steadtast eye Of viglant preparation,
the conspiracy itself is melting into air and the
relics OF 1t which remain will soon become fear
lul only to him who has evoked it,"