Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-11

political antipathy as is generally be-
licved, has produced profound excitement
in that country The telegraph has given
the details of the occurrence on Tues
day night last The subjoined facts are
compiled from recent notices of him.
Mr. McGee was born in Carlingford,
Ireland, in 1926. He immigrated to
America at an early age, and first made
his home at Lowell, Mass, when he soon
removed to Boston, and connected him
self with the Boston Pilots About this
time he wrote and published the life of
Daniel o Connell, with especial reference
to his efforts for reform in England
and Ireland. In lS47 he returned
to Ireland, and became one of the
editors Of the Dublin Nation I'm
plicated in the political movements of
1913 9, he returned to this country in an
almost impoverished condition, but be-
came one of the editors of the Tablet
and soon commenced the publication OF
the Nation in New York city, and alters
wards started a newspaper in Buffalo,
entitled the american CeH; with the
Nation, Mr.. John Mitchell also was cons
nected, but the journal was not pecu-
MARY success. Not long afterwards he
went to Canada, and identified himself
with the British interest," was promi-
nent as a politician, a public speaker,
member of the Canadian Parliament, and
in May, 1862, was appointed Secretary OF
the Bureau of Agriculture of Lower
Canada June 5, 1862, he was reelected
by reclamation to Parliament as the mem
Der for Montreal West In the Canadian
Parliament he changed front in regard to
his advocacy of Irish interest against the
policy of the English government; indeed
his political opinions seemed to have un"
| dergone a decided and radical change.
| Once an ardent republican, he now bes
came strong rcyalist, and was soon
taken in hand by the government and
placed in the path Of political preferment
and success. He was President Of the
Executive Council in Canada from 1864
to 1867, and was made chief commisS
sioner to the Paris Exposition in 1855
| and to the Dublin Exhibition in 1864,
and also to the local Paris Exposition
He was also a delegate to all the confer
ences held to promote the union of the
| colonies of British North America. In
advancing this scheme, now almost fully
completed, Mr. MCGEE was found valu~
| able agent His knowledge Of constitu-
/ tional law and the vigorous manner in
which he developed the most favorable
points in the governmental policy, while
he bore down all opposition by his elo"
quence, always more or less marked by
the bitterest satire and.invective, made
him the leading speaker for the govern
ment In all his oratorical efforts he fire.
quently descended to the most inexcusa-
BILE personalities, and if he did not sue,
coed in impressing his own views upon
the minds of his opponents, he never
failed to make them his bitter personal
enemies. His ideas of republcanlsm OF
late wears we're never acceptable to the
great mass of his cOuntrymen either at
home or in the colonies He was too arr,
dent an admirer of the divine right of
kings to become popular with those of his
fellows who had experienced something
of the unpleasant influences flowing from
the exercise of that right Supported by
the government he attained honors that
he probably would not have gained had
he chung to his earlier and better princi-
piles.
He possessed great intellectual gifts,
and was an orator of striking powers. In
literature he commanded high position.
He wrote very able and thorough "His-
tory of Ireland" and also "The Lives of
Irish Writers" published in Dublin in
1916 'Irish Letters" published here in
1852; Canadian Ballads Published at
Montreal in 1858; Speeches and Ad-
dresses or the British American Union,
published in London in 1863, and other
political treatises.
His poetry was of high order. In it
he displayed delicate fancy united to
happy expression, which made has etfn-
sions decidedly popular.
He was genuine genial lrishman, and
personally very popular, Notwithstanding
his erratic course, and the enmities which
his anti Fenianism begat
His taking off has been laid at the door
of that organization, whether justly or
not, can only be determined by invests
CATION. If it prove to be true, it will ex-
cite an intense feeling against it in Great
Britain, and do nothing to commend 1T to
the admiration Of impartial lockers on
in this country 1t il to be hoped its
members will be able to free themselves
from suspicion, and let this foul deed
take Its place as a non-political murder
1t is terrible to contemplate the stiletto,
the bullet, the bludgeon, and the poison
cup becoming agents in the political dis
putes on this continent, though there is
an increasing tendency to that result,
promoted by the fierce and prolonged
political disturbances to which we are
subject
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w y COLLIER.