Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-01-21
DANIEL o'ceENELL.

saw him on the morning he re
ceived his sentence. He came alone
into the little robing room where |
used to keep my wig and gown, and
donned his professional habiliments-
his silken robes of Queens counsel, and
his bar wig. As he exchanged for this
the curly. .qutty-brown '.jassey" he
usually wore, E observed his head was
entirely devoid of hair. He was as
bald az the first Cesar.
When the Chief Justice, Pennefsther
pronounced sentence he had been the
agitator's personal enemy snd profess
lonal rival through his whole career
noticed bitter smile fit over the
old mans face. OConnell then re-
tired through a side door where Col.
Browne, the Chief Commissioner of
Police. was waiting to receive him.
Browne, who is still alive, told me that
he had his own carriage drawn close up
to the outer door, into which he hand
ed the State prisoner, taking a seat by
his side and drawing up the blinds
Crowds of fricze- clad peasants lined
tn" quays; an angry scowl was upon
every face and an Infatuated multitude
surged the streets of the metropolis
The morning was gloomy; thick fakes
of snow were beginning to fall ;; dsep
excavations filed the air as the popula-
favorite was borne slowly away, for the
coschman was unable to move his
horses faster than at foot'pace. Oh.
serving this state of affairs, and that
the angry mob was pressing close upon
the carriage, Colonel Browne, who III
his time had led more than one forlorn
hope, told me that he felt the emer.
gency of the situation. He took out Il
case of loaded pistols, cooked and laid
them upon his knee. When OCoDnell
saw this he smiled. ga wise precau-
tion," he said, ''but useless." eff l
were only to raise my hand you would
be in eternity !" and these words which
he uttered were full of significant
meaning. When its passions are arous
ed Dublin mob is very terrible. Ii
took Chief Justice out of his carriage
once aud tore him to pieces on the
spot.
One word from O'ConneH on that
morning would have caused = revolu'
ton. Formula Bile military precautions
had been taken--the troops were under
arms, cannon were so placed as to CONS
mand the thoroughtares but ! do be
lieve that if the signal had been given
the whole country would have arisen,
and to annihilate an entire nation by
grape-shot would not have been an
easy matter. The prisoner was con
veyed in safety to Kilmainham, but for
many days af:erward the prison was
surrounded by an Infatuated throng.
There never, believe. lived in the his
tory Of any country man who had the
same extraordinary hold oyer the af
fections of an entire nation as O'Con-
nell had over the Irish. He was the
greatest popular lead er ever known.
No one who reads these pages can, !
apprehend, form any adequate iaea of
what those monster meetings were
which this man called together and ms
famed with his fiery vigorous elo.
quence.
From the summit of some hill, where
the tribune took up commanding
position, you could have seen -tbous
ands dsep-the serried and compact
ranks of vigorous men Che stature of
the Irish peasants usually averages six
feeD whose eager upturned faces
vibrated With every emotion called
forth by the impassioned orator. These
were the manner of men this tribune
led. They believed every word which
fell from his lips, and they would have
followed him to the cannons mouth, or
to the gates of place which is un-
mentionable And when think of
his unbounded influence, the formidable
organization he had erected, with the
priesthood at his back, and through
them the entire populace, and remem
Der how he failed in obtaining the OBJ
ject of his ambition, and contrast with
that organization the puny movement
in favor Of Home Rule, which is but
the repeal of the Union in another
form, led by an unstable Queens coun.. |
sci, then all | can say upon the subject
to my countrymen is don't they wish |
they may get it,
Notwithstanding Grattan's assertion
to the contrary, believe O'Connell's |
patriotism was a genuine sentiment. |
He incurred much obloquy by collect
ing rent in pence from the people, which
amounted often to many thousands a
year; but then it must be remembered
that he gave up large professional in
come in order to be enabled to devote
his entire energies to the redress Of
what be thought their grievances. He
was admitted on all hands to be the