Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1867-06-05
FENiAN TRIALS IN DUBLIN.
Remarkable Speech of Burke Scene Pris-
oners 10 be HING, Bcheaded and Chartered.

they had anything TO say why SEN
tencc should not be pronounced, Thorn
as f. Burke stepped forward to the
front of the dock. Looking calmly
and respectfully at the bench, and
strengthening himself as we'll as his
wounded leg would allow him, he
spoke as follows IN a remarkably clear.
musical voice, which was listened to
throughout with hushed attention:
My LORDS 1t is not my intention
to occupy much of your time IN an
swering the question why the sentence
Of the court should not now be passed
on me. But | may, with your permis,
sion, review a little of the evidence
that has been brought against me
The first evidence that ! would speak
Of Is that Of Sub-inspector Kelly, who
had the conversation with me IN Clon-
mel, IN Tlpperary. lie states that he
asked either, = How was nv friend p
OF, . " hat about my friend Stcph-
ems p and that | made answer and
SAID he was the most idolized man that
ever had been or ever would be in
+ America Here standing on the brink
OF my grave, in the presence Of the
Almighty and Everything God,
/ brand that as being the foulest periu-
! rv that ever man gave utterance to.
! No such conversation ever occurred.
The name of Stephens was not men
toned. | shall pass from that and
then touch on the evidence of Britt
He states that ! assisted in distribut-
! ing the bread to the parties in the
/ fort, and that | stood with him in the
wagon or cart. That is also false
/ | was not III the fort at the time at
all ! was not there when the bread
was being distributed. | came in af-
/ terward. Both Of these assertions
have been made and submitted to the
men in whose hands my life rested as
evidence made on oath by these men
made solely and purely for the pur-
/ pose Of giving my body to an untime-
/ ~ grave. (The prisoner here, evi-
/ IDENTIFY to refresh his memory, looked
at a little bit of paper in his hand, on
which he had taken few notes of the
evidence during the triaD. There
I are many points, my lords, that have
( been sworn to here to prove my com
/ phcltv IN great many acts 1t has
been alleged | took part IN 1t is not
/ nay desire now, my lords, to give ut
tcrancc TO one word against the YER
dict which has been pronounced upon
me. But fully conscious of my honor
as a man which has never been Inn
pugucd-luily conscious that | can 90
into my grave with a name and char
acter unsullied-I can only say this
that these parties, actuated by de-
sire either for their own agrandizc-
ment, or to save their paltry, misera-
bic lives, have pandered to the appc-
ttite, if / may 50 speak, Of Justice;
aud my life shall be the forfeit Full
/ IL convinced and satisfied of the right
/ eOusness of my every act. in connec-
! tion with the late revolutionary move
Imeut in ireland, have nothing to re
Icall-nothing that would not DO
La agaIn-nothing that would bring up
the blush of shame TO mantle my
/ brow. My conduct and career, both
here and in America-if YOU like. a
La soldier-are before you; and even
/ IN this, my hour Of trial. | feel the
/ consciousness of having lived an hon
est man; and | will die proudly, believ-
I ing that, if l have given my life to
give freedom and liberty to the land
/ of my birth, | have done only that
which every Irishman, and every man
whose soul throbs with feeling Of lib
ertr, should do /, my lords. shall
scarcely feel [ should not at all
mcntiou the name of Massey. | feel
| should not poliute my lips with the
name Of that traitor, whose ilIegitima-
I cv has been proved here-a man whose
1 name even IS not known. and who |
/ denv, point blank, ever wore the star
of a colonel in the Confederate army.
Him | shall let rest | shall pass him,
wishing him, in the words of the poet:
/ MAJ the grass wither from his feet:
! May the woods deny him shelter
! Earth home, and Heaven its God -
( Let Massey remember. from tL;s
day forth. he carries with him. as my
learned and eloquent counsel NJ.
! Dowse has stated, a serpent that will
/ gnaw his c0nscience-willc carry about
with him in his breast living hell
/ from which he can never be separated.
], my lords, have no desire for the
name of martyr. I seek not the
death of a martyr; but if it Is the viii
Of the Almighty and Omnipotent
/ God that my devotion for the land of
my birth should be tested on the scaf-
fold, | am willing there to die in de-
fence of the right of men to free gov
ernment-the right Of an oppressed
! people TO throw off the yoke Of thral-
dom. / an an Irishman by birth, an
American by adoption, by nature a
lover of freedom, and an enemy to
that power that holds my native land
in the bonds of tyrany. 1t has SO Of
ten been admitted that the oppressed
have right 10 throw off the yoke Of
oppression, even BIZ English statesmen,
that | deem it unnecessary to advert
TO that fact in British court Of JUS
tice. lreland's children are not, new
er were, and never will be. willing or
Submissive slaves and so long as Eng
lana > eaE ce"ers one :.ncL Of l5i:l