Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-08-22

but he had q right 10 complain Of the
Ealannies they Circulated. Most rife
Of these was charge Of want of coass
age--in Ireland ; rare and very desri-
mental accusation. O'Connell, during
his latter years, declined dueiing, and
publicly avowed bis determination.
The reason given. and given in the
House of Commons. was, that having
shI0Od upon his hands. he had register
ed a vow in heaven" To this there
could have been no possible objection
had be included in the registry vow
not 10 offend. The real charge 10 which
he made himself amenable was bis per-
severance at once in insult and irre-
sponsibilisY- The truth il, O'COnnell's
want Of courage consisted II bis light
ing the duel in which the vow origina-
ted. The facts of the case are few and
simple. In one ofhis many mob speeches
he called the corporation of Dublin
"beggarly corporation" A gentleman
named D'Esterre affected TO feel this as
personal affront, he being one OF that
very numerous body, and accordingly
fastened a quarrel on the offender. II
is quite true that O'Conneli ehdeavored
to avoid the encounter. He did not do
enongh. He should have summoned
D'Esterre before the tribunals Of the
country, after falling 10 appease him by
repeated declaration that he meant
him no personal offense, and could not,
he being total stranger TO him. How
ever, 10 an evil hour, he countenanced
savage and anti-Christian custom
the unfortunate D'Esterre paid for his
perverseness with his life, and the still
more unfortunate O'Connell expiate6
his moral timidity with much mental
anguish to the day Of his death. The
perpetration of a duel appears TO me no
proof whatever of personal courage; the
refusal, in the then state of society,
would have shown much more. How
ever, on the occasion in question he
showed total absence Of what is vul-
carly called fear; indeed, bis frigid de-
Termination was remarkable. Let those
who read the following anecdote re-
member that he most reluctantly en-
gagged in the combat; that he was then
the father Of seven children; and that
il was an alternative of life or death
with him, d Esterre being repuied an
uuerring marksman. Being one Of
those who accompanied O'Conneli, lie
beckoned me aside to a distant portion
of the very large field, which had a
slight covering Of snow. phillips"
said he, "this seems to me not per-
sonak, but a political affair. | am OBJ
noxi0us 10 a party, and they adopt a
laTsssx gBseS - ID ent isiEe 90. 4 shall
not submit to it. They have reckoned
without their host, promise you.
am one of the best shots in Ireland at a
mark, having, as public man, consid-
ed it duty to prepare, for my own pro-
lection, against such an unprovoked ag-
gression as the present. Now, remem-
Der what / say 10 you. may be struck
myself, and then skill is out of the ques-
ton; but il am not, my antagonist may
have cause to regret his having forced
me into this conflict" The parties
were then very soon, placed on The
ground, at, / think, twelve PAGES dis
tant. each having a case OF pistols, with
directions to fire when they chose after
a given signal. D'Esterre rather agi-
tated himself by making a short speech,
disclaiming all hostility TO his Roman
Catholic countTymen, and took his
ground, somewhat theatrically, crossing
his pistols upon his bosom. They fired
almost together, and instantly on the
signal. D'Esterre fell, mortally wound
ed. There was the greatest self-pos-
session displayed By both. 1t seemed
TO me duty to narrate these details in
O'Connell's lifetime wherever heard
his courage questioned, and justice to
bis memory now prompts me to record
them here.