Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-05-22
Eorrign Nems.

! DnDhn' seems TO have been very impressive The
jury brought in a verdict Of guilty on all foui
, counts OF the Indictment Then the prisoners
were allowed 10 speak in their own defense aud
the remarks OF Burke were very eloquent. One
correspondent says Of iti-.-
"Of Burke's speech Il is not too much 20 sa,
that % will fill not obscure page IN all future
IRISH history. How II may read know not; but.
% hear 70 spoken, twas one of the most eloquent.
manly addresses man on the brink of death ever
delivered in or ont Of a court of iusdcen
Burke FIRST ALLUDED 10 the character Of the testi-
mony against him. aud charged some Of the wit
nesses for the crown with perjury. Immediately
after, however, he acknowledged aud justified his
participation n the movement siying:--
Fully convinced aud satisfied of the righteous
ness Of my every act in connection with the late
revolutionary movement in Ireland. have moth
ing to recall-nothing that ! would not do again
nothing that would bring up the blush of shame
TO mlntlc my brow; my conduct aud career, both
here aud in Amerca--f yop like, as n soldier are
before YOU and even in this my hour Of trial feel
tle noas''onsness Of having lived an honest min /;
and will die proudly bslieving thar If ! have
given my life to give free Ion and liberty 10 the
land Of my birth, | have done only that which
every lrshntn and every mtn whose soul throbs
with feeling Of liberty should do l. my lords
shall Scarcely feel should not mt MENTION
the name Of Mlssey | feel should not polute
my lips with the name Of that traitor, whose ile-
gitimlcy has been proved here; a man whose
name even Is not known. and who / deny point
blank ever wore the stl- of a colonel in the con-
tederate army. Him shall let rest. ! shall pass
him, wishing him in the words OF the poet -
"M,y the gras, ruisr fr'n hl, t.eti
May the woods deny him sh.itsr-,artA ahomst
The ashes grave the sun hts lights
And Heaven It's God 3"
Let Massey remember from this day forth he car
ries with him, my learned and eloquent coun sci
(Mr D)wse) has stafe1, a serpent that will gnaw
his cOuscence-will carry about with him in his
breast living hell from which he can never be
separated |, my lords haze no desire for the
name OF A martyr; bat if it is the viii Of the Al
mighty and Onnipotent God that my devotion for
ths land Of my birth should be tested on the scaf-
fold, | am willing there to die in defense Of the
right OF men to free governmsnt-the right of an
oppressed people 10 throw oil the yoke Of thrai-
dom. am an lrshmln by birth, an American by
Adoption by nature lover OF freedom ani an
enemy to that power that holds my native land in
the bonds Of tyranny Il has SO often been ad-
mtted that the oppressed have a right TO throw
of the yoke OF oppression even by English states
men, that deem it unnecessary TO advert 70 thlt
fact in British court Of Justice Irelands chill
dren are not lever were-And never will he
willing submissive slaves, and so long as Eng
lands flag covers one inch Of Irish soil, Just so
long will they believe It TO be Divine right 20
conspre imagine. aud devise means to hurl it
from power, aud erect in its stead the Godke
structure of seli-governmsnt.n
Coydon the other traitor he also denounced
Finally he said -
- / am willing, it have transgressed the laws
TO suffer the punishment; but object to this sys-
TEN Of trumping up case to take away the life ~
a hlnln being. True, ask for no mercy My
present emacated form-ny constitution some
what shattere1it is better that my life should be
brought to an end than to drag out a miserable
existence in the prison fens of Portland. Thus
it is, my lords, accept the verdict. OF course
nv acceptance of II is unnecessary, but am sat
isfed with it, And now shall close. True It is
there are many feelings that actuate me at this
moment. In fact, these few disconnected remarks
can give no idea of what desire to state TO the
court | have ties to bind me TO earth aud society
as strong AZ any man in this court. have fam
lily love as any man in this court. But can re-
member the blessing received from aged moth
er's lip as left her the last time. She spoke AS a
Spartan mother did Go, my boy. Return either
with your shield or upon it." This reconciles me.
This gives me heart submit-tO my DOOM and
hope that God will forgive me my past sins. |
hope. too, that inasmuch He has for seven hun-
dred years preserved Ireland, Notwithstanding all
the tyranny TO which she has been subjected as a
separate and distinct nationality, He also will as
sist her to retrieve her fallen forlnesto rise in
her beauty aud maesty-the sister of Columbia,
the peer OF any nation in the world
The report goes on to say
The prisoner here ceased, and stepped back
FROM the front of the dock just as calmly as he
bad advanced TO II. but perhIps with slight ad-
ditional lustre in his eye and heightened color.
Throughout he never hesitated for word, but
spoke slowly distinctly ahd deliberately to the
end. A suppressed mnrmur of applause and de-
light with his eloquent and touching al lress wen,
round the court as he stepped back, but il was Of
course instantly suppressed By tbs OIL iials of the
COURT
The sentence has the ring Of the Middle Ages
The chief Justice after some impressive remarks to
the prisoners, said -
You were taken red-handed by the troops that
marched against you, aud for this reason you ara
intelligent enough 10 know you have forfeited your
life. All the indulgence we have ia our power TO
grant we will. and that is 10 postpone the day as
long as we can for that awful penalty OF the law
you are doomed TO suffer, in order to afford each
of you time for prayer and repentance, aud for
asking mercy Of your Maker. and that Saviour
who is Almighty to save. Nothing now remiin
for me. then, but to perform the sad painful duty
imposed upon me by law, and that duty is TO pro-
nouuce the sentsnce ! must upon You. fills
Lordshp here assumed tbs black cap and proceed
cd
That sentence is, that you aud each Of you
shall he taken from where you now stand to the
place from whence you came, and that on Wedns-
day. the 29th Of May you be drawn on a hurdle
from that place the place Of execution and that
there you aud each Of YOU shall be hanged by the
meek until you are dead; and that afterwards your
heads be severed from your bodies, aud the body
Of each of you divided into four quarters shall be
disposed Of as her Majesty or her executive shall
think fit and proper. And may the Lord have
mercy on your sohls "
Burke's imprisonment has been committed to
Imprisonment for life