Woodville Republican., 1853-12-27
John Mitchell.

of the magnificent reception by the citizens of
San Francisco, of Jno. Mitchell, the Irish pat
riot, who lately made his escape from his i'm
prisonment at Australia, and in the True Del
ia we notice his speech to the citizens of the
Pacific Commercial Emporium, on the occa-
sion spoken of above. For true, stirring elo-
quence, strength and power of language, we
have rarely seen it exceled. Below we give
some extracts by way of change from the tread
mill of politics, in which, for months past we
have been aboring. After the deafening ap-
plause which greeted his appearance among
the assembled thousands had subsided, Mr..
Mitchell spoke as follows:
Gov. BIGLER AND CITIZENS OF SAN FRAN
oIsoo.-You will not wonder--you will in
dulge me a little, me captive of five years,
after five weary years living death, immured
in dungeons by land and sea, or eating the
bitter bread of penal exile in the depths of
the forests of convict colony-if my senses
are somewhat overpowered by the thunders
Of your welcome to a free land. | seem like
one slowly opening his eyes to the light of the
outer world after long painful trance, and
the splendor of this Republican festival dazzles
me. And perhaps ii | had obeyed the die
tates of that humility which becomes defeat
ed man and haunted fugitive-if | had tax
en- counsel of my own quiet disposition, natu-
rally averse from display and ostentation,
should have asked permission respectfully to
decline the high honor you do me this day.
God knows it is in no triumph we Irish
Rebels set foot upon your shores, America
With the load of our chains only just shaken
off, and the load of our inglorious defeat
which is bitterer than chains, and cannot be
shaken off still heavy on our souls-with
some of our dear comrades, still pining in
bondage-with the bloodhounds of the enemy
still questing on our track behind, and wioe
world before us where we have no home, no
country--it might be thought happiness enough
for us to fling ourselves exhausted and breath
less upon your soil, and to feel ourselves at
last-at last-safe under the hospitable shad
ow of your Eagles wings. But the terms in
which have been invited to this board leave
me no room for such feelings. must not
think of myself when you offer me-oh
Americans, you offer me, sympathy with my
cause. And Americans, | have heard, are OBJ
servant of what passes in the world. You
know well what that is, and what that sym
pathy implies. Here is much more than per-
sonal compliment; here is something that
supercedes and would make ridiculous the af- |
fectaton of personal dflidence. !, indeed,
am nothing; bui liberty is sacred, and Ireland
is dear, Justice is eternal; and iay cause was,
and is, and while | live shall be, the cause of
cf Irish freedom against English tyranny
Irish rights against English bayonets-it is
the cause of the independent industry for our
own living against base pauperism for Eng
lands gain-it is that SAME old and dear
cause of Irish Republicanism to which our
fathers were sworn in. '9S, ana for which Tone
labored and lived, and for which Emmett
could but die. Knowing all this, you tender,
not to me, but to my country, on this first
point of American land, | touch, your frank |
and manly endorsement of that righteous
cause. And could presume to decline this !!
Could l, with an impudent modesty, depre-
cate your sympathy with Ireland's wrongs,
your honest indignation against lreland's enc
mics and oppressors! No, no, | exult in this
heavy welcome. | thank you for it from my
very soul. | take grim delight in it; for
well know the warm words of CHEEKY you
give me tonight, will reach the poor hearths |
of some of my broken and desponding coun-
trymen aud kindle in their hearts again some
sparks of tie fire of fmanhood-the lound echo |
Of freedoms scorn will ring in the ears Of our
tyrants in their high places, and bid them be-
ware ofthe next earthquake ofthe nations.
Speaking of the English, he says:
have read of their puny and false mimi
cry of that English humbug of all nations.-
oh i | have heard how Ireland is at last 60
ing to begin to be ameliorated, for that two
millions and a half of her lawless Cets are fa-
mished to death or driven to seek livelihood
in foreign lands-and how the survivors be-
gin to live better-and how a Lord Lieuten-
ant continues to encourage the manufacture
of tabinet for the vice-regal waistcoat and how
a CRYSTAL Palace stands in Dublin to display
the production of Ireland. Oh, mockery
the productions of Ireland but the sommittee
have not exhibited, as hear, the real staple
and characteristic productions of that country
model paupers in squaid rows-ranks of
humble tenants-at-will with their hats in their
of ejectment deerees-ba-
sins of transparent 'poor-house cruel, IA great
work of art)-cases Of famished corpses, to
show how lean an Irishman can walk before
he dies, while an Englishman eats his bread
dead children, half knawed by wooltish
were an exposition of Irish in
iustry for a Queen of England to open in
state-these were the true mirror of the coun-
a. n,.t lo,ansa fbre -lxs tal.a-
ure is true it will be carefully turned with its
ace to the wall, and all manner sf glittering,
latterng lies, will take its place. Let that
,alace Of falsehood stand while it may--it is
,ut glass. Let the poor worshipers of that
,lscene golden image which the Prince Al
ert has set IN. wallow and grovel, eat dirt