The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-18
John Mitchell.

men. on Monday, from the county of Tippe
rary, to I'LL the vacancy caused by the retire
ment Of Colonel White. There was no opposi.
ton to his candidature, and as MIR. Mitchell
had recently visited Ireland without any
interference on the part of the authorities il
seemed natural that the government had
consented to overlook the offence for which
he was condemned twenty-seven years ago.
This offence consisted in assaiEng the Queen
and taking part in movement to overthrow
the British government In 1S4S, when
Europe was alive with revolutionary impulses.
when the republicans were rising in Germany
and Lamartine was endeavoring to found his
sentimental Republic in France, John
Mitchell, in conjunction with William Smith
O'Brien, Thomas Frnncis Meagher and many
others. engaged in an attempt to free
Ireland Mitchell was tried under an
act which made 1t felony to compass
or to imagine the deposition of the
Queen. or to give expression to any such in
tention." We believe it was the trial OF
Mitchell and his conviction that led to the
rising when, under the command OF O'Brien,
the Irish patriots engaged in conflict at
Ballingarry, where several lives were lost.
The result Of this conflict was the trial of
OBrien and his friends for high treason,
their conviction and Punishment O'Brien
Was allowed to return to Ireland in 1856, and
the action Of the English government in per-
hitting this was regarded as virtual par
don to all concerned with him, to mono more
than Mitchell.
Others of the patriots escaped from trans
portation, with the connivance, it is believed,
of the British authorities, and have lived in
the United States. Among them the most con-
spicuous is John Mitchell. He has been a resi-
dent of this country for many years. He has
taken an active part in journalism and poll
tics Nothing seems more natural than
that he should return to Ireland,
feeling that an offence which was
pardoned in O'Brien nearly twenty years ago
should not be remembered to the disad-
vantage Of one of O. Brien's comrades now. It
is not surprising that the friends Of Mr..
Mitchell should elect him to Parliament But
we cannot understand upon what reasoning
the British government proposes, as Mr..
Dsraei announced in the House of Commons
on Tuesday evening, to object to his taking
his seat. The ground alleged is ''that he is
felon under sentence" Mr.. Mitchell is as
much the representative of an idea as Sir
Charles Dixie or Sir Wilifred Lawson. The
offence charged against him was committed
nearly generation since. 1t was an offence
against the government and not against
morals, or in any way affecting his integrity.
There is no pretension that Mr.. Mitchell
returned TO England on an illegal errand. It
is certainly not an unlawful act for a subject
of the British Crown to accept the SURFACES of
his own people, and sit in the House Of Com
mons. Practically, even from Mr.. Disraeli' s
own point Of view, as the head Of the British
government, and bound, therefore, to protect
In all its relations the dignity of the law, it
would have been much wiser for him to either
pardon Mr.. Mitchell outright or to consider
that time had accomplished pardon, and
allow him to quietly take his seat.
Some years ago this very same district, we
believe, elected O'Donovan Rosa to Parl;a-
ment. Rosa had been sentenced to imprison-
ment for an attempt to overthrow the British
government. At the time of his election he
was actually in prison, undergoing sentence.
MIR. Gladstone moved that q new writ be
issued and the election declared void, on the
ground that Rosa was "a felon, undergoing
punishment. In the eyes of the English law
Mr.. Gladstones position was sound one,
as itwould have been impossible almost to
have expected the House of Commons to
admit to its deliberations q prisoner
doomed to severe punishment. But this
reason does not exist in the case of Mr..
Mitchell. He was allowed to return to Ire
land to live without molestation or hindrance.
The fact that he escaped from transportation
was overlooked. As we remarked before,
twenty-seven years have passed since his SEN
tence for an offence purely political. Ger
tainly, therefore, to object to his admittance
into the House of Commons on the ground
that che has been adjudged guilty of felony
and sentenced to transportation, and has
neither endured the penalty nor received a
pardon is a grave error. A wise, mag
unanimous, or even a prudent Minister would
HdNt O'cTlOONtu tuc iuCI tudt WIFE,, tcCnQ1-
cally, Mr.. Mitchell had neither served out his
sentence nor received pardon, and have
either granted him o pardon or considered
that his 'offence" had been condoned by time.
The effect Of this act of Mr.. Disrael will be
to revive i'll feeling and agitation in Ireland.
Mr.. Mitchell might nave quietly slipped into
the House of Commons unnoticed, perhaps,
except as a curious and gifted member of that
small body OF resolute nationalists who follow
the forlorn flag of Ireland. He could have been
crowded out Of general debate by the pressure
of business and the overpowering majority
against him. Al the very utmost he might
have made one or two speeches amid the jeers
of his opponents. As is SO often the case with
revolutionists late in life. he might have been
pushed aside by the lustier and younger men.