Connecticut western news., 1875-04-02
The Late John Mitchell.

Since the subjugation of Irelnnd by the iconoclastic legions of Cromwell in 1649, the history of reconstruction in the island has until lately been an often re- peated tale. The bloody revenge of the great Puritan for the massacre of the protestants in 1641 was followed by the recolonization of the island chiefly by his followers, and at this point the problem of English rule assumed its initial perplexities. Two courses were presented to England. She could hold the conquered province with a strong hand, or she could exercise & mere pro- tective supervision and leave the inter nal work of reconstruction to her own colonists. England did neither. She pursued @ halfway policy of vacillation, the evils of which were intensified by iniquitous trade laws and religious re- strictions offensive and preiudicial to all parties. The Irish government itself became a series of compromises with the most powerful factions, and intrigue, bribery and political selfishness weaken ed the functions of administration and stimulated social lawlessness and anarchy. It was this state of affairs continuous through so many years, says the New York EUening Post, that produced and reared the class of political agitators of which John Mitchell, whose death has just occurred, was but an ordinary type. Mitchell was the son of 8 Unitarian clergyman, of the town of Dungiven, county of Derry, and was born Novem- Der 3, 1915, being, therefore, at his death, sixty years of age. He was gradu- ated at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1886, entered upon the practice of law, which he continued through the stormy era of the O'Connen agitations, and in 1845 was called to Dublin as one of the edi- tors of the Nation of that city. His l editorial career in Dublin was brief, but, in a political sense, eventful. For two years he wrote constantly articles of the most revolutionary nature against the government, and in 1646, by an editorial in which he recommended the use of vitriol against the troops in the event of a street conflict, he subjected his journal to prosecution. His extreme views brought him into conflict with his edi- torial colleagues and caused his sepnra- tion from the Motion. The publication by him of new and personal organ, the
 United N.islsDae,a, which he filled with | reasonable sentiment, ended in 184S in it's suppression and in the repatriation of it's editor for fourteen years. Mitchell passed ten months under his sentence in the island of Bermuda, whence he was transported to Australia, and from there he effected his escape in 1854 and came to America.
 Mir. Mitchel's work in this country con. sisted of journalism and occasional
 literary labors. Soon after his arrival he founded weekly newspaper, the
 Citizen, which had sickly life and early
 death. He subsequently founded al
 Memphis, Tenn, the Southern Citizen
 the most striking editorial characteristic of which was it advocacy of the reopen
 ing of the slave trade. He also edited volumes of poems of Thonras Davis ant James Clarence Mangan, but did no
 succeed in impressing his individualit,
 either on American politics or letters. # On Monday, February s16, Mitchel
 who had returned to Ireland Q shor time before, and been nominated by tn Irish home rule party as a candidate fo Parliament from the county of Tipperary was elected without opposition. Tw'
 days afterward he was declared dis 7 qualified by the House of Commons, ant
 new election was ordered. Havin. Iarrived at Tipperary, Mitchell declareo himself candidate for reelection, and as recently announced, was returned b, 3 large majority, notwithstanding man, l | of his adherents abstained from voting Il The excitement and fatigues of the can vass induced series of fits of faintin, ? and prostration which were gradualI
 aggravated until his death.