The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-04-18

of |
in the Confederate army, with one o. VIE Fl
Cant. James Mitchell, of the stan Oh zen. ..
Gordon, i had the pleasure.ot oeing intmaSsS K
acquainted. OF him / merely say, ne rece!vee @
the reward for his soldierly qualities Pr,leo
above all others by the Confederate sodier, 4
the praise of General Robert E. Lee. Nothihg +
can be added to that. ; | q
Established in Richmond, Mr.. Mitchell again
became connected with the press, ana mace NO
pen, as it always was, power In the ishu. :;
l say nothing here of his literary laoors
tbis time: his Continuation of MacGeoghegan . ,
History of Ireland, his editing the p poems u
Thomas Davis and James Clarence Mansau,
nor of his Jail Journal, and of bis OF Liie Aoon
Neil. These will be appropriately noticeu
by the critics and scholars. Continuing our
o1tline, in 1s74 Mr.. Mitchell visited Ireland LOT
| 11ez5 his name was put before the electors OF
| Tipperary for Parliament. At that time ne " 90
| in this country. Some of his friends IN No.
! York eudeavored to dissuade nun irou' asrp
ing the nomination. His reply was charsctefI
| istic of the man " Friends, I'll tell you now
feel on this matter. If to day got an insi' a.
ton to go to heaven and another inT,taIiHaa 20 w
| ON To ITINERARY, I declare to COO wonio 10
70 Clonmel first" Aud he went to IlpperafE;
He was elected to Parliament; declared lnel,,
eible by the British Government, anu eie''''
again o,oso Overcome
by the fatigue and excitement incident 10 his
struggle, the old man gives way ana rays n, ras
| self down to his last rest. With loving eyes
70 watch him, with loving ears to eaten his
Q faintest words aud loving hands qnick to MN.
lister to his slightest want, he breathes nIs hhs'
s siyh and is laid in the land he loved so wen.
. Thank God for the life of such man! ana
: what is that life The life we need to-day 70
o have set before us more than any other life
:. man can lead, az an example ana an 'ncenI so
= TO emulation For, notwithstanding Mr.. Her,
Is bert Spencer makes it appear that man Ia OUT
\. the product of the times, and to that extent
e reduces him to q mere effect, without resa'uIns
j. the important factor in the equation that man
n himself is also q cause, there can be no ques-
d ton of a difference among men as among
to mountains. And though the Alps have Gee sa
elevated by an upheaval of the earth, it does
not affect the fact that the Alps are higher tta
ar the Allegha MES; and being higher and larger
,e that they exercise q greater influence III pro
ill mountains are formed by tie revolutions in
re nature SO are our great men borne aleft by tue
revolutions in society. And as the geologist
le finds his materials in the mountains, not IN the
,g plains; in the uplifed aud exposed strata, not
in the level bottoms, let us see what 1T IS In
id him are honoring tonight mat dist'h'
x puishes him from tho men of his time.
nd Reviewing his life, then, as a book that IL
,r. closed, l should say the peculiar feature OF
he John Mtcheps character was his earnestness
is In IA word, lie was man of convictions. such
Cf men alas! arc veIv rare, and are becoming
rarer every day. What Mitchell thought, be
NO felt; what he felt, he Thought. HIS uohth
zee | grasp MAS not that of doubling schuoii man
M who doubts whether he doubts. HIS mlnt
ns seized its objects tiger its prey, fe!ceIy
tenaciousy, vigorously aseiznTe not I" De lie
90 TIL il has secured all the Inatter 1t contains
Patient in apulica;ion, persistent in research
his intellectual arsenal WAS always run o
facts. And these facts were nrraye'', nor as
museum of disused weapons, but as moder'
, arms bright and ready for service. VIVA
r. the result of a combat might be before cutter
md ing it, lie never irqnire". He never p",le!t
inu with au enemy. In Offering myself to th
th, electoIspi ia 90 Oh II tha + tb
chief fact about my past NE which f'co"
mended me the people of 1lpperary wa
that L had made no peace with England.
e Of He never could understand the meaning
the word ICON promise" With him il WI
Gus thus: if you right, yon are rlght; II yo
$50 are wrong, yoa are wrong. When principle
me at stake there can be no compromise "ltho'
tue dlshonor. Yon may surrender yo"r coiors al
m 60 to the enemy, bnt let it b" nnderatoo
d what YOU are doing. Don't CLAIM :" he TIVE
! TO Your principles Uulihe OEupne!i. as Drnt
IRE, to Cassius, Mitchell never wavered; new
srrove 10 control his utterHnc@s by the pailu
for of the statutes; never gave up the fHjmre Fl
the the present. OGOnaelts darInS always ct"
81 /, ped 1T IA certain puiht; Mitchell never Sd" II
en- ! point that could stop bin. oCnnnei' WOW
.'lE- have freed Ireland uud I cover o. t." B.l'l
rvs dag: Mitchell djsdiined lrdlrecton, ann II
rira- turltd the orange, G'e"n aud "hie 70 I
are hr.,ze and proclaimed war, open war y %
MES nell cherished the dolusion that On" nation
it is power over another would Yield to mora 81
nsa- s!on and abandon its pretenslphs; M'tcI
re- knew history better. OCorHah declared
ship human blessing SO ines'im'hi" a. to be w"'
ban the shedding of ono drop Of human bloo
. Mitchell knew thar no human blessing, IN
fnaL- shape of liberty, ever was parchaSed save
meet TO the long llsC of heroes that men delight
stnre honor, ending vi h the name of George Wa
ong- inptop in proof of his doctrine; aad "
'rous this he acted by this be shaped his life.
took this he became felon. willingly, joyiu
r the while Charles Gavan Duffy is to-day Sir CnaI
9th, Gayan Duffy
st, to Associated in the Nation when the Nal
and rras the voice of the Irish people, Duffy
muot Mitchell, how different their fates-Mitc
sons transported to a penal colony, Duffy knigh
North NV the English Government. One was true
hical Ireland, the other was true to England. {
on of was a man of convictions, the other q mar
my policy. Such it will ever bg. The time ser
nder- wins TO-DAY but loses tomorrow. The maj
with convictions loses to-day, but wius for all ii
If my to come
'oliti What else is it in Mitchell that men admi
parts, He was a man of heart; q real heart, ne
from sham one. He loved his native land wit
,litcs love surpassinc the love of woman.
'xciu- with the frothy affection which contents il
gland, with yaporinG; not with Fourth of j
gospel sentimentalIty; but with a real, downril
Once true, honest love.