National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-30
DANIEL O'CONNELL.
fcontinued from Firsi Fac.

own convictions earnest, vigorous and faithful
in his profession; and his life like his death, re-
Yeas and illustrates the beauty and LONELINESS Of
his active religious devotion and consistency.
INDEED THE CHURCH AND oATHoLICITY
are largely and specially indebted to this marked
and model representative for the exalted stand
ard which he lifted up and sustained BY his cen;
yersation and life-the influence he exerted and
impressed in his remarkable and interesting
death. With his powers OF mind still strong, MS
In anu Ing yssrs ~ nrosssai5nsI and
public service, he died bearing an eloquent and
affecting testimony Of his devotion and faithful
ness to the Church no less than to his country.
Both he seems to have regarded with an afec-
tion vigorous and deep, for In his last strange
dispositions be remembered each in making the
beque st: "My body to ireland, my heart TO
Rome, my soul to Heaven"
Father Ventura, in the concluding passage Of
his elaborate and mastery funeral discourse
upon the dead Christian hero, explains the words
ale loves bis country, and therefore he leaves
toll his body he loves still more the Church, and
hence he bequeathes to it his heart; and still
more than the Church he loves God, and there
fore eonfides to Him his soul"
As to whether he loved the Church more than
ireland, more than independence OF Judgment
and freedom Of conscience Tor all, OOonnell
leaves us in no doubt. For ne says IN speech
delivered at meeting Of the Catholic board, De-
cember "a, 1913:
"No man Is ever converted from his opinions by
persecution or ABUSE. Let all those subjects be
forever banished from among us, and let us set
the glorious example OF preaching and practtctng
the doctrines Of that Christianity which is FOUNDED
IL fraternal affection and best evidenced Dy ira
"For my own part have devoted much of my
time to the Catholic cause-a time Of little value,
alas! to my country, but Of great value to myself;
but would not give up one hour Of that time, or
q single exertion of my mind to procure the mere
victory Of any one sect OF persuasion over - sne
nSt1Tsl No. my object is of lottisr ana asa
wish for libeTty~resl ' isTrisSyt tS
But there can be no freedom anywhere without
perfect liberty OF conscience. That is OF the
essence oil freedom In every place. In Ireland, It
Is eminently, almost exclusively, the hope of
liberty.
1.-THE emancipation look for is one which would
establish the rights Of conscience upon general
principle to which every class Of Christians could
equally resort, principle which would serve and
nberate the Catholics in Ireland, but would
be equally useful to the Protestant in Spain;
principle, in short, which would destroy the In
QUESTION and the Orange Lodges together and
have no sacrilegious intruder between man and
his Creator! esteem the Roman Catholic re-
ligion as the most eligible. All require is that
the Protestant, the Presbyterian, the Dissenter,
the Methodist, should pay the same compliment
own persuasive powers without calling in the pro-
fame assistance Of temporal terrors, or the cor
rupt influence Of temporal rewards"
Hereafter we shall more fully perceive how
deeply he loved his country. Though not Oath
Ole, one can but &C aEtre and applaud the con-
sistency, zeal and devotion, II not WISE earnest
and genuine, ,of this valiant son Of the Church.
Let every one be true to his own soul; let him
stand or fall on its Judgment alone. For one true
or humanity. So 1t was with this distinguished
Irish Catholic layman.
In this connection, and on this occasion, may
neither make assertion nor enter upon any dis
cussion as to whether O'ConnelI might not have
shown greater Wisdom-haVe more largely Sc
cured the good Of his country by accepting
Professionalism and union and cooperation with
its friends. / only maintain, and no man can
reasonably deny, that he was faithful and loyal
to the religion OF his choice. Nor does it come
within the line OF my duty to discuss the question
as to whether II the Orangemen had been given
complete and undisputed control of Ireland
CathOlicity being held entirely subordinate to
Professionalism the independence of the coun-
try might not have been maintained, or, If lost
for time, more speedily Te-established, and the
happiness Of the people more securely sustained
and prolonged.
Her divisions have been sore and fruitful of great
evil. But political, no less than religious differ
ences, breed divisions which work frequently to
the woe Of the people. These differences, how
ever. among ali nations thou yhtfaI. enteTprsin0
and progressive, will, in the very nature OF things
must exist. While the human mind retains Its
present constitution, the human soul its fidelity
TO its own afhrmations with regard to duty, there
can be no absolute religious union, no subordina-
tiOn Of all individuals Of single nation, on all
nations, to the same religious belief. O'OoDnell
favored that union that Cancellation and cordality
between Catholics and PrOtestants, consistent
with this Independence Of Judgment, this natural
difference Of religious conviction. In his speech
on the French Party" he says:
"Our first desire, and the motives which govern
US, are TO take away from France even the hope
Of success by removing those excuses of distrust
and dissension and weakness in this country,
which at present are really SO many temptations
to the enemy to invade us. We would fain excite
q National and Irish party, capable Of annihilat-
ing any foreign oppressor whatever, and devoted
to the amelioration OF this our native land.
