Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-06-06
THE CHIEF ORGANIZER.
Curious History of the Great C.E. 1. r.
His Family and his Antecedents- His
Adventures with Smith 0'Brien in 1848.


Adventures with Smith O'Brien in 1913.
From the Brockville Canada Monitor.l
At the present moment the most promi-
hent man e. the man most talked
about on this continents unquestion-
ably james Stephens, O. f. l. r., that is
Chief Executive Irish Republic, who
landed in New York on last Thursday
week, from France, where he had re-
manned for about a month after his es-
cape from Ireland in a fishing boat. For
the time being President Johnson and
his right hand man, Seward, and even
General Grant are one and all eclipsed
BY the Irish refugee. His origination of
the Fenian folly in Ireland, his arrest, his
romantic escape from Richmond Bride
well, and his equally romantic passage
to France from the Irish coast, have sur
rounded him with a halo of notorieiy
which will give Yankeedom Il new sensa-
ton TO write and talk about for few
hay4 But who is James Stephens The
Stephens family are old residents Of the
city of Kilkenny, in ireland, and ever
regarded there as the strongest of Pro-
testants The father of James Stephens
was a dyer by trade, and had his dye
house on John street, in the city alluded
TO- His uncle was, and We believe still
j., a sexton of the ancient Anglican
Cathedral of St Canice, in the same city,
while another uncle is printerby trade,
and worked for a number of years in
the Office Of the Kilkenny Moderator,
during the proprietorship of Mr. Den
roche. now dead He afterwards started
o small Job Office on his own account, but
not being very successful, came 10 this
country, and worked in Brockyille for a
few m9nthssome, three years since IL
will thus be seen that Stephens comes of
n decent Protestant connection in the
lower walks of life The father, the
dyer, was the best off Of the whole family,
and was enabled TO give James a tolera-
bly, good education at the ancient en-
dowed grammar school Of the city of his
birth, and which grammar school is SO
pleasantly Situated on the banks OF the
beautiful More, and within plain view of
the lordly castle Of the 0rmonds. Cir
cumstances threw Stephens in the way Of
Smith o Brien, and visionary and ex-
citable he entered into the wild plans Of
the latter, and was out with him in his
brief and inglorious rising of lS4S, which
received its qnietus at Ballingary, a VIII
lage in Tipperary, and close to the Dor
der Of the county Kilkenny. More for
tunate than his leader, Stephens, although
slightly wounded, managed 10 escape TO
France His liberal education now stood
him in good stead, and becoming a care
ful student Of the French language at
Paris he by-and.by returned to Ireland
most competent toteach il Asa French
teacher be had ready access to many re
spectacle families in the city Of Dublin
and vicinity, aud it is said that he even
taught the daughters of Judge Keogb,
who so recently tried many of his trea-
sonable friends But the result Of Smith
O'Brien's rising in ls4S had not cured
him Of his revolutionary ideas, which
speedily assumed Fenian comp lexion.
With his arrest and flight TO America the
public are already acquainted.