The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-03-17

mined 10 resist il to the utmost even though their
own emancipation was offered TO them as com
promise. That was the way in which the Roman
Catholics of Ireland met the question OF the union
in 1895 Mr. O'Connell then read passage from
the first speech he ever made in public. II was de-
livered Sn the 18th of January, 1900, and repre-
sented the opinions OF the Catholics OF Ireland then
to be 80 hostile to the union, that if they were Of
fered the alternative of the union the re-enact-
ment OF the penal code, with all its horrors, they
would prefer the latter; and even II emancipation
offered them for their consent 10 the union,
teey would reject 1t with scorn and lndigna-
ton. That Continued Mr.. OConnelD was my
first political speech, These were the SEN
tments of myself and the Catholics of lreland,with
reference to the unlen. We then made that offer
1T might have been taken up for there was AT that
time very strong party in this country opposed to
the assertion OF the privileges of Roman Catholics,
then declared, as do now declare, that would
prefer the enactment of the penal code, with all lis
black horrors, than have the union; and that !
would throw myself upon the consideration and
Jnstice ct the Protestants ot ireland Other public
meetings have been held at which similar opinions
were expressed by Roman Catholics; but will not
distress you by reading anything like the entire OF
the speeches | will merely read the concluding
passage OF one OF my own speeches, when Mr.. Per-
civa was Prime Minister (Mr. O'Conne then
read the passage which expressed a conviction
that II would be preferable to abandon the ques-
ton OF Roman Catholic emancipation altogether
than even delay the repeal OF the act OF anton y
Why then should we be charged with sectarlanlsml
Is that sectaranisml Gentlemen of the Jury, you
cannot but be all aware that the of the Pro-
testant Dissenters of England was warmly advoca-
ted by me--thst presented petition IN their ia
vor signed by 5000 Roman Catholics, and adopt
ed at an aggregate meeting OF Roman Catholics
That petition was not on the table OF the House Of
Commons six weeks when the Protestant Dssen-
ters OF England were emancipated ] scorn, there
fore, and treat with the most sovereign contempt
and indifference the idea of sectarlansul. Through
the entire mass of the volumnous evidence pre-
sented to you, has there been one word OF sec'a-
rianlsm, or any thing like 1t! | made more
speeches than any other man alive, and il have
been more abused than any other man on earth -
yet there IS one cauinny has never been flung
upon me. that one (and 1t is the only one) Is
bigotry of any sort. Religious bigotry against my
fellow Christians ! have never been accused OF,
and why have my calumniatOrs spared me upon
that subject! Because they knew the utter folly of
attempting to make such dharge, as there never
was the most trivial shadow Of preteXt for IT, Sec
taranlsm, | again say, is out OF the question; it,
therefore, could not have been, nor is II even pre-
tended to br alleged as our motive. need not re-
mind you that who possessed the confidence OF
the Irish people maintained il with the full and oft
repeated declaration that all should be peaceable,
and that one single act-one isolated act of violence
of any sort-would detach me from the further
agitation of repeal Has any violence proceeded
from me! Ii has been said that have made vlo-
lent speeches; if have, would 1t not be but fair to
allow me the opportunity OF showing how far these
speeches were accurate or Inaccurate, or what was
explanatory or mItlgatory, and not reserve them
of them have been delivered. But no, there has
been violence on our side; if there has been any
violence, IT is entirely upon the part OF our oppo-
nents will now read you an article which appear
ed on the I'd OF August, 1871, In an English paper
Cheltenham Chronice-whch clrculates very gene
rally through Bath and Bristol, Shrewsbury, and
the other great towns IN the south and west of
England among the higher classes. (The learned
gentleman then read the article, which, alter des-
cnblng the condition Of Ire land, went on TO say
that the people were wild, savage, unclvllised
race, the slaves of O'Connell-that every Irish
priest should be exed for life OaugheD and not
permitted to return to Ireland penalty of death;
and uhat .shose who harboured them should be
visited with transportatlon) Then We have been
charged with this newspaper conspiracy Why,
there is no other offence more capable Of being
punished than an offence committed through the
| medium OF n newspaper. The newspaper pro-
prietors registered at the stamp-ofice, and why
should the Attorney General, with all his facilities
for prosecuting libels, require supervision OF Tn,
press from others! number of articles, some il
prose and others in poetry, have been read to yo,
from the Nation; other articles, all in prose, hav,
been read from the Pilot. In no one instance has
either paper copied the article OF the other. Il
| there were combination would that have been tn,
case II these papers were carefully looked over
II would be seen that so far from being in combna
non, they were influenced by professional jealousy
that there was dlscOrdance and not concordance
and that there was not one particle of anything
| like that combination OF mind necessarily implied
| In conspiracy now wish 10 say one word on the
subject OF the arbitration courts ] need not tell
Won that there are no Oaths In these courts, and
that there could BE- none. do not know whether
| IL strikes YOU that this was advantage III these
courts. presume you participate IN the horror
with which have viewed the fppant PROCLAMATION
with which OdthS are administered IN the several
departments of the state, and that as Chrstisn men
you desire they should be less frequent In one
year alone. in 1892 no less than one hundred and
seventy-two thousand oaths were administered IN
| the customs and one hundred and hty-eIght thou
| sand were administered In the excise department
| This was an unnecessary PROCLAMATION. Lord
| Nugent asked me, ! recollect, To assist him IN
bringing IN bill substituting IN all such cases
decaratons for oaihs, did assist him, and the bill
| the law OF the land | would extend is
principle further and apply II TO of property
You can place no value on the oath OF man who
would tell you an unrulh upon his solemn word -
An oath cannot be binding on man OF that dcs-
cnpuOn When the time ~ rlpe-and trust IT IL
fast coming hope to see, as in the case of the
luakers, the declaration OF every Christian taken
IA all matters; and II IN thus we only initiate what
IS already done by religious communities, do not
describe us as conspirators because act III a
similar way. Well gentlemen, come now TO the
means by which we are 10 achieve repeal ! will
| not repeat the proofs OF the pacific nature of the
meetings which were held IL has however, been
said that these meetings were unnecessary, and in
competent To the attainment of the object avoved
Why, our object could not be carried until first
demonstrated that the people of Ireland were In IT,
favour. Grattan SAID that our object was not
FEASIBLE unless we were backed by the Irish people
| admit that it would not be right OF the English
ministry to concede repeal unless we are back ed
by the Irish people. We have by those meetings
demonstrated that the Irish people are for repeal
We never could succeed without perfect enuncla-
ton of the voice of the Irish people The voice of
the Irish nation has declared IN favour OF repea
aud 1t only remains for the peaceful organization
Ut each locality TO ensure success. Is not the
necessaryl Why, was told when ! brought for
ward the motion for repeal IN parliament that the
people OF Ireland were not for it On that occasion
only one English member voted for it--no Scotch
member supported it. II was, therefore, nec.s-
sary to convince the people OF England that the
lush people demanded thls CHI iuge. Well, it be-
lug conceded that these meetings were peaceable
IN their origin and conduct, what, let me ask, has
the crown read for you evidence of the mode in
which repeal il 10 be carried! The first testi-
mony read for that purpose was the regulations of
the Repeal Association Those rules held out The.
means for looking for repeal IN the manner prescrlb
ed, with the expression Of their full fidelity and
allegiance, and II was by peaceful and legal means
they looked for repeal, and no other Under those