The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-12

an, ths learned to regard Law merely as the
lexprssslon Of Iolce, and It's moral we ght wss
century the main object OF the legislature was
TO exttrpate a religion by the encouragement
some of the best qualities of our nature.
IL was with this material that
O'Connei was called upon 10 work. AT bis
bifth the worst features OF the code had been
relaxed, so that he attended the first Catho
lie school opened in the county
and afterwards. as all higher educs
ton was still impossible az home
he was sent to the Jesuit College at 81
Omer's, In Frence. When he returned. a
q further modification had taken place
which allowed him to enter at the bar wuilo
shutting him off from the highest honors of
his profession. But the penal code had LETT
the Catholic people OF Ireland ignorant, dis
organized, spiritless. The peasantry had
been gosded to madness, and attempted a
rebellion which had been disastrous fail
ure. The gentry, long accustomed to fawn
and cringe, were grown too timid to assert
their rights. The priests were not vet so
used to tolerance as 20 dream OF privilege.
The spirit of nationality among the
ceived its death blow by the
abolition OF the Irish parliament and
the legislative union with Great Britain. To
breathe a soul into these masses was O'Con-
nell's mission. He aimed at two great OBJ
isc.s-the emancipation of the Catholics OF
Ireland from all disabilities, and the repeal
OF the union which had just been consum-
mated. The first prize he won after years OF
labor; the second. project is in the hands
of the Home Rule party OF to-day, and
is destined TO slow but certain accomplish
ments. The popularity about his plan OF
action was that he aimed at revolution sim
ply by means of moral force, and, first
among men. rightly conceived and esti
mated the power OF organized public opinion
in the work of reform. He
knew that his country, dis
armed, impoverished. and discouraged,
had no hope save in the persistent state
ment OF her case before the enlightened
Judgment of mankind; and he had first to
rouse the people to sense of their OWL
rights, and then to force their oppressors to
do Justice.
gan public life at the beginning of
the present century and only The
stubborn perseverance of genius sustained
him in toe slow and lsborious progress on
ward. The man who, in after years,
gathered the people IL nlasses-liko the as
sombling Of vast armies-cOuld not at the
first two meetings of the Catholic Associa-
ton muster quorum of ten members. anu
only completed the requisite number by call
ing in couple of passing students. But ne
breathed his own courage and enthusiasm
into the nation, so that finally, in 1929, the
measure os emancipation which Gratsan,
Curran and Pitt had tailed to procure was
carried by sheer moral force, the Iron Duke
OF Wellington bowling TO the organized and
determined demand OF his coantrymen
FROM this success O'ConneN went
forward in his agitation for a re
peal OF the union, educating
and guiding the sentiment
of his country. No man ever became so
idolized in Ireland, or so thoroughly hated
in England, and yet throughout all the
great struggle ne transgressed no law, en-
no crime, tolerated no violence.
His novel method of revolution bsfllsd
enemies who had foaod it an easy tack to
dispose of Emmett, aad only laughed at
smith O'Brien. His power and its results
are well expressed in the words OF an i'm
partial critic:
over all this vast movement OConnelI, at this
time reigned supreme. There was no rival TO
his supremacy; there was no restriction to his
He played with the fierce enthasl-
Of of n msster' He Governed the complicated or.
ganiZatiOn he had created with sagac1ty
that never failed. he had made himself the
which the riaing intellect of bis own revol, ed.
He had transformed the whole social system OF
OF heiand; almost reversed the relative posi-
tions of Catholics and PrOtestants; remoddeled
by his infiusnce the ecclesiastical, the
representative, Inc edncatlona1 1nstlt A, s as
widest dreams of his predecessors. Can we
wonder at the proud exaitation with which ne
country, and followed her hearse; II was lsit
for me TO sound the resurrection trumpet, ana TO
show that she was not dead, but sleeping.
To attempt to analyze within the space OF
a newspaper article the qualities of the man
who by sheer force of intellect accomplished
SO much, would be a futile task. 1t IS
enough to say that he was pure in pubic
and private life: that his moral courage
amour IssA 10 >uQACAsy; tnAb BIS Industry Sn-
tenacity of purpose would nave won hun
that eminence in his profession which mis-
genius commanded; aud that the broad
and liberal principles for which
he fought in Ireland he applied To
all men writhing under oppression. he
was soldier in every good cause. If be
was &c times fierce, aggressive. and unsceG-
pulous in his warfare, much can be for
given ia consideration of the opposition
which he encountered and the noble pur
poses which he had ia view. Ii nis motal
character was grand, his intellect was colossal.
In originality, in Wit, humor, pathos, force,
he was almost without rival. His wisdom
in design and cunning in detail we're mar
vslloGs. His knowledge OF men-espt e.ally
of Irishinen-Was like a masters control of