New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-07-12

teresting letter from London
coa;snpeugr aaae annette 'a,q'au reH. =, rrs,.saea
THOMAS STEELE is dead. The Head Paciica
tor Of the Liberator the friend Of o Council" hon
ct Tom Steeer-the Pysdes Of the Oreses Of Repeal
has in thirteen months, and to the very day from the
period Of the death Of him IN whom all his hopes rest
cd, and ia whom MS sole confidence was placed, fol
lowed his mighty leader TO the tomb OCOunell died
on the 18th MAY, 547 Thomas steele died on the 18th
Of June, SIS. noble heart IS broken; brave spirit
QueDched a generous, gallant being, who bad no
thought Of scl-nO aspiration but tor the freedom Of
inauknd-no desire but for the enfranchisement Of the
Oppressed-and wish but for the benefit Of bis cOun
Try and his kind has departed from this earth In the
death Of Thomas steele Ireland has sustained the loss
Of patriot, science OF worthy student and Phlan
tbropy Of true disciple.
Thomas steele was Master Of Arts in Cambridge
lie was a sound classical scholar he distinguished
by his scientific attsinments he made many valuable
discoveries in submarine illumination he aided, by his
Inventions ia rendering the lives OF those working in
diving bells less perilOus he employed his knowledge
In the science Of the country and forced stess Gov
eminent and Indifferent Parliament, 10 devote time
and thought and money, 10 the Improvement oil the
Shannon. He won the admiratCn-by bis talent, his
genius and his originality OF conception on various
branches science-the admiration of the Society Of
Civil Engineers OF which he was an honorary member
Thomas Steele was very young man when be was
put Ia possession OF large the County Clare
bequesihed ~ him by his uncle. The first use he made
of the property of which he became master was 10 nj
a vessel and I'll u with arms and ammunition for
the purpose Oi uQlHS the .iidilhfQr tueT struggle
defend themselves and their liberties from the French
invasion under the Duke Of Angouleme He expended
his wealth and exposed his life IN battling Tor the inie
pendence Of Spain for he among the last who
fought and we're conquered at CadiZ by the French,
and through the treaclcry Of Ferdinand VII.
Thomas steele was Protestant and before he could
Join associate with his countrymen in their strug
gle for religious liberty, he had TO root out from he
mind the prcudices which entertained In his edu
cation and the nurture, Of almost every PrOtes
tant child With him the process was comparatively
casy for he old enough 10 recOec the horror OF
l73-. The crueltes pracuced upon the Catholics
which he had seen as a child the materials OF
lection By which were subsequently, nodded the mind
and guided the conduct OF the man.
II was if recolect rightly, IN the year l-27 that
Thomas Steele determined upon taking active part
the agitation for Catholic Emanc psuOn. He cspoused
the for which all was 10 be rsked-thsl
must either be gained or II lost that all must be lost
with itstation, rank property, life itself Tie began
Bis political by devong all his energies to the
study Of The conduct OF is great champion COnnen
and hndns him 10 be- In his estimation, most wise mOsi
profound most lust and most hOnest-then steele
secraed 10 OCOnne his future lie and all his actions
resolved to be guided by OCOnnefs counsels, 10 bc
Obedient 10 O'COnnells command TO aid TO sustain
10 defend the Lberaiur to the utmost OF ms ability
The example thus gwen was most valuable one II
was practical lesson 10 Catholics how they should
conduct themselves for while men among them pos
sessed of title, Of rank, or OF ability were dspuhng or
envying the leadership of OConnell the Protestant
Enancipatonst Tom Steele showedto them what they
should do II they would hope tor the OF
their cause and that was 10 second by their support
and not mar by their many Jeaiouses the Efforts OF
OConucll.
