The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-02
NJ. W. H.
The Irish Bar.

The Irish bar.
II.
We have already minated that The Irish
Bar. by G. |. DRoDrRicK O'FLANAGAN UIarpcr
& Brothers., il not an immortal work " gonlus
hut il affords glimps,s Of curious manners and
"A brilliant society hai bHyo paesed nwny. For
the American reader its pages ara full Of sur.
priscs. Let us turn them over second tine
rather for tho names and events they recall
thnn for anything TINT MIR. OFlanagan has 10
say IN the WAY II comment.
The name OF Grntiun holds high place in the
memory oi ireland. No man before or after him.
OConncll alone excepted, has ecpscd II. The
Irish Constitution WAS his work lie had subordi.
nate laborcrs some OF striking ability and
vigor. but he was the architect. A an orator
he lnbored under many physical disadvantages
In person lac was short and clumsy. his voice, too
was meagrc and shriil. and It's natural defects
werc aggravated by Encouragement which at
times made It's tones resemble an e,ge's
scream and ut other times tho lower notes Of
barrel organ. His style. however. was disfgured
10y an overload of antithcsis He best. showed
his genius and that sense Of fesoryod
power which marks the orator whom he rose
above argument into passion. His language,
morn than that OF any other orator OF his
time. contained images Of unhorrowcd beauty.
Few orators ever exceeded him In in1ucnos
over the minds Of men. Tho richness and 90
piousness of his dcton what Flood called hs
wardrobe NJ words." gave n brliancy Of plu.
mage 20 thoughts peculiarly his own. and
the force. viyacitv. and epigrammatic point
Of his sentenccs excited interest and
sustained attention. Fox. who crossed
over 10 ireland in 1877 to visit Lord
MORA thought worry highly Of him. He was Of
all contemporary speakers tho most aborous
in ia frfpnIa - "a ueaI 10
MI his private hours 20 the study Of his speech
cs. lie was also n capital shot. and gave up many
hours 10 practice in that fashion OF the day.
Paragraphs and pistols were his daily employ
mont. Caesars character Of Brutus. Qtid.QWd
rut rdide rlh" belonged to this little man OF
nerve in everything. in hitting n mark or sharp.
enlng n sarcasm. in satirizlng the Treasury
bench or shooting down n Minister.
sin il must be said that nj times his language
was nlmostus coarse and vulgar ns Thurlows. In
1905 Sir Jonah B1rrinAton WIS a popular can.
dilat' for Dublin. Grnttan went TO the polls 10
vote Tor him warn an Oranseman named Gil
forl. whose son was nlt'rward editor ~ the
London Standard. objected. because GraiiRn
had been expelled bv the corporation. Mr.
Sheriff" said Gruttan. turning to Clifford
when observe tho quarter from which the
objection comes am not surprised At iis hrinr
uiu'.'. II proceeds from the hired iiadunrr q
his country tho accommodated Of his fellow
citizens. the regal rebel. the UNPUBLISHED ruf-
fan. the biso;ed acitator. in tho city nrchrand,
in tine court % liar. ~ tho streets bully. In the
Ge.d u coward. So obnoxious Is he 10 the very
party Ac dcsiros To- espous'. that he is only sup
portable 10y doing those dirty acts tho less wills
reiU-" % execute"
Gca't1n was nways touched by tho beauties
o. nature and, ike Tom Fitzpatrick. Lang
D.. ~.
so'lt"s. wrct, vorscs. tine common play Of men
oi fashion of tho timr His favorte place Of
rrs; WIS nj the sea: Of his friend and uncle.
CHL Nagiav. aud bis fayortc pincc Of mclta-
ton There was tho " bower Of Nanessa." a little
retroat on sual. island in the grounds Of
Co.hridgc. uuler an ancient and picturesque
bridge. overriding with ivy. A mass Of ey-
crgrcens and laurel. mixed with Vow and
solemn cyprrss. shndrs II from the sun; roses.
lsssaminc. and houryspekir cntwine H. AMI tho
green around Is covered with flowers Of ala
hues On fhc deuth Of Col. Mnrlay il passed. t. his
son. thc Bishop 81 Cloul'rl and sill continues in
the family. when some alterations were being
maGo. Gra'tin wrote po'iic rcmonstrauce.
To this spot which onc' belonged 10 Miss Van
homr.gh. SwlC. lucklrss ndmirer. did Grnitan
retire in 1899. after giving notice NJ his motion
for Irish inlcprudcn 'r. nnl to escape the storm
tHwaLenod Tor even Barkc. Charlemont. and
others RI lrrlnnd's friends ut first denounced il
~ madness There" he wrote in private
lotter AZ the time grew convinced that was
right. grrnt spirit rose among the people.
and the speech which | altrrwnrd delivered in
the House communicated its Are and imprlled
them ou. The country caught tho nnmo md il
rau!d,y extended Tho l9h ~ April. 1880. tho
day brought tho question on. WINS n great day
ior lrr.nnt -that day gave her liberty"
Grattan'S spcoch mr. Independence was ono Of
his most powerful displays n beautiful compo-
s.,ion, finn co.; great ideas and dazzling inn
ugery, the whol' polished with tho laborious
trX,rriiy ~ ono 81 the most ski.!u. masters Of
language the world hus eyer soon.
The man WHO ilr-. nrough, Gru,tan before tho
people should -ot bn forgotten. Grattan camo
into Parliament under the patronage Of
Lord CAarl'mon' This nohcmnn WAS tho
artist who fashioned the future IDOL o.
lronn1 II" WAS r'markahi" man. With
ont power NJ any Kind. or largo property. OF
striking tlouie. hr hroamr tho first nohleman
Of Iceland. Grn,'nn's description NJ him ia
grateful yet uneNtssHrat"i: lIo was tho
most accomplished man ot tina day; the most
polished mad the most agreeable. In those ro-
'p''o hr WIS superior ~ any man who had yot
appeared I'm ireland. His society was charm
ing. Iie was fond Of humor and occas ioually
p1uy. lie possessed ambition. a great love u
u'w"r great contempt for money tho consid-
crrion OF when povcr entered his mind. ha
was inrorrupttblc." And SO WAS GraI'an. Il
nm said he. "onc OF the poorest Of Common
crs rs Lord Char,cmont is on" ~ the poorest
Of peers. B3, wn VIII t1kc nothing" This
selfNhncgat,on IN Grttpu found ms reward.
As the minister could not purchase me- said
hc the nation d.d'
On the passage Of tho declaration Of in
Dependence. Mr. Bncncal, the member for
Carlow, man ~ opulouno and weight in tho
country. moved That thr Irish milton. through
us representatives,. should mako a grant ~
flo10o1 o. pur 'Aus' Gtlran am estntc. Atllr,t
%" refused any grant brt finally accepted
1jo0au, which was oxpend'd in tho purchase
of Tcnnchinch House. beautifully situated
among tie mountains Of Wicklow. and
now jointly owned by his two great
granlrhidron. Sir Grattan Brllcw OF Mount
Below in tho County Of Galway and
S.r Gratian F-moud' ~ Ealynnstrah. in ITO