The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-16

ana pledge this to the court as man
of honor, and ! believe, in spite Of the
position in which l stand, among my
countrymen j am believed to be man
of honor, and that if my life depended
upon it l would not speak falsely about
the thing. When l read that letter the
first gave il to was my wife. 1 re-
member we read it with fits OF laughter
at the ridiculous ideas contained in it.
NV wife at the moment said, had l not
better burn that letter; "Oh; no, said,
looking upon it as most ridiculous
thing, and never dreaming for moment
that such a document would ever turn
up against me and produce the unpleas-
ant consequences it has prOduced-I
mean the imputation Of assassination
and massacre, which has given me .
great deal more trouble than anything
else in the case. That dispsses, Us far as
/ can at present dispose OF 1T, of the
charge of wishing to assaisinate the
landlords. AS to the charge of desiring
to assassinate the priest, / deny it, as be-
ing the most INDUSTRIOUS thing in the
world. Why, my goodness, every per-
son who read the articles in the paper
would see that the plain doctrine laid
down there was this--to reverence the
priests SO long as they confined them
selves to their sacerdotal functions; but
that when the priest descended to the
arena of politics he became no more
than any other man, and was just to be
regarded as any other man. If he was
man of ability and honesty, of course
he would get the respect that men get
in politics, if he was not man of abil--
ity, there would be no more thought OF
him than any one else. If he is not q
man of ability, he will not be thought
more of than a shoemaker or any one
else. That is the teaching of The Irish
People with regard to priests. l might
say 1 believe The Irish People has done
an immensely Of good even among those
who do not believe in the revolutionary
doctrines of The Irish People. be-
leve the revolutionary doctrines of The
Irish People are good. ! believe no.
thing can ever save Ireland except In
dependence, and believe that all other
attempts to ameliorate the condition of
Ireland are mere temporary expedients
and makeshifts-
Mr.. Justice Keogh: / am very reluc-
tant to interrupt you, Mr.. Luby.
Mr.. Luby: Very well, my lord /
will leave that. l believe in this way
The Irish People has done an immen-
sity of good. 1t taught the people not
to give up their right of private judg-
ment in temporal matters to the clergy /;
that, while they reverenced the clergy
upon the altar, they should not give up
their consciences in secular matters to
the clergy. l believe that is good.
Others may differ from me. No set OF
men, / believe, ever set to work ear
nestly but they did good in some shape
Judge Keogh: / am most reluctant,
Mr.. Luby, to interrupt you, but do you
think you should pursue this
Mr.. Luby: Very well l will not. ]
think that dispOses of those things.
don't care to say much about myself. 1t
would be rather beneath me. Perhaps
some persons who know me would say
/ should not have touched upon the as
sassination charge at all-that, in fact, /
have rather shown weakness in attach
ing SO much Importance tOit. But, with
regard to the entire course Of my life,
and whether it be mistaken course or
not will be for every mans individual
Judgment to decide--this know, that
no man ever loved Ireland more than ]
have done-no man has ever given up
his whole being to Ireland to the entire
extent have done. From the time ]
came to what has been called here the
years of discretion, my entire thought
and being have been devoted to Ireland
believe the course pursued was right
Others may take different view. ]
believe the majority of my countrymen
this minute, il, instead Of being tried
before a jury who, l suppose, are bound
to find according to- British law--if my
guilt or innocence was to be tried by the
higher standard of eternal right-ahd
that the case was put to all my country
men believe this moment the MAORI
ty of my countrymen would pronounce
that am not a criminal, but that have
deserved wellOf my country. When the
proceedings of this trial go forth in the
press to the world, PEG pie will say the
cause of Ireland is not to be despaired
of-that Ireland is not yet a lost coun-
try-that as long as there are men in
any country prepared to expose them
selves to every difficulty and danger,
prepared to brave captivity, even death
itself, if need be, that country cannot be
lost. With these words conclude.
Mr.. Justice Keogh, addressed the
prisoner, deploring that person in his
social position should occupy that place,
and pointing out the destructive conse.
quences of revolution in this country.
The sentence of the court was penal SER
vitude for twenty years.
The prisoner was then removed, and
in a few minutes was transmitted under
military and police escort to MOuntjOy
Convict Prison.
The simple speech Of this editor will
survive Lord John Russel's dispatches
on the Alabama question. 1t will awake
sympathy in the remotest quarters Of
the civilized world, and will do much to.
wards giving dignity and character to
the Fenian movement. The punish.
ment, too, will not escape criticism; but
it is in keeping with the brutal instincts
of the English aristocracy. No one out
of England ever supposed that the per-
son of the Queen was in danger. She
was thrust forward by the crown
lawyers, with view of terrifying some
body. For ourselves, we have not had
much faith in Fenianism; we have never
seen that it had body indeed what has
come to light, concerning the organiza-
ton, has been rather ridiculous. Still,
if it contemplates the curtailment OF
English infiuence-the entire extinction
of that government would suit us better
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