The New York herald., 1879-07-07
JOHN Mitchell.

CANON o'HAGANs LECTURE ON THE LIFE OF
THE DECEASED IRISH PATRIOT
Quite large audience present in the Brooklyn
Academy OF Music last night to listen to lecture on
the life and trials of John Mitchell by the Rev.
Canon O'Hagan. The lecturer introduced his sub
ject by rapid survey of the history Of Ireland
the struggle for Catholic emancipation.
When England granted emancipation. he said
there in Ireland population variously estimated
at between eight and nine million souls. OF which
the vast bulk Catholics and voters This eman-
cipation was then simply throwing too much in
fuence into the hands Of the Catholic element.
SO thought the English government And
the English Premier. Sir Robert Peel. by
act of Parliament. disfranchised the "forty-
shilling freeholders." Now the owners of large
estates had longer interest in having
their cut up into small holdings and peopled
with a dense population who could not return to
Parliament their and nominees. Hence eviction
by the wholesale became the order of the day. and
1000 900 human beings out on the high
WAYS so that the same hand that emancipated the
poor Catholics drove them forth from the home Of
their fathers and of generations before them the
mercy of a cold aud pitless world.
Such were some OF the reasons to account for the
spirit of revolt that msddened in the veins of the
young Ireanders. and that Davis and Mitchell and
Smith " Brleu auo the Otucrs uWelt on 10u DrOOueu
over.
John Mitchell was born on the Sd of November
1915. at the little market town OF Dungiven. county
Derry. His mother belonged to the Hszletts, old
aud highly respectable family on the banks of the
Foyle. The Mtchels were of the old Irish family of
that name. Such was ever their boast John Mitch
els father the Unitarian minister OF Dungiven.
an outs spoken volunteer and United Irishman. As
recognition OF his ability he was called to
the weathier and more arstocratic congregation
OF Newry. He was man OF the same
sturdy. lofty and unbendine nature his
.l.4 Lob, l.at,,,
the ministry. and sent to study at Trinity
college. Dublin. Here he turned his attention to
the law. and alter brilliant course OF studes took
his degrees with great tctat. Returning to Newry he
married the elegant and accomplished daughter of
OF its merchant princes, Mr. Richard Werner.
He settled in Banbridgc to practice his profession.
some injured Catholics employed him. The
went against them. lie appealed to q higher court.
Here again there was no justice for the down-trodden
Papists.
This outrageous case threw Mitchell into the arms
OF the followers OF O'Connell. His lite of Hugh
o'Nel gave HIM name ana fame. bringing him
cognion rs a leading spirit in the movement. An
article of his. have said. in the Nation got Duffy
into trouble with the government. and on May ~.
1S4s in the thirty third year of his John Mitchell
was arrested by the government Tor seditous Ian
ernment virtually admitted afterwxri. and Mitchell
was sentenced by Judge Baron Lefroy to fourteen
years penal scrvitudo. He was exiled to Bermuda
and thence to Van Diemen's Land.
The government officials who came personally in
contact with him could not understand that one so
refined intellectual would he the hcsrtless dema-
gogue that they had heard him described. lie would
not descend to ask Tor or allevisting favor
from England His frame was racked with the
deadly pangs of the asthma, yet the spirit OF the
man lofty and naughty. unswerving from what
he thought his line OF duty. He was martyr to
his principles. And his seizure, trial by u
packed" jury and conviction were, he said clear
refutaton of the doctrine of peaceful aud moral agi
tation. His spirit was that OF martyr to mis- cause
In his idea fit to lead unless his spirit
was that of martyr to suffer, IL need be. His
praises OF Meagher and Martin and O'Brien, that
they showed the same spirit. and his scorchng
sarcasm on Gavin Duffy. whom he njcknamed ''Give-
in Duffy," because he inemoraizcd the government
during his trial. were clear proof oil this.
As to the unfortunate rising under Smith o 'Brien
in Tipperary he ever depored it, in that 1t
fortunate and unsuccessful.
John Mitchell escaped from Hobartstown and
rived safe in America Here tor quarter of century
he devoted hs talents to the press. Another genera
tion OF natonaists had sprung upon Ireland. and to
1T Mitchell gave his sympathy. In 1874 he lett tor
Ireland to it again before his death. Some
time after his the states he called back
to represent Tipperary in Parliament. The old
spirit of the agtator stirred to its depths in
HIM. lie returned again TO send his last smart ut
English institutions. Tipperary elected him. Mr..
Disraeli. the Prime Minister, declared him ineligible
and the election null. He moved for warrant for Q
new Parliamentary election In Tipperary.