The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-11-09

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the Scotch over, and fish away in sight of the
Ce who lying his in the decayng habors of Ire
land This is the benevolent fruit of having the great British
Lion, and his Irish jackas for protectors Those social
science phianthropts of the greatest
of the people in existence and their meeting in the of
science is outrage that could not outside of the
Hempre The only science they show themselves of
is the science of starving people in land of riches
The great Judge OHagan" read paper the Brehon
Laws of ancient Ireland This OHagan claims be the
descendant the Oagans who the standard bearers
of the kings of Emana. so the descent is terrible. What
would the old standard bearers of Ulster think if they
could rise and their descendant uphodng the flag of the
strangr OHagan the great leader of the North
Catholics and loud-mouhed about repeal until he
attracted the attention of the British Government who shut
his Irish mouth and filled his English stomach with Judge
ship This is the gentleman who assisted Keogh to pass
sentence the Fenians for it OHagan who sentenced
Stephen J. Meaney fifteen years penal servitude The
paper Brehon Laws nevertheless, is interesting and
proves that Ireland onceaas, that must say
great when her present prosecutor painted bowling
savage Mr.. OHagan is mistaken when he insnuates that
the laws reduced to order by the Opposite of Ireland
They simply adopted by Patrick being Chrsanzed
by changing Pagan terms to suit the new
order things The who capable of framing such
code of laws not the to leave them in disorder
The Bqehon Law-The Brehon law had prevailed in Ire
land for ages before the coming of ST. Patrick Like
law it not composed of written statutes but of
the decisions of the Brehonshe Judges the land that
early periodand when the people had been brought within
the Christian fod told that the Apostle of Ireland
did for them service like that which the Roman En-
perors did for the world before and after the period
In the middle of the fifth century, at his instance with the
aid of native chiefs and learned persons the ancient judy
mens were reduced order Their Pagan character
taken from them, and they adapted to the of
Christian nation The introduction of the Senchu tells
What did not clash with the Word of God in the written
law and the New Testament and with the conscences of the
believers confirmed in the laws ofthe Brehons by Pat
rick and by the eccesascs and chieans of Erin for the
law of nature had been right except the faith and its
obligations and the harmony of the Church and people, And
this the Senchus 1t seems little startling to contemplate
St Patrick in the character of law reormer and the amer
of code but the evidence that the Senchus Nor formed
in his time and under his direction is very persuasive 1t
bore through many ages the title of Cain Paraic Pat
ricks Law and Professor OCurry whose opinion such
point of high authority declares his belief that the
corded of this great revision of the body of the laws
authenticated fact in history For than 1000
afterwards the Brehon code settled the social relations and
guided the conduct of the Irish people, Not until the reign
of James had the English law supremacy in Ireland Not
until 1919 did the of Irish in legal writings
learn from most curious collection of Deeds agreements
awards bonds and other specimens of conveyancng in
the native language published by the late Mr. Hadiman
in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy The old
Brehon SYSTEM reaching back into antiquity, thus
operated living power down till comparatively recent
times and it is worthy of study not only as ex-
hbiting much of the character and institutions of
whose history remains be written but in its connection
with origin and peculiares of the early jurisprudence
of Britain and all the Celtic tribes The volume which has
appeared, and the others which will, trust, rapidly fol-
low it. contain most minute and detailed provisions They
are full of indications the and manufactures and
commercial transactions of ancient Ireland They prescribe
the duties and the relations of the prince the judge the adj
yocae the chean the farmer and all manner of persons
Thew manifest the principles and peculiar notions which
guided the Irish in their dealings with the land and which,
to this hour ceased operate through dim tradi
ton on our actual They conclusvey by their
and precise arrangements for the prevention of
wrong and the doing Of Justice the ignorant M
ons which have long been current In English historical 1T
erature, representing the old Irish Ce dwelling in
Waited novels and urbuilt sheengs without any writ
ten "wthout clerks registies records" They
sent picture far reliable than be found in the
meage and fabecoored tales of ancient chronicles of Celtic
which we certainly derive these venerable institutes My
friend Dr. Ferguson has published admirable paper full
of ingenuity and suggestyenes On the rndments Of the
Sncbns Mor' and have doubt that specuations and
ucb as his reference to the entire body of the