The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-03-11
John Mitchell


John Mitchell
4 The recent election Of John Mitchell to th
British Parliament from County Tipperarv
Ireland, and the decision Of that body that !.
is ineligible to his seat, has called forth reviey
By the press Of his eventful history. We TAX
from the Baltimore american, of the Goth, thu
following summary Of the principal events ii
/ his somewhat tempestuous career, which may
be interesting q - number OF oar readers:
The career Of John Mitchell was sonlewha
extraordinary Until he was cxed by sentene
1 Of 4 British Court, but si.cc that Tins he ha
been an atlventnrer, whose brilliant talents
could not lift him above the mott common place
! performances. He was born at Dangyen ii
| the year 1915. His father was a Unitarian eler
gyman, and he himself was elucatad for tbs
ministry. Graduating at Trinity College, Dub
lin, when quite q youth. lie began q course Of
theological reading which he sooa abandoned
for the law, and was entered az 4 stlden. in
the Office OF an attorney in Blnhrlse. Before
I he WIS atlalttetl to the Bar he eloped with a
young lady OF cambridge, and began life as .
married man, having not yet attained his
twentieth year. His wife followed him through
| his strange career with wonlaply devotion, and
ahc will some time be regarded as the greater
iijES OI Tie LNaitl " dSItCC
Bar is said to have been lucrative, he found
time during the six or seven years that he lived
at cambridge to write 9 history Of Ireland. In
1915 he removed to Dublin, and became one OF
the principal writers on 'slhe Nation, q paper
that represented the revolutionary wing OF the
Loyal National Repeal Association, founded
by Daniel O'Connell. Thomas Davis, Smith
O'Bfien, Thomas Francis Meagher, John Mitch
ell, and q host of other young men less known
n baIo to rt which tNdy
named young Ireland" Il was not long be-
fore Mitchell brought down the wrath OF the
Government on .sIhe Nation" On the 22d OF
November, l845, an article appeared, written
by Mitchell, ia which he advised the people to
tear up the railroads in q certain contingency,
and to wreck the trains i'll which soldiers were
being transported. The paper was prosecuted
for this, but though the Judge who presided
at the trial told the Jury that this was ssdi-
tious libel, they failed to- agree on verdict
This was considered a great triumph for'' Young
lreland.''
In the meantime important political changes
took place in England. The situation IN Paf-
lament was not unlike that which new obtains
in our own Congress. The Government party
introduced s.the Irish Coercion BILL" which
bore some resemblance to the force Dip now
pending in the House Of Representatives. The
Wings were opposed to enactment OF sach an
arbitrary and oppressive law FOR the suppress
ion Of disloyalty in Ireland and formed Goa
ltion with the irish Repealers. O'ConneN IA
vored the coalition and, this brought MIN
into disrepute with the ssYoung Ireland" party,
who loved the Wings no better than they did
the Torres, and VINO really wanted 'revolu-
ton" O'Connen knew their purposes and at
tempted to drive them cut OF the Repeal Asso-
citation by Introducing what are known IN the
history Of the uprising Of l84S, as tie peace
reselutions,'s in which it was set forth that ehe
Repeal party ahhorred 'sali attempts TO improve
and augment constitutional liberty by means
Of force. violence or boo6lsiael.o and tliat ITO
promote political amelioration peaceable means
alone should be used to the exclusion OF ali 9th.
ers,.' There was q fierce debate on these resS
lutions Mitchell and Meagher speaking for the
young Ireland" party. They were With
drawn by O'Connell for tho time being. but the
revolutionary temper Of the hi{chei party De,
coming more apparent, they were introduced
again, ana adopted. Smith, o'Brien, Mitchell,
Measrlei. and the other fiery spirits Withdrew
from the hall and severed their connection With
the Repeal party, and after year OF active az
itatiosi formed the Association known as the
t.Irish Confederation" Mitchet founded
newspaper called the United IrishasG7s, through
which he continued to harl defiance at the
British Government. On the 2ist OF March.
1913, Mitchell 0 'Brien aud Meagher Were arrest
ed on !. charge OF sSssliton and held to bail
Their alhert ITS in Limerick gave them 4 BAN
a:iet, which prl voked a riot, the popniace be-
ing Indignant that such honors shoilluoe Eaia
to men who were the enemies OF 0'Cohueil--
Mitchell kaps Oh with his setlitons writing end
speaking, tlaterriiiet by the prosecutions that
wfs hanging over his head. On the lota OF
Asril. Is 3. Parliament passed all act which It
is said waSi.ltantlad to meet A1itchells case
The bill provided that whoever should levy war
against the Queen, compass, divine, imagine,
or cndeavor to deprive her OF her style, titlc
and royal dignity, or who should oy open aiie
a,lyisesl speaking, printing or publishing aIciae
others to do 80, was guilty OF s. felony. me
penalty WAS transportation bsyone gAe sea Iof
life, or term ST years.
On the 18Th Of May, 1878, Mitchell was again
arrested, ana indicted under provisions OF
the s,rreasen act.s' passed enc month before.
He was tried and convicted o. the 18th OF May,
the trial only lasted about eight hoars. 1hen
the Court was about to pass the sentence Oh
him he got up 4 very dramatic see G, "ntcn o
wrought upon the feelings OF some OF ms
friends that they gave utteaance to their absiar-
ence Of English rule il the presence OF tne
Court, ana were arrested fer contempt. lie
was sentenced to fourteen years banlhmeht %
the penal coiony on Spike lsland Ia lo3t ne
made his escape from the island aux came 10
n ew York. liz soon afterwards settled III = en-
nessee, and hec:.ne great cilamploa o. enc
Institute II OF slavery, bit his laborS III tais di-
South, and the paper which he stts'tcd IS dis
lively Pre- slavery journal had very saiall en-
culation. During che war he came to Rich
mond, and was fora time chief editor Of the
Esaxsisea a the close Of the war he left the
South. and is would be ilafl to prays II what
city or on which Continent re has had his
donecf for the past twelve years, tithoHsa
he was heard Of oceasienly in New Aork
tile Laws Of England ranllire member oI
Parliament to have his residence II the district
that he represents, Nj Dsrlsli wotiii not nave
Been under the necessity OF showing fhat ne
was convicted Of felony, and WAS therefore III
eligible
Reports ara coming from vaEIons sections OF
the ice gorges and floysls caused by the tiiaw.
The Delaware river is ii.na'neel with ice az fof'
Jeigis, serious ifes?tt exists i'll the iiotlsa
tonic and Naagxtuc..st rivers in Connections
the sshilylSll abovd Philadelphia is in threat
uning condition. and at KnoSyilla anu chatFa-
nooua the water has covered some Of the CITY
streets. No very large amount OF damage
however. has yet been annonced, some OF thc
vessels Of the ce-fiaet OF Massachusetts Ray are