The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-08-06

@notnoT eiecbiOn, Inle time contested, fierCol
contested. bad arisen the candidates bein
Colonel Trench, son of Lord Clancartb,
, wing and Tory landlord nominee, an
7 Captain John Philip Nolan, Home Raj
! candidate, under the auspices of the grea
Preiate OF the West" the world fame
AEcnoishoP OF Tuam. For years the gram
old man bad not interfered in an election O
emerged from the sorrowful reticepce int
which he had retired after the ruin of tn,
Tenant League. But Ireland W az up for tn
ola cause, and "John of Tuam," O'Connell'
stoutest ally in the campaign for Repeal, wa
and hIs influence be discredited in his ole
age was as UGH the point of battle, certainly
the point OF honor on the part of the people
as to return the Home Ruler. The struggle
was one of those desperate and merciless
encounters between landlord tyranny on
| the one side, and conscience in the poor
mans breast on the other, which used to
make Irish elections ss deadly and disas
| trous as armed conflicts in the field. Hap
PLY, it was the last of it's class ever to be
seen in Ireland for the Ballot Act, passed
year after. closed for ever the era of vote
coercion. Captain Nolan was triumph antly
returned. The famous Galway Election
Petition" in which Judge Keogh so distin-
gulshed himself, unseated him (for q time)
soon after; but Kerry and Galway struck
and won together that week in February,
1873; and the one blaze of bonfire res on the
following Saturday night, celebrated the
double victory for the national cause.
In the course of the next succeeding year
every election vacancy in Ireland but one
resulted in the return of Home Ruler, Mr..
Butt himself being among the Der.
There was now no longer any question as to
the magnitude of the dimensions to which
the movement had attained. "Uome Rule"
had become watchword throughout the
land saiutation of goodwill on the road
side; signal shout on the hills. To this
had grown the work bsgun almost in fear
and trem bling that night at the Billion Hotel
IN 1870 The hour could be no longer de-
layed for con vening the whole Irish nation
In solemn council to make formal and au
thorltatlve pronouocement upon the move
ment, it's principles aud it's programme. In
the end of the summer of S73 it was accord
ingiy decided that in the following Novem-
Der an Aggregate Conference of Delegates
from every county in Ireland should be con-
veped in the historic Round Room of the
Rotunda, memorable as the meeting place
Of the Irish Volunteer Convention more
than three quarters of a century before.
But the history of that important event
Htly belongs to another chapter of such
record as this. The point now arrived at
closes the first stage of the Home, Rule
novement-from 1870 to 1873 The second
three years-from 1873 to 1s76-wili ex-
1ibit it in new light, with the mandate
IT nation as it's authority, and powerful |
parliamentary party as its army of opera
ion.
(1ere the first part of the article, as pub
ished in the Catholic WorM for July, ter.
and the second part, which ap-
ears in the same magazine for August
ommences.-Ed. Starr
Whatever the ultimate fate and fortunes
t the Irish Home Rule movement NAV be.
must bo conceded that the projectors of
o other political endeavOr witnessed in
reland for century past took greater
aims than did its founders to constitute the
ndertaking as the work, not of party or
section or class, but of the whole ma
on.
For three years, from 1870 to 1873, the
rganlzation had existed in the precursery
r preliminary character described in the
ut number of the Catholic World. Signs
hich could not be misread had, with in.
'easing frequency and force, proclaimed
lat even already it might well, without
resumption, adopt q more authoritative
me ; but to the men who guided it's coun-
liz, these things spoke only of the moment
'me at last for submitting their work to . .
rmal ratification or rejection by the coun-
In what manner, or by what means.
'uld the opinions of the Irish people best
} collected or ascertained for such a pur-
'sef By the formal and regular, open, q
lbilc, and free election of parochial,
1ronial, or county delegates to a national
invention, of course. But there ia a law '
hich forbids such proceeding in Ireland. 3
elegates may be elected, and may ait, .
vote, and act, in convention =
in England, Scotland, OF Wales; y
1t if such proceeding we're attempted in =
Gland, the parties would be liable to i'm r
isonment. A formal election of dele {
ties to national convention being there
re impracticable, what course would be .
emed next best Only by indirect .
cans could the results W hich such conveu- q
IN would directly supply be replaced. The $
ties of the parliamentary Representatives =
Ould have been an excellent test of the II
lblic feeling, had those representatives 1.
en elected by such free choice as the pre- u
Mt system of vote by ballot secures in 1.
Gland. But in 1873 it was only at des- /,
rate cost the Irish constituencies could
nture to exercise the franchise as con- y,
fence dictated. The votes of municipal
and other popularity elect q
public bOdles. wonld come Dexf in inn VI