The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-10-15
The Irish Rebellion.

DEAR SR-Several gentlemen of this city, who have
long felt deep interest in the affairs Of Ireland (of
which number you have not been the least activeJ
desire that should give some public explanation Of
the causes which led TO the unexpected failure Of the
late rev evolutionary movement In that country
feel bound to meet their wishes, being theirs, and
for this other that honest statement of the
matter can be made &C present in Ireland where the
right Of meetng and the liberty of the press have
both annihiated by the British authorities Were it
not my fortune to arrive in your city, should have
felt my duty to have made the Executive Directory
Of New York the medium of this statement. But be-
Ing detained here, and hearing many xious in
quries daily made have yielded to the general desire
TO make IL pu bile without delay In doing So fear
will try your patience much, but certain none Of
your readers will consider the final fate Of mil
onf Of generous and gifted race subject Of indif
ference to them, as men, or as Americans.
In what say, shall speak from my own knowledge;
H.. on s .sG
the first week in August and was engaged there till
There are three dates to be borne in mind in refs-
to this movement: the month Of February when
the continental revolutions began; the 24th Of July
when the habeas corpus act was suspended and tho
harvest time which, in Ireland, does not come until
September.
In February last, tho Irish parties, who sought .
R.pealers, and Young ireland These parties origi-
mated in July, 1885, when Young Ireland seeded from
the Repeal Association, on the subject Of the lawful
ness OF eheddipg blood to achieve political rights
Before that event Daniel O'Connel was absolutely
the ruler Of Ireland Nicholas Romano Is Of Russis
The old honored him for his cautious tactics; the
young, because England feared and hated him Many
sincerely with him for his be-
rsty; the Catholics revsred him a. the man who re-
built their affairs and loosed the tongues and of
their priesthood. Two thousand Catholic clergymen,
CHARTERED in every hamlet snd At every crossrosd
hts captains and his magistrscy. His word was the
only law in tie land, and children bsptised with
his name as with the name of a saint.
This man. 50 powerful, ana 50 veil beloved taught IN
worth the splitting Of one drop Of human blood"
and the great majority Of the cergymsn aud the peo
pie adopted 1t implicitly But there wss an under
growth Of Q generation in Ireland, who desired
self government, and who thought It . worth
fighting for.who, indeed wished to fight for IL, pro-
vided IL could not otherwise be hal. OConnel intro
duoed In July, 46, his test Of membership in the Re-
peal Association, known the Peace Resolutions;n
be fatal to success against such enemy seeded In
January, 1S47, they formed the Irish Confederation
out Of which the heat Of the continental events pro-
duced this late attempt at instruction.
In 1s47, Young Ireland was busy gaining the
Inhabitants Of vhe towns from moral force,r and
with the examples Of Plus the Ninth, and the revelu
lions of last spring succeeded. At any time dur
ing the last six months, the towns people were, in
terms, committed to attempt forcibe expulsion Of
This township organization consisted of 500 clubs,
In the total of about 10000 Of the fighting age.
July and the other half acquiring fast
they could here aud military weapons
dear. have known half employed tradesmen to stint
tn. mselves Of their daily meals in order to buy gun
Each club divided into sections Of ten men, with
q master to each section who knew, personally each
of his ten men. And let assure our generous
net together in Ireland, these sections near
ly all exist, and form nucleus Of future me Mt
which cannot be reached or crushed. assure them
of THE both from knowledge of the system nd from
the fact that under the dsamng act, twenty stands
of arms have not yet been captured from the
rates.
But the confederate principles did not pervads the
rural populations up to the last hour For this there
are many causes. The famine of 40 and AZ had left
lassitudo after IL like that which follows The
peassptry could not retain the heat that Mitchell,
Duffy and Meagher would infuse into them. They
In thA Ctrtat ahn,l av,Ht aaSad
them
The government ssw-it was patent act-that we
had converted aud organized the towns but had not
reached the he OF country They knew that the
club system formidable where population was grouped,
Was unsuited to the rural districts They, therefore,
opposed the insurrection with two weapons they
o. nj raj ed their the towns, and used every
art to the junction Of the Catholic clergy with
the revolutionary leaders.
In this latter enterprise they materially assist
ed by the opposition of Mr. John OConne to the for
nation Of the Irish League" That League, devised