The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-11

NEW ORLEANS SUNDAY MORNING. JANUARY II, 1874.
John Mitchell on o'conneu and his Laboru.

John Mitchell on O'ConneI and his Labors.
John Mitchell, the distinguished Irish
man, delivered the first of two lectures in
aid of the O'Conuell Monument association,
at the Mercantile Library, St. Louis, on
Sunday night, Dec. 81. There was good
attendance. We take the following report
of his remarks from the Western Watch
man:
Mr.. Chairman, ladies and gentleman,
citizens of st. Louis If great honor has
been conferred upon me to. night in asking
me- to address you on such subject, l
admit that it also imposes upon me heavy
responsibility. The subject that has been
assigned to me is a grand and majestic one,
and trust that may raise my thought
to the height of that grand argument. It
almost overpowerS me to think OF the
grandeur of that m an in his day of life
when knew him and knew him we'll.
assure you that it is not only with feeling
of deep responsibility, but also with q
sentiment of deep emotion on my part that
1 now speak to such an audience as l see
here upon the question of our great Irish
tribune, the highest and noblest represen-
| tative of the Irish people in three genera
the course of his agitation, and towards
the close of his life, some of his friends,
some of his pupils, some of those who per-
| haps ought to have sustained him better,
myself among the number, set up our puny
wits against him on some details of his
policy--n othing very material. We had
the same cause, we had the same country,
we had the same mortal enemy to deal
| WITH If we had any differences on matters
of detail they were family quarrels. The
outside world had nothing to do with it.
am happy to think, it gives me pleasure
| 30 1,ar hot fhaaa 6iffarancae
were carried on with mutual respect. No
word, if remember Alright, ever passed
my lips derogatory of O'Connell, and he in
his manner towards me, when had the
honor to meet him, was always kind, po-
lite, and even etfectionate, therefore I
and young Irelander, to be sure. 1fany
one thought that came here to cast nettles
on the grave of that good old man he
would be signally mistaken. 1t was
good thought of certain citizens of st Louie
"a good thought, to project the building
of a grand monumental statue to preserve
and perpetuate the memory, the features
and the grand form of that noble Irishman
to raise it here on the western bank ct the
Mississippi in the midst of vast communi
ty of his country men-his couutrymeT
born or his countrymen by descent-s'
that Irishmen of St. Louis unto the tentt
and Twelfth generation may have only tt
look upon that to form some adequate idef
of what manner of men were made amont
the mountains of Kerry in those days.
is splendid idea that of writing history
in monumental marble and bronzes'
It is a practice that has been carried on
with great success and splendor of effect ii
other countries that l have visited, ant
particularly in France. l remembe
travelling over that noble country some
time before the deep disaster that has fallel
upon her, and was greatly impressed ii
| . 1rh fha
that Countrywide principle towns especl
ALVIN pressed by the multitude of stat
, ues, each town perpetuatlng by statue
equestrian or pedestrian, in marble or II
bronze, some eminent Frenchman born IL
that town, or at least who had made tina
town the scene OF Ms triumph OF soh
great work.
have theirs, a series of Georges we hat
, one of them at the Battery, near Casti
Garden, but cast it into cannon and 30 l
: disappeared from New York The EngllsI
, too. have another, Wellington, for the.
cali Wellington theirs and they are vel
f come to him.
1t NAV be- said that the monumental his
: tory of ireland has been Turned upsid
: down or turned inside out. The statue @
our glorious Grattan' instead of adornln
? some public square in Dublin, stands 1
Westminster abbey, in London. HIM ais
t the English claim as an Englishman' =
!. late years matters in this respect are some
: what mending. We have now, at least,
> statue of o'COnneil, chiseiled by JOB
Hogan, the first irish sculptor, and
stands in front Of the exchange in Da6lin
8 and there is also q colossal statue of WI
6 liam Smith O'Brien-close by the Line
f bank, Dublin. The Irish race has bee
scattered abroad over the whole earth an
is going to work in a desultOry wey to e
y ect mOnuments to its heroes. We al
going to erect q noble statue of OConne
It on the banks of the Mississippi, and the
8 will be another on the banks of the War
Warra, Australia and wherever the IriI