The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-02
JOHN. mitchell.
Why Did He Go Home
HIS CAREER AND HIS ESCAPE.
From the Boston Pilot /

New York for Ireland in the steamer Idaho |
and until the news of his reception is tele-
graphed, hundreds of thousands of Irishmen
in this country will be on the tiptoe of e1pec- |
tation. The question on every lip is-will he
an answer. Mr. Mitchell is an escaped political
prisoner, who has never asked for and has |
never been granted pardon" from the English
Government. 7~=E
We fail to see the object or the wisdom of
John Mitchers visit to Ireland, under the cir
cumstances. We should be sorry to think that
SO old and respected q man would do any thing
for the mere sake of braggadocio and excite
ment. Such a course would be natural to a
demagogue-wonld be quite in keeping With
the conduct of many other 1rish-American
natural in John Mitchell.
At the present time Gavan Duffy is in Ire
land, having returned from Australia few
weeks ago. Before leaving Victoria Duffy de-
clared in speech that, though herdid not wish
to go to Parliament he was in favor of Home
Rule. We expected 10 less from a man of his
intelligence and experience. OF all things,
Ireland needs n lesson in the quiet considera-
ton of political questions Heretofore the
Irish masses have been led mainly by their
warm hearts; it is time they should get the
bride on common sense instead of emotion.
1t has been stated that John Mitchell was
returning in order to stand for Parliament as a
Home Ruler. But this is not Mr.. Mitchell
himself declared before he sailed that he was
future for Ireland until she was entirely sepa.
rated from England. He expressed contempt
for the pacific principles of the present move
ment, and declared that England will never
grant good government to Ireland unloss COM
PEELED by force of arms.
With all respect to John Mitchels honesty
of purpose, we think he has made grave mis-
take. He unwisely rejects the maxim that half
a loaf is better than no bread. This is essen
TALLY true in politics. The constitutional tree
which grows little by little is sure to be the
strongest. After twentysx years of exile,
Mr.. Mitchell returns to Ireland to find that in
his absence that country has gained several
concessions we'll worth having. He will find
the Irish farmers holding their land by ten
ure undreamt of by the farmers of 4S; he will
find, when he stands for Tipperary, that Irish
men are 70 longer driven like cattle to the
ballot 4he will fpd the State Church swept
away from the country and above all, he will
find the Irish people studying and understand
ing their political wants. and asking for their
rights likeintelligent men, instead of screaming
for them like angry children. 1t is true he will
find large portion of the country ruled by
coercion acts; but, however uni st these may
be, it win do Mr.. Mitchell no harm TO reflect
that they are there consequence of the very
principles of violence and excitement which
he has gone homo to rekindle.
BRIEF SKETCH OF Ills LIFE.
john Mitchell was born on the Sd of Novem-
Der, 1915, in the town of Dungiven, county of
Derry, where his father was q Unitarian
minister. He was graduated in Trinity Col
lege, Dublin, in 1886 ; after wards he studied
law, and practised his profession for six
exciting times of O'ConnelPs monster meet
ngs In 1S45, on the death of poor Thomas
Davis, Mitchell went to Dublin to succeed him
as editor of the Nation, in association with
Gavan Duffy. Two years afterwards, he parted
from Dufy, and started the United Irishman,
which ran for n few months, when it was sup
pressed by the Government, and its editor ar
rested, tried. and sentenced to fourteen years
imprisonment. On May 81, 1S43; after two
weeks incarceration in Newgate, Dublin, Mr..
Mitchell was taken in irons to the convict depot
Of Snik a al Harb0r. w a
eminent order was received to treat him as "a
person of education and gentleman" In a
day or two after he sailed for Bermuda,
board the Scourge sloop of war. He remained
ten months in Bermuda, whence he was sent
to Van Dieman's Land, where he met Smith
O'Brien, Meagher, John Martin. Richard oGor-
man. and other political associates whom he
had left behind him in Ireland.
On the 19sh of July, 1854, Mr.. Mitchell re-
signed his parole and effected his escape from
the colony, landing in this country in Novem-
Der of the same year. OF his American career
need not speak, as our readers are &C
uuainted with the main incidents of Mr.. Nit
chefs life before. during and since the war.
DID mitchell ESCAPE HoNoRABLYR
Z, In answer to this question the following let
ter from John Martin, NJ. p, will be read with
satisfaction:
LOWER MOUNT ST., Dublin, Mar. Is, 1874
To the Editor of The Northern Wing.
Sir Il am informed through letter
ceived this morning from a friend in the North,
that your paper of last Thursday contains an
article in which You charge my friend, Mr..
John Mitchell, with having violated his parole
on the occasion of his escape from Van Dieman's
Land in 1853. ] am told further that your ar
ticle contrasts Mir. Mitchers conduct in the
matter of the parole engagement, with that of
his friend and comrade, the late William 5.
O'Brien, imputing no dishonor to Mr.. O'Brien,
but only to Mr.. Mitchell.
/ AS also was a prisoner on parole ia Van
Deman's Land at the time referred to, and
was party concerned in the affair of the es-
cape of Mr.. Mitchell, perhaps you will consider
m entitled to publish in your paper the few
words following, which think proper to say
At the time when my friend, Mr.. P. J. Smyth
(now M. p for Westms1bh) came to Van die pie
the rescue and escape of Mr.. Mitchell the only
Irish political prisoners (6eSides Mr. Mr. nt1heD
then Eemaning in caPtlvSy8 here ME- of
the Legislative Assembly of Queenlandl, and
myself. Ny other fellow convicts, MManus'
Meagher and O'Donaghue (all dead since them,
had already escape.
The plan of escape devised hy Mr.. Smyth
ne. in AL