The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-08-22

Tho 1OllOW1uE ALO g4ShACeo hActu AASSoeAr'-t'Si
Gently delivered by, Hon. W. Psrsons, in Brook
!. lyn. The lecturer Is the grandson of the patri-
cite Earl Of Ross, who resisted the shameless
Act of Union 10 tho last, aiding Grattan and
brave band of Irish patriots in their noble eff
forts to preserve irish nationality:
ie S.nrrsIi was born OF obscure parents at New
: market. ON the confines of Cork and Kerry.
!, Curran said his only. patrimony was an ugly
amt the advice was all to the good as he had
never made nsc of any of 1t. Curran, however,
was dutiful and atfectionate son. If he did
receive an ugly face from his father. he re-
.ceiyed from IFS mother those beauties and
e-aces Of mind for which he was famed. Thos.
Moore. the poet vas his friend, and MOORE GORE
went TO London, TO study Mt the Temple Here
their diverse characterswe ere sciearly displayed.
Tommy Moore lived on the sunny SIDE OF the
street and CuTran on the shady side Moore,
che poet of all circles and the IDOL of his
ownf wrote home letters to his mother, and SO
did Curran to his. my dear motnar,S , wrote
: asked out 10 balls every other night. Only re-
{ Gently. Lord MORA, holding the candlestick,
lighted me to my 5oon II was pa.y ne S, a,a
which Jed him afterwards astray,. Curran, on
tho contrary, wrote: "London is 10 fearful
place. My only companion Is tho dead 1otly
the custom In ireland, the people here leave
the dead to themselves. I play the poor fellow
4 . s9iema dirge occasionally on the jews harp,
here" Life was what every one made it-a
looking-glass that reflects oupown lives.
Curran Joined debating society and failed
in every attempt as speaker. The society
had seven members. One evening he was to
speak, and broke down in confusion. After
wards he said, THE eyes OF the seven men
country fair whose bow the rival fiddler from
neighboring town had soaped."
At last Ctirrarf is called to the bar. Genius
and patriotism then concentrated there. The
presence of the parliament house greatly los
tered oratory. Here Curran aimed to make
his ultimate speeches. The oratory OF that
period differed from the oratory of the present
day. Some of Curran's speeches, if delivered
now for the first time, would be deemed extrav-
agant. lawyer in those days lived n kind
Of Donny brook Fair life, and was not afraid of
hard knocks lie put down witnesses by jokes
OF by c1amor, He was expected to make
speech out of nothing. He was cheerful even
ander defeat Trouble did not belong to him
that was concern of his client.
The lecturer gave several happy instances of
4 ahe prese nee of mind aud ingenuity of lawyers
in getting out of legal difficulty in those
days; among Others, the case of q nobteman
who swore to the identity of man who, he al
logged, had robbed him on the highway on n
particular night by the light of the moon.
Leonard McNalIy, being the defendants coun-
sci, said he should subpoena the moon from
nae when 10, it was shown that the moon did
not shine that night. At the close of the trial
be saw his client and told him that he might
bless, not his stars, but the moon, that ne bad
got Of SO we'll, as it had cost him (McN) Ell
The lecturer then portray la ee usucn OF rue
periea--the unforgiying Lord Glare {Eitzgi6-
hon), of the Court of Chnncery; LORD Clonmei,
wig and gown in the GGS29mSHrs snd aas man Man
70 execution with pun on his name.
EurFan was unfortunate in his frat case.
The Judge said, 'Speak up, sir" and Curran
sat down, biushiDg and confused. At last Cur
ran makes his mark. Lord DOnneraile heving
bYataIly assaulted a Catholic Clergyman, to the
eternal disgrace of the bar ut that time, not
n Il oh lnraf
case against his lordship but John Philpot
ERRTan, His 1ordship- came with his friend,
Col. st. Leger, to pooh-pooh the case, and was
-~eonfrontedI by Curran, the strings of whose
tongue were Ioosed ut last by honest indigna-
ZION. The jury returned verdict of 970O for
aho plaintiff. 1854
shat he took up the profession of the law be-
cause it enabled mau to be the protector of
sion ever since. ,Curran then had to tight a
duel with st. Leger as 3 pendant to the trial
Better If he had had the moral courage to de-
cline the challenge. The duel, however, was
said that he knew of one hundred and sixty
duels among his Immediate friends Lord
Il Clonnael tonight two lords, two members of the
PeeEs, and two members of the Commons. Lord
NoxbuFy said he himself began life with a
brace of pistols and shot himself up.
Hutchinson, Provost of T. G.. d. shot mas
Ter in chancery. Curran, in his duel with st.
ieger, hesitnted to fire, and seeing st. LegeI
cover him with his pistol, cried "firc." st. Le-
ger fhereupon fred in tile air.. Soon afterwards
81. Logger died, aud some one twitted Curran
with having killed him hereupou -DurTan de-
MED the fact. irnd said that ST. Leger was
killed by the report of his own pistol.
Cnrrnns musical Instrument was the Jury
box with twelve strings. The lecturer related
many instances oil the fearless independence of
Currau In his carriage towards Judges who en-
deavored to put him down. Mr. Parsons al
61tAad in passing, to- Bush Pnnkett, Hussey do
BRrgh and Peter Burrows, the latter repre-
tentative of the Irish bar in the Irish Parlia-
- -rnYnlufinO rolled