Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-12-01
freianG-SGate Trials.

atiGN - bohheil, w lillam peri, Thomas
Flnane, John Brennan, John Preston, and
John Stack had pleaded mot guilty. to the
charge of treason, /. Is. McManuS, p.
. Donoghue, and L. f. Meagher were con-
Quoted from the jail to the Court. and the
Clerk OF the Court went through the usual
iormalItles, asking the prisoners in turn
what they had to say why sentence of
death should not be passed upon them.-
dessrs. Al Manus and O'Donoghue briefly
replied to the interrogatory. Mr.. Meaghcr
then rose and with great huency and re-
markable ilrmness of manner thus addressed
their LordshipS. 1t is a speech worthy of
the patriot Emmett himself:
It Is my intention to say few words.
| desire that the last act of a proceeding
winch has occupied SO much of the public
time should be of short duration, nor have
| the indicate wish 10 close Il he drcarv
ceremony OF State prosecution with a vain
display OF words. Did fear that herear
ter, when shall be no more the country |
have tried to serve would think i'll of me. /
might indeed avail myself Of this solemn
moment TO yIndicatc my sentiments and nv
conduct Bat | have no such fear. The
country will Judge Of these sentiments. and
that conduct, in light, think, far differs
ent from that in which the jury by which
have been convicted, have viewed them:
and perhaps HE sentence YOU, n,1 lords
are about to pronounce, will be remembers
ed only as the severe and solemn atlcslalion
OF my recuudc and truth. Whalcycr NAV
be the language iii which that sentence
Will be spoken, know that my fate Will
meet with sympathy, and that my memory
will be honored. In speaking thus. accuse
me not OF INDIGENOUS presumption. To
the efforts have made for what concciv-
cd 10 be Just and noble cause, ascrlbe
no vain importance; nor do | claim for
them any high reward. But 1t SO happens,
and II will ever SO happen, that they who
have tried TO serve their country, ITO matter
how weak their efforts may have been, are
sure to receive The thanks and blessings of
It's people. Viii the country, then. | leave
my memory, my sentiments, my acts,
proudly feeling that they require no vindi-
cation from me this day. Jury of nv
counlrymen, it is true, have found me guii,
~ OF the crime of which | was indicicd.-
For tins entertain not the slightest feeling
OF resentment against them; Influenced as
they must have been by the charge of the
charge of lhe Lord Chief Justice, rhey. per-
haps, could have returned no other verdict.
" hat Of that charge! Any strong obscr-
vati0ns upon it | sincerely feel would i'll
bcit The sOlemnilv OF this scene; but would
earnestly beseech Of You, my i4ord-you
who preside upon that bcncll--when the
prcJudlces and passions OF this hour have
passed away, TO appeal TO your own con-
science, and ask OF Twas your charge, as
1t ought 10 have been, impartial and lndif-
iercnt between the subject and the Crown?
My Lords, you may deem this language
Lnbccomlng In me, and perchancc il may
seal my fate: but | am here to speak the
truth whatever it may cost. | am here to
regret nothing thatl have ever done-to re.
tract nothing that | have ever said. am
not here to crave with lying lip, the life
consccrate to the liberty Of my country.
Far from it. Even herc-here were the
thief, the libcrtine, the murderer, have left
their footprints i'll the dus!-hcrc in this
spot, where the shadow OF death surrounds
me, and from which see an early crave in
an unan0inted soil open to receive me
even here, cnclrcIed by these tcrrors, that
hope which beckoned me to the perlIous
sea on which | have been wrecked, su!I
consoles, anlmates and enrlptures me-
No! do not despair of my poor old coun-
try-her pcaCc-hcr liberty, her glory.
For that country can now DO more than
bid her hope TO lift this island up-tn
make her a bCncactor TO humanity instead
of what she is--lhe meanest beggar in the
world-to restore to her her native pow ers
and her ancient constitution-lhis has been
my ambition, and this ambition has been
my crime. Judged by the law Of England,
] know this crime entails the penalty of
death. But The history OF Ireland explains
my crime and justlGes 1t. Judged by that
history | am no criminal and turning
round toward his fellow prisoner, M'Man>
US you are no criminal and to O'Don-
oughue you are no criminal, and we de-
serve no punishment. Judged by that his
tory, the treason Of which have been con~
vcted loses all lis quilts sanctted as
duty-wil be ennobled as a sacrifice.
With these sentiments, my lords, await
the sentence of the court. Having done
what | feel TO be M duty-having spoken
now as did on every occasion during my
short life, which felt to be the truth, |
now bid farewell TO the country Of my birth.
my passion, and my death-that country
whose mislorluues have invoked my sym
pathies-whO hose factions | sought 10 still
whose intellect prompted to lofty aim
whose freedom has been my fatal dream
offer TO that country as a pledge Of the
love | bear her, and the sincerity with
which ! thought, and spoke, and struggled
for her freedom, the life OF young heart;
and with that life all the hopes, the honofs,
the endcarments Of happy and an honor
able home. Pronounce, then, my Lords,
the sentence wdich the law directs. and
trnst will be prepared to bear it, and meet
lis execution. trust, to-, | shall be pre-
pared with pure heart, to appear before
higher tribunal--a tribunal where Judge
of infinite goodness, as well as OF infinite
justice, Will preside; and where, my Lords,
many, many OF The judgments OF dis world
will be reversed"
The conclusion Of this address was re-
ccived with murmurs af applause.
orb Chief Ins,ico Dpeertv Thea DrCCno-