This is indeed French party that does exist in
1reland-a party most useful to the views and de-
signs Of France. 1t lie the party OF the pregent
ministTy-that party which exerts its vicious en-
ergies TO divide, distract and Cypress the realm
that loads the nation with the weight Of ILL
Judged taxation, and employs the money Wrung
from poverty and distress in fomenting internal
dissensions-in eliminating the Irish people to
each Other-accusing the Catholics Of dlsloyalty,
because they seek the rights Of the Constitution,
charging the Protestants with bigotry, and yet
encouraging them to become intolerant. 1t is, in
fine, this party which desolates this country, and
then talks to us Of our growing prosperity"
George Canning, one OF the first orators Of
the DEBATES on the Catholic question, with sig
nal superiority Of eloquenee and iberality Of SEN
timent, makes on one occasion, when dwelling on
this subject, this statement:
THE great body Of Irish Catholics are, It is
said, in the hands OF agitators, who wish to keep
their discOntents alive; who care not for the pro-
fessed objects Of Catholic desire, but look to the
Interior purposes of mischieE-to separation and
revolution. II this1s so, we can only defeat the
evil intentions Of such men in two ways: either
by correcting their disposition or by taking away
their means. The former is beyond human power;
let US avail ourselves OF the latter Let remove
those circumstances which, operating upon the
ments in the hands Of agttators for the promotion
Of such dangerous designs. an inclined to be-
heye that there are those who have Interior views
and designs. Ot those who are the most clamor-
Gus for concession there are some, do believe,
who would be much disappointed If that cOnces-
sion were granted. And next to the qualification
which I Should feel In trannuIiIzfn0 a lovaI and
gh-minded people by the Introduction Of that
equality Of right without which there can be no
reciprocal liking and confidence, is that Of dissp-
pointing the guilty hopes Of those who delight
not in tranquility and comfort, but In grievances
and remonstrances; who use their sincere and
HaTm-hearted countrymen as screens to their own
ambitious purposes, and who consider q state Of
turbulence and discomfort as best suited to the
ends which they have in view. That state 1t may
be their wish to prolong, but so much the rather
is It our interest and our duty 70 terminate as
speedily as possible"
Interior views or designs but what these designs
were we have already learned from his words
quoted q moment ago. He agitated but for lib
erty-Teal liberty; and he was earnest, sincere
and true. The ia Their and liberator Of his coun-
try, sacrificing for her his private resources, his
professional emOluments, his personal comfort
though Catholic name and character, which, in
their beauty, lustre, glory, are unsurpassed.
Mankind are not agreed as TO whether
o'cOEHELL WAS STATESMAN.
Two opinions certainly are entertained with re-
gard to this subject. Some claim that If he is to
be regarded as q statesman at all he does not de-
serve TO be placed in the first class. Others claim
that he is not only to be given place among the
tied to conspicuous place among the most promi-
nent even Of this class.
In estimating O'Connell's character as q states
man, as in all such cases, very much depends
upon our conception and definition Of statesman
snip. II we mean by statesman-R mere poll
tician-one connected with party, seeking mere
party ends, and through party personal and
selfish sggrandiZement; if We mean BY states
man one only conYersant with the affairs OF his
own country and government, and interested
solely in the progress and prosperity Of his own
people, even TO the neglect or damage Of other
and possibly higher, though interests Of foreign
nations; II by statesman we mean partisan, SELF
seeking, narrow, iliberal in his Views and judg-
ment with respectto state affairs, Individual and
national obligation and duty in this regard; If by
stRtesmanship we mean the qualities or functions
Of the mere politician, the partisan, then O'Oon-
nell was not q ststesman-he did not cultivate
statesmanship. He had no party. He was not .
partisan. He had to learn no party tactics. He
composed hi5 party. 1t was their welfare he
sought. He was SOLICITORS to adopt, develop and
sustain those methods, measures and means con-
ducing to this end. Nor did he seek TO advance
and establish the welfare Of his own country
without due regard to the claims and rights Of
others. He accepted and applied TO national as
we'll as individual life, the Christian maxim:
What We demand for ourselves, that concede.n
II, the other hand, We mean by statesman one
its learning and philosophy as found in national
experiences and achievement, who, while valulng
organization for important state and popular OBJ
jects, is committed 70 no party; one who does iot
seek selfish promotion or emolument thereby,
who, while understanding and insisting upon the
Just demands OF his own country, comedies all
that can be fairly and properly demanded Of his