The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-10-19
Forty Thousand Mourners.

Last week it was our duty to record the demise of another
untred prisoner in Government JAIL and this week it is
chronicle the Judgment of the people his If
the Government system of imprisonment has condemned and
executed him. like criminal if it has done him to death
without authorization from the law and thus virtually MUIR
dered him. the people have shown by imposing manifest
alton that they neither regard him criminal rever
ence the system which has hurried him to his grave.
Whoever fails the people, at least have not failed to stand
by the spirit of all law and respect him innocent whom
the law declares Stainless to honor him martyr whom
the law declares to have died without guilt This only
the spirit of all law, but it is claimed to be the peculiar
attribute of the law of England But what is the law, the
constitution of that favored country to this her Irish depend
ency? What avails it to the people of Ireland that the
people of England after many fierce struggle after terror
izing king, beheading another, and exng third,
should have gained the guarantee of their rights? What
guarantee have that works in practice what in
theory Men the most respectable be snatched from
the bosom of their families for looking askance at spy,
through the mere whim of malevolent informer And
their place shall know them more The prisoner is thrust
into the silent torture of the JAIL to emerge it
be- until the dark system has wrought its fierce will upon his
mind upon his to emerge perhaps until he
is hurried out raving lunatc carried away as life
less corpse.
durance and passvenestweny years OF blatant Vceroys
blahering Of peace prosperity and progress-and here
again country stands by the grave of her chill
dren-her children by the laws assertion innocent by Off
cia action guilty murderers and deserving of the
derers fate. Engands laws administered by Engands
officials does its fell work only too effectively.
The people of Belfast have nOby protested against such
mode Of administering Justice William HARRISON whose
fate last week had to record last Sunday morning
borne from his place OF eXecuOn-Or what else Is Antr
iai-to his grave From early hour runs the reports
crowds upon crowds emerging from all streets weed INTO
mighty multitude. Vehicles of all descriptions were there
But when the coffin was carried out the immense assembly
refused to allow inanimate wood BEAR souless animals
to conduct his last restingace the body OF him whom
the law aduged innocent and whom the prison
had made martyr They would bear themselves his
mains now considered worthy of that high honor They
would increase its utmost the great protest they made
against the existence of such state of things The hearse
n front drove on but empty of its intended burthen, and
then followed the immense funeral corege increasing as it
came and winding in and long continuing through
North King street. Donegal street, High street. and other
prominent localities. demonstration it was such as Bel
fast had never seen beorea demonstration direct and
mistakabe the center and heart of the capital of Ulster
showing that in the North the spirit of manhood dead
but exists living flame within the breasts of thousands nay
of tens of thousands of the of Ulster
Forty thousand mourners say the papers, present
Forty thousand mourners Does the phrase remind
strangely of which have taken place Poland Per
haps the history of the current years there incident
remarkable significant omino than that
the of Fenan suspect" dead of the Jail death,
should in the capital of Ulster have been honoed by suc
majestic funeral cortege. What official in Ireland however
high MS Office and though supposed be his cGns la
could expect such manifestation of popular eeng! anu
yet William HARRISON suspected" of being Fena lead
Center for Belfast had cortege of FORTY AhouSANc
MoURNERs Dublin freshman.