Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-02-08

A SPeeimfR OF Irish COWRrdicc, or fergus
: : AOA G'COnner'S FeatS. w s

X Il GCOlneF'S FeatS.
Several of the ~English PRESS having
charged Fergus O'Connor, the leader Of
the .sr:nglish Chartists,' with cowardice.
tbaOlIowing is his reply at arecent meet.
y ing held in Manchester DIR. O'Conner
it is known, is now member Of Parlia.
ment:
But yet there is another charge, and
-aIheinous one-the charge of co wardice.
when danger was thickest, | was nearest
at hand. Did Irun away from Birmino. :,
nam R'I when the battle ragged? CHEERS and
no. No! When nine ruffians lay upon
dGy breast in the Town hall, aud sworo
-F9at l shouldn't address the meeting, and
asked Tor rope to hang me, extricated
myself, single handed, jumped over the
Mayors bead-who was in the Chair
and addressed the meeting en- the princi.
PIES OF Chartism.~ Loud cheers, and cries
ct yes you did, Was that running
. Gway! When the Tories hired their
dduez lambsat Nottingham to,murder me-.
wounded tf1lrty-nine-.at least they swore
70 1t before the magistrates; and / drove
itwenty-eight thousand people before me
IKE flock of sheep. received many
wounds, but none. in my back, "whistler."
Ai! Koars s of laughter I took possession of
The enemy's ship, dashed it to the chartist
barge, and sailed through the town in
triumph. Did, run away when the League
hired band of assassins to murder me
III this room! (Cries OF no.) mol /
was Knocked down FIVE tirnes-mY blood
was shed-bus all my wounds were in the
head, the chest, the body, and the limbs
IN front. Did run away at Rathcormac,
"hea preached the funeral grafton over
che bodies OF my murdered countrymen, in
the midst OF two regiments of soldiers,
and whom denounced as muderers and
butchers !-(Cheers) Did run away at
tfenry Grattan's election for the county of,
Meath III 1886, when was trampled un.
der foot by the Dragons horses? No.!
: sacked their committee rooms-carried
their crimped voters upon my back. and
Henry Grattan said to me, "By God, you
are more than Hercules" Cheering
DID run away from Dungarvin when
received two stabs Of bayonet from
policeman, and had my clothes literally
torn.of my back7 No! dissolved the
committee, and against all hope, SEE ured
the election of the repeal member. Did
run away from YoIghal at John O'Con-
-seiis election, when the town was literal.
~ erammed with military men, to return
the son of Baron Smith against John o.
Connell Mo- When we were pressed
hard, dashed through a double file of
soldiers with fixed bayonets, knocked the
.spb-sheriff down, who wanted to take
possession of a voters house to disquaIify
-him--I smashed in the back door with my
shoulder, ran out the front door with him
upon my back, and polled him before the
sub'shsriff could get possession. (Tre-
nendous laughter and cheers.) Talk of
courage. sir, | have been four times on
the field of conflict have been fred at
But never returned my adversary's fire.
The last man was out with was a Capt.
COughlan. Take that down Mr.. Exam.
iner. He had the credit Of having shot
three men, but he didn't COW me--he fred
at me, and grazed my nose. l fred in
the air, and asked my second, Mr.. Long
field, for another pistol to give him another
but my adversary threw his pistol away,
came up. embraced me, and said, "By God,
Icould not bring myselfto fire at SO brave
man J" and he and l. who went out to
fight, returned in the same carriage. Is
that then any proof Of cowardice or have
! .quaiied or evinced moral cowardice
when before my judges and packed juries!
No! When the dungeon was before me.
told them that if went in a Chartist |
would come out a Republican, and that
the sternness of purpose should triumph
oyer the oppression Of the law. Gre.
mendous cheering.")