Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1866-09-08
,sNEsH TO DEATH.
BY THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER.

A jury Of my conn'rymen have found
me g"iity OF the crIae tor which ! stood
Indturi For this ente tain no, the
slZ"tcst 'e"nng oi resentment towards
,''em. lnhur"ced, as they must have
been, by the charge # the Lord Ch.t
Justice, they oouid have touni no other
vrrd'ct. Wu4t # that ch4r-e? Any
>trung observations on it feel sincerely
s,uu,i I'll br,iit >olrm ity f this &C uc :;
tu, ! would earnestly te>~"rh 1T vou my
t"rt y uwhp nre>iia over that bench
when the passions aot pr judic's nt this
boar ha'e passed away, 10 aPpe to your
own conscience, and ask 1t. wa your
charge ~ 1t ought To have been, impartial
aud Indifferent between the subject ami
,hr crown
My L~rds, you may deem this language
unbrcumlng In me- and perhaps il may
seal m, fate. But am here t. speak The
truth, whatever 1t may cost; am here to
regret noihlns | have ever done-to re-
tract nothing | have ever said. | am
here to crave with no ying lip, the lite
consecrate 10 the liberty OF my country
Far tron it. Even h re-here. where
the ,hiet, the Iitertine, the murderer, have
lett their footprints Ia the dust here, on
this spot, where The shadows of death
surround ne, an from which | see my
early grave IN an unannointed Soil opened
t. receive me--eveh here, encircled by
these 'trrors, the hope which has beck
oned me to the perllous sea upon which
| have been wrecked, still consoles, aui-
mates, enrapiures me
No, | do not despair of my poor old
coun'ry-h"r peace her liberty, her glory.
For that country, can do no more than
bid her Pc. 10 iiit this island up-to
make her n benetactor TO humanity, in>
stead OF being the meanest b"gxar in the
world, to res'ore to her native powers
and her ancient con,titn,ion-this has
been my nmhi,i III, and this amnit,on ha.
been my crime Judged by the law of
England, | know This crime entails
the penalty If death; but the history Of
Ireland explains this crime, and justifes
it. Judged ~ this history, | ain no erin
ina. | deserve ~ punishment. Judged
by that history. the treason Of which
stand convicted loses all its guilt, is sane.
tionrd rs n duty, will be ennobled -
sacrifice. With these sentiments, my
Lord, await the sentence III the court
Having done what felt to be my duty
having spoken what | felt to be the
truth, rs have done on every occasion
OF my short carrer--l now bid farewell
to the c"untry Of my birth, nv passion,
my death The couatry whose mjstortunes
hav. invoked my sympa,hies; whose fac.
tiens have sought TO sill whose intel.
lrct have prompted to a Lofty ain; whose
freedom has been my fatal drra'n otirr
to that country, as II proof Of the 1--we !
bear her, and the sincerity with winch
thought aud spoke aud s,rugg led Tor her
freedom, tie i,e of II young heart, and
With that hfe all the hopes. the honors,
the endearment. Of happy and an hon
nred home, Pronounce, then, my lords,
the sentence which the laws direct, and |
will be prepared I" meet it. trust
shall be prepared to meet its execution.
| hope to be able, with u pure heart aud
perfect composare. to appear before y
higher tribunal a tribunal where Judge
Of Infinite goodness a. we'll as of justice
will preside, and where, my lords, many,
many, of the judgments Of this world will
b reversed.