New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-06-16


Correspondence of the Republican,
LONDON, May II, 1867.
said in one of my former letters that
during the instruction in Ireland last
spring there was no great popular indig-
nation felt against the movement here in
London. The people appeared tacitly to
admit that their neighbors on the other
side of the channel had some excuse and
palliation for their rebellious conduct.
That belief has evidently widened and
deepened since then. When it was known
that Burke, Doran, and Mcclure had been
condemned to death and that the govern
ment here was inclined to carry out the
sentence a shudder of horror convulsed the
community. Petitions for the extension of
the royal clemency TO these prisoners were
at once drawn up and circulated and were
signed by men of all classes, During Sun.
day and Monday last Populations of gentle
men, some of them of II very high char
acter and position, were received by the
home secretary and the other members of
the cabinet, all of them presenting these
petitions and supporting them with their
own personal solicitations. The queen
h at Balmoral, in Scotland, but il
was understood that she conceded with
the cabinet in the belief that the
death sentence should be executed. A
number of the members of the house OF
commons had resolved to follow her there,
and ask for an audience that they might
plead for the lives of these Fenian leaders.
The lord mayor of Dublin, who is of all
Conservatives the most conservative, an
nounced his intention of going with them
for the same purpose. The anxiety for the
pardon of these TRAITORS appeared to
permeate the entire kingdom. A great
meeting was held in Birmingham to ask the
queen to show mercy. The anxiety in Dub
lin, and throughout Ireland, was naturally
still more intense. You will remember that
the Catholic priesthood there have always
strongly opposed Fenianism--but they, too,
united in this universal desire that the lives
Of these Fenian leaders might be saved.
Cardinal Cullen went to the lord lieutenant
of Ireland, the marquis of Abercorn, and
asked him to use his influence with the
queen to incline her to show mercy. Pray
erswere offered up for the same purpose in
all the Catholic churches in Dublin on last
Sunday. Still the government manifested
no disposition to recede from its determine
ton to wreak the vengence of the law on
the prisoners'until last. Saturday, the 25th.
On that cay Earl Derby and his associates,
~in view of the unanimous desire of the
people Of the Kingdom" resolved to recon-
mend Aer majesty to remit the sentence pass
ed upon Colonel Burke. The earl conveyed
this recommendation to the queen on satur-
day night. Her majesty took all day Sunday
90 consider it, and ON Sunday night assepted
10 it. When this was announced in the
house of commons ON Monday evening, 1t
uas received with cheers, and, strange to
say, the house of lords manifested the same
Joy at the news. The statement of Lord
Derby announcing the decision Of the
queen 10 the house Of lords was curious
one. He said that her majesty and the cab
fnet saw no pailistion in the case--that
Burke's offensc was deliberate treason and
premeditated rising in arms but that his
sentence was RENTED because "over-
Whelming testimony from the Irish people
had been received to the effect that 1t wsuid
bs polite TO prevent the Law from taking
~ course
II 10 plain this Is another popular triumph.
me government sacrificed It's own convic-
Gems Of right In order to please the people.
he government yielded In this instance
sunt 8 II did In the case Of the Hyde park
mee<ine. Il would have hung Burke and
- a. a had AZ rad tn hravf The