The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-05-01
The Fenian Trials la Ireland.

When Mackey, the Fenian captain, was
brought up to receive sentence at Cork, he
said in reply to the usual question, whether
he haG anything to say why sentence should
not be passed on him, that he was fully
satisfied with the verdict. 1t was fair and
just one, according to British law, but he did
not consider it so in accordance with his
ideas of right and justice, He thanked the
jury for their recommendation to mercy, blu
with every respect to the court he regarded
that recommendation with the ut
most indifference. He continued: To night
| shall sleep in prison cell, Tomorrow l
shall wear convicts dress; but to me it
will be far nobler garb than the richest
dress of slavery Coward slaves they be
who think the countless suferings and deg
radations of prison disgrace man. l feel
otherwise. It is as impossible to subdue the
soul animated with freedom as it will be
for England to crush the resolute will of
this nation, determined as is to be free or
perish in the attempt. According to British
law, those acts proved against me-fairly
proved against me, l cknowledge-may
be crimes, but morally in the eyes of free
men and in the sight of God, they are more
ennobling than disgraceful. Shame is
only in co injection with guilt. 1t is surely
not a crime to obey Gods law. or to asst
our fellow men to acquire those God given
rights which no man or nation, can Justly
de prive them Of If love and freedom. and
a desire to extend its unmistakable bless
ings to all Gods creation, irrespective of
race, creed or color, be a crime-t devotion
to Ireland and love of its faithful, its kind
people, be crime-then say l proudly
acknowledge my guilt. If it is disgrace,
II r 7 Il Ok Il \
honor; and with all respect for the court, [
hold in thorough and utmost contempt the
worst punishment that can be Inflicted
upon me SO far as it is intended to deprive
me of this feeling, and degrade me in the
ewes of my fellow men. Oh, no, it is impos-
sible, my lord; the freeman's soul can
never be dismayed. England will lost
miserably fail If she expects by force and
opposition to crush IT QUITO stamp out as
the Times exlcaimed-this glorious longing
for national life and independence. which
now fills the breast of millions of Irishmen,
who only want little patience and the
opportunity of effecting its purpose
Much has been said at these trials on the
objects and intensionS of Fenianism [
know in my soul that the motives which
prompted me were pure, patriotic and I'M
selfish. know the motives that actuate the
most active members of the Fenian organ
ization; and know that few persons ex-
cept such contemplate wretches as Corydon
have profted by their connection with Fe-
nianism. My best friends lost all they ever
possessed by it. Talbot and Corydon. |
believe, have sworn on previous trials that
it was the intention of the Fenians to have
divided the lands of Ireland among them~
selves in the event of success. Though a
humble member of the organization. have
the honor and satisfaction of being &C
quainted with the great majority of the
leaders of EenIanlSm on both sides of the
Atlantic, and | never knew one of them to
have exhibited desire other than to have
the proud satisfaction Of freeing Ireland,
which was the only reward they ever
yearned for-the only object that ever ami
mated them. As to myself, l can truly say
that | entered into this movement without
any idea of personal ACCOMPLISHMENT. |
have read sufficient OF the world history
to know that no people ever acquired their
liberty without enormous sacrifces-with-
out losing always, | may say, some of the
purest, bravest and best of their children
Liberty, if worth possessing, is surely
worth struggling and fighting for, and in
this struggle, of which, although the crown
lawyers and the government OF England
think they have seen the end, but of which
| tell them they have not yet seen the COM
mencement, | feel that enormous sacrii>
ces must be made Therefore, my lord,
looking straight before me now, say was
determined aud was quite ready to sacrifice
my life, if necessary, to acquire that liberty;
and [ am not now going to be SO mean splr-
tied, so cowardly, or so contemplate as to
shrink from my portion of the general suf
fering. am ready, then, for the sentence
of the court, satisfied that | have acted
right, confident that [ have committed no
wrong, outrage or crime whatever, and that
| have cast no disgrace upon my parents
my friends, upon my devoted wife, or upon
myself. | am, with Gods assistance, ready
to meet my fate. L rest on the calm resg-
nation of a man whose only am bition thro
life is to benefit and free-not to iniure-
his fellow men, and whose only desire at
this moment is to obtain their prayers and
blessings. With the approval of my own
conscience, above all, hoping for the for
giveness of God for anything | may have
done to disgrace Him, rely upon His self
sustaining grace to enable me to bear any
punishment, no matter how severe, SO long
as it is for glorious old Ireland"
Mackey then proceeded to review the ey-
idence, and concluded with the cry Of God
save Ireland