Thomas Steele had but one ambition-it TO be.
not leader but 10 act 10 render himself worthy
OF being recognized as the aid docanp OF that man
who was always designated by him as has great and
mighty leader
Never was devotion more true, more disinierested
more pure or more complete than that which Tom
Steele exhibited toward O'Conncll lie known as
an estated gentleman and magistrate of the County
Glare when he entered the Catholic Association. He
rendered the representation OF Glare IN ls2S and
rejected it, not merely 10 become the secOnder Of
Oconnel but because he would not permit any advsn
tage to accrue to himself from his advocacy OF the
Catholic claims The chivalrc feeling of indie
pendence determined him in le3 to reject seat III
Parliament when the Repeal cause was 80 strong thai
he might have sat for any County Borough he pre-
terred Not only did he reject advantages 10 himself
but he suffered sacrifices aud endured many persecu
tons for his devotion TO OConncl, 10 Emancipation,
and to Repeal. He deprived OF the Commission
OF the Peace in ls2- becsuss he had adiured his audit
oIs, by their allegiance 10 the Catholic Association b.
be- TRANQUIL" In M - he exposed hs life in duel with
which OConnell hsd been returned % Parliament Ia
1881 he was arrested with OConnell on the charge OF
conspiring 70 evadc the provisions of the Peel Ageruc
Act and the time, prosecution insu 1
gated against him Tor a sedious libel IN 1893 be
tried in Limerick charge OF publishing sedltiOus
libel and acquitted In 1913 he involved IN /
the monster indictment with OConnell and in /
lsii his fellow prisoner. Perils greater however
han the law could inhict upon him. were voluntarily !
encountered BY Tom Steele his desire to benefit his
In 1882, when the cholera ragged in Ire /
and, ana when the fear OF cOntssaon penetrated the
hearts OF all classes with the exception OF the Catholic
'ergy. Thomas steele 10 be seen IN Limerick AZ /
N times inmate of the cholera hospital Il there
we're other OF conveying them 20 the hospital
arriving in his arms or on his back the plague stricken
lOOr from their nOisome abOdes 70 the hospital beds
iOurly he rsked bis life 10 encourage others to
oow his example OF 10 dispel from them that terror
which rendered the disease fatal 20 those whom
hat dire feeling gained mastery. His title-hai title
II which he most proud the Head Pacidcator' -
vas not won without danger. To put down crime he
las penetrated the caverns in which Asssssins
urking; he has met face face, and denounced them
'ands OF desperate and armed men, in remote and Sc
mustered spots where the police could not penetrate
md where no law but that OF brute force was recog
lied. To his personal eNertiOns and resdy willing
ess 70 expose his life at e times backed they were
" the eNhoriatons Of The clergy and the advice OF
Cornell Ireland has been many times saved from
UGH Agrarian Outragcs and murders have lately
rmed the Executive with an assassination bill. A.
1ng crime accumulated in masses, steele was 70 be
1und al the bidding of OConnelL encountering and
ispersing IT, He was IN truth and IN deed the Head
achcator OF ireland"
While OConnen lived Steele ever TO be found
his side, acting at distance under his command
nd with O'Connelfs death steele publicly declared
hat his mission had terminated" He even ceased 10
ibOr for that which be had long sought aftera repeal
1 the abominao'e aud unchrlstisn law which c0mpels
be Sovereign 10 denounce the faith of her Roman
'atholc subjects he lived with and for OConnel, and
nee the existence Of the LberatOr ceased HE became
hateful TO him.
We have -een him on his bed Of death. He calmly.
oyiuhy declared il speedy approach He thought Of
De Connell that Is gone, and the present state Of
reiand AMI " he would not be comioried.' He died,
ioweFer calmly, hopnely amid the tears OF political
t'enas' anu even political opponents His death took
lace IN Peers Coffee house Fleetst where every care
ma attention were bestowed upon him by the proprie
or, Mr. Austin
Thus died the devoted friend Of OConnen-ihus
lied an ardent lover of lreand-thus died one of the
ruethcaried men and most disinierested politicians
hat existed
Thomas steele ought to be buried in the same grave
With OConnelL lie should, IN death, rest BY the side
4 him. from whom, when living he never was 10 be
Dund apart where good service to ireland could be
endored, or danger was to be encountered wBM
CAPf DIAMOND R0CK.-A correspondents OF the
fontrtal Herald writing from Quebec, Tuesday after
DON July l. says Another large portion Of the Cape
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