The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-02
JOHN. mitchell.
Why Did He Go Home 7
HIS CAREER AND HIS ESCAPE.
From the Boston Pilot |


and until the news of his reception is tele-
graphed, hundreds of thousands of Irishmen
in this country will be on the tiptoe of expec-
be arrested 1t would be unwise to hazard
an answer. Mr.. Mitchell is an escaped political
prisoner, who has never asked for and has
never been granted pardon" from the English
Government
We fail to see the object er the wisdom of
John Mitcheps visit to ireland, under the cir
cumstances. We should be sorry to think that
so old and respected man would do any thing
for the mere sake of braggadocio and excite
ment. Such a course would be natural to
demagogue.wenld be quite in keeping With
leaders-but would be unbecoming and un-
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 a speech that, though he did not wish
to go to Parliament, he was in favor of Home
Rule. We expected no 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
Home Ruler. But this is not Mr.. Mitchell
himself declared before he sailed that he was
not Home Ruler, and that he saw no happy
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 Mitcheps honesty
of purpose, we think he has made grave mis-
take He unwisely rejects the maxim that half
loaf is better than no bread. This is essen
which grows little by little is sure to be the
strongest. After twenty-six years Of exile,
Mr.. Mitchell returns to Ireland to find that in
his absence that country has gained several
ctnro ell Hax End
| 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 no longer driven like cattle to the
polls, bnt go there independently to vote by
ballot; he will find 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 like intelligent men, instead of screaming
for them like angry children. 1t is true he will
find q large portion of the country ruled by
coercion acts but, however M ust these may
be, it will 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 DuDgiven, county of
Derry, where his father Unitarian
minister. He was graduated in Trinity Col
lege, Dublin, in 1886 afterwards he studied
law, and practised his profession for six
years in Newry and Banbridge, during the
exciting times of O'Connells monster meet
ings. 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 after wards, he parted
from Duly, and started the United Iri8hmdn,
which ran for n few months, when it was sup
pressed by the Government, and it's editor
rested, tried. and sentenced to fourteen years
imprisonment. On May 81, 1S4S, after two
weeks incarceration in Newgate, Dublin, Mr..
Mitchell was taken in irons to the convict depot
of Spike Island, Cork Harbor, where gov
eminent order was received to treat him as "a
person of education and a gentleman" In a
day two after he sailed for Bermuda,
board the Scourge sloop of war. He remained
ten months in Bermuda, whence he was sent
to Van Diemans Land, where he met Smith
O'Brien, Meagher, John Martin, Richard OGor-
III an, and other political associates whom he
had left behind him in Ireland.
On the 19th of July, 1854, MIR. 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
we need not speak, our readers
quainted with the main incidents of Mr.. Nit
chefs life before. during and since the war.
Sc. DID Mitchell ESCAPE HoNoRABLY1
In answer to this question tho 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: 81 am informed through letter re-
ceived this morning from a friend in the North,
that your paper OF laSJ 1nurSQay COnG8luS au
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 1858. am told further that your ar
ticle contrasts Mr.. Mitchels conduct in the
M after of the parole engagement with that of
his friend and comrade the late William 8.
O'Brien, imputing no dlshonor to Mr.. oBrlen,
but only to Mr.. Mitchell.
AS also was a prisoner on parole ia Van
Dieman'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
me entitled to publish in your paper the few
words following, which think proper to say
upon the subject of your article =
At the time when my friend, Mr.. P. J. Smyth
(now NJ p. for Westmeath) came to Van Die
mans Land, and offered bis assistance to effect
the rescue and escape of Mr.. Mitchell, the only
Irish political prisoners (besides Mr.. MmcheD
then remaining in captivity were Mr.. O'Brien,
Mr.. O'Doherty (now DR.. O'Dohert member of
the Legislative Assembly of Queenland?, and
myself. My other fellow convicts, MManus,
Meagher and O'Donaghue Gall dead since then),
had already escape.
The plan of escape Devised hy Mr.. Smyth |
and Mr.. Mitchell was discussed ia all its de- |