New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-16
VIM. Smith OBrien, made imperative.

with It. lCheers l say, that those feelibgs and
that CONF cousness compelled me TO make effort to
be here felt it was my duty to be present upon
any occasion when the name Of Smith Bren was
to be received with honor by his countrymsn and
when that proper tribute was 10 be aid 20 him
for the euGerrgs which he has endured in
the cause Of our common country. Cheers
well recoect feliow-otzeDs the last occ aston M.
On which We met in this very building. II was not
the only occasion when met for the purpose
OF giving helping hand to that cause in which he
has suffered; and whstever may have been the fate
Of that cause-however disastrous lis results nav
have been-we have the satisfaction Of knowing that
We did our duty at that time Applause Aud I
thank God, fellow citizens. that have lived long
enough to zee those noble MARTYRS TO liberty who
have suffered from the fatal result Of thst in
Ireend-to see them dissnthralled; and the majority
OF them are among us ct this moment. Cheers I
trust, fellow Citizens without Knowing what NTH
D Brien's views may be with regard to bis failure
csreerwbat part of the world he intends TO cast his
lot III trust Of the effects Of this meeting aud
the Address that you have heard this evening will be
10 induce him at all events to pay us a visa here
Loud cheers trust before die 10 be able To take
that boDest and patriot by the hand Nov fellow
citizens, you will excuse noe for no. saying more.
You have heard eaG the Address which has been pre-
pared upon this occasion 1t would be attem ting to
"gild refined gold 10 me, or, perhaps in any other
perpon to say any thing upon the subject treated Of
by that Address: to attempt to add in any respect
either in psint beauty OF language the srong SEN
tment or enthusiastic feeling TO that which is
pressed in that paper shall perform my duty best
therefore. in not undertaking such task and now
and do it JOY fnlly aud cheerfally, and feel pride
In being the instrument Of doing so-m)ve tha, the
Address which has just beer read may De unanimous
ly adopted. Loud cbeers
MIR RICHARD BUSTED, in secoudiDg the adoption
OF the Address, said tLst hs never had been called
upon TO perform more agreeable duty, &c, &c.
The CHAIRMAN put the Address, which was adopted
by reclamation.
JOHN MITCHEL loudly called for. lie came
forward and said Mr. Mayor and fellow citizens: /
al ,o ba . Al
tonight. I could not, indeed be absent while the
word vas "Smi,h OBfien.' Cheers Bat did
intend to s in silence and to enjoy the s,t.fsction Of
hearing meeting Of the citizens Of this great aud
| free City. under the Presidency of their Chief
Magistrate, avow. not only their hearty sympathy
with the uDmerted .ufferngs of Smith o Brien, but
10 declare besides, has been done by your re.olu
ton tonight, your full approval of that greatest and
most noble and generous act Of his life, which the
British Government hes punished as Il. GRIM.
tCheers We, who were accomplices in tbs crime
we who had the honor TO be bis fellow prisoners
his brother convic.s, his felow-felons. and who
have already in an ample measure experienced
the bospitable welcome of this great Repu ,lic-ws
felt it would be obtfusve to attach names TO the
requisition corvening this meeting We have al
ready cent our fraerDal greeting and he knows that
our hearts went with it all men know that the Irish
rsce wherever it is scattered abroad like develops
the earth rejoice in the restoration TO his home
and family-hs home in foreign land, ndeed-of
that illustrous and excellent man, II il not neces-
ssry that we should come here and say publicly that
4 we coBgrat date OBrien for wherever an Irish
heart beats upon the earth, as the mails shall
have carried the news that he is again at liberty
ha. heart will beat quicker the pulse will 90 faster
and some will clasp their hands and pray for ven
gsance. Applause. But il is impossible for Smith
O'BreD, notwithstanding the balmy language in
which his enemies and captors who have olong held
him prison will ever forgot the furious magnity With
which the public press the Parliament and Admins.
raon ofthat British Empire pursued him into his cap
tvity How. otter packed jury bad consigned him
! TO the en.podes they shrieke after him, I" felon
convict coward, traitor, and hero Of the cabbage
"gsrden." Do YOU remember that lCHes Of "Yes,
and cheers Now his countrymeD, i say, eXult all
the more in this restoration, nasmuch he is bound
to no compromise and has barered no jot title OF
the dignity of our nations cause, as he has not
deigned to beg pardon OF our nations tvrants. 40
plause We respect him as rebel. We love him.
We are proud of him as contumacious, inpenitent
rebel. Cheers. Yet we are proud of hlm-not so
much for that calm stern defiance with which for ak
years be brook ed the outrageous abuse and rdcule
Of tbst press and that public, and that Parliament
! not so much for that as for the promptude with
which lie has repulsed their polite batteries To be
| called vain fool-to he called a Dragging coward
10 he called base traitor for six years. while he was
under their lock and key, was hard enough 10 bear;
| but il was not 20 humiating as their poisonous com
/ pmtnt lie has not lost an hour in Informing them
/ that he does no, deserve any praise from them He
has not fallen so low as that. He assures them that
there ia come mistake. Their outrageous abuse he
could sustain in silence; Dut l"uilN ana eagerly, WITH
both hs bands raised, he repes their compliments
ICheers Mr.. Mitchell then read extracts from the
speeches of Sir Robert Peel, Lord Brougham aud
Lord Clarendon together with editorial remarks from
some of the English journals "a TO the proper
, mvJe Of treatment to be adooted toward
rebel, pnd felons; and proceeded TO say
hat these were sketches Of the wild luxuriance
Il with which English statesmen and the English press
abused the Irish Patriots until Nicholas Of Russia
Il tered the PrDcipaites. Now, what change 1t
suddenly occurred to the statefman of England that
Smith O t}rien was an honorable man aud that he
sbou'd be liberated. BY idle and vain compliments
thew thought to close his mouth. But thew mistOok
| the man. While YET under the shadow Of Englands
Rag ne told them that he did not thank them for their
| {" clenencyi" He said that he would have n ,ne OF
their compliments at the expense of their friends
and that If Lord Pamerston meant to saw that Nc
Hanus Mescher or Mitchell bad broken their parole
he uttered cslumny that, for hi nself, Mitchell he
had acted III der his 70 Brensl advice and with his
| full approval. 1t was impossible u look uoon his
conduct and not feel thankful that Earth held such
men. For himself he felt it to be the more noble in
| Smith OBrien thus to vindicate his character from
ealpnny and foul dishonor, since they differed on
almost all points except the love OF their country
| {Annlauael He looked forward 5000 TO a time-and
| GAG would wave through the world. He could not
despair of Ireland, while che was champoued bysuch
! men As O Brep and Endorsed by America. Cheer'.l
Taos. F. MEAGHER in response to repeated calls
! ame forward and sad, that although answering to
de call made upon him. he felt that the virtues of the
nan whom they had met to honor required NJ exoos-
tim from him. When men who lived so far from him
stbe mover and .econder Of the Address, were so
lk--sisr with his character, the friends who hsd
, craaped his manly hand needed not 70 oeco ne nus
! ealogisp. When the very Government which hsi
ter,ecuted him was obliged to own his virtues ia
Acknowledge themselves vaDguished, the comrades
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