The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-08-18

and the decision of the Royal irish
Academy shows how impressed they
must have been with the ingenuity and
learning displayed in O'Brien's work, if
indeed they had not entertained some
notion that he was right.
A heated controversy now ensued be-
tween O'Brien and the Academy.
O'Brier roundly declared the decision
was most unfair and dishonest, and that
1t had been founded on trickery and
fraud. After the time announced for
the receipt OF the amended essays,
O'Brlen asserts that Petrie got his work
returned for month, in order tnat he
might improve some defects in it which
were pointed out by the judges. Petrie
was draughtsman to the Royal Irish
Academy, and to O 'Brien this was quite
sufficient proof that Petrie had been dis
honestly declared the winner. He even
went so far as to say that in the Dublin
Penny Journal-when published under
the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy
or edited by a member Of the council Of
the Academy-'the decision was already
pronounced; the premium was already
awarded" He, Of course, wakes wroth
over the Academy il a preface to the es-
say. which he subsequently published
in book form.
Sat the end of six months, (" he writes,
'they saw that the position chat as
suued was right, and that was entitled
to the premium. But they had already
pledged themselves to give it to their
friend, whose theory was the direct op-
posite Of mine, and consequently every
sentence III it, or in mine, must be
wrong-a discrepancy, however, which
they thought to reconcile by leaving the
original prize undisturbed, and voting
me separate one.''
To the Academy he wrote the follow
ing letter from London, whittier he had
removed in 1882:
81 had thought that the Royal Isish
Academy were not only learned but o
just and patriotic society. Ihad thought
that having marshalled themselves into
on institution, with The Avowed object
OF resuscitating from Death the most de-
SPARED Of evidences OF our national his
tory, they would not alone foster every
evidence towards that desirable consum-
nation. but shower honors and acclama-
tions and triumphs upon him who had
not only infused vital soul into those
morlbund remains, but made the his
tory OF Ireland at this moment the clear
eat, the irrefragable, end withal the
most thoroughly comprehensive chain
Of demonstiational proofs in the whole
circle Of universal literature.
''But it ia not alone the being de.
prived OF my reward that I complain Of,
and the transferring of that reward to
another, every sentiment of whose pro"
:luction must inevitably be wrong; but
it is the suppression of my labors and
the keeping them back from the public
eye. in dererence to my opponents
work, lest that the discernment Of the
public should bestow upon me those
honors which the discretion of the Acad~
envy has thought proper to ALLEVIATE, that
affects me as most severe.
fIndeed it has been stated from more
quarters than one that the withholding
The medal from me in the first instance,
and the substituting there instead
nominal premium OF $50, originated
from personal pique against me indi-
vidually. Such report L would fain
and yet it is hard not to give
it some credence, seeing that Che ire
s1stable cogeney Of my truths and the
indubitable value OF my literary discov-
cries are not only not rewarded, but
kept back from publication until some
one more fortunate, or. rather, more
favored, shall run away with the credit
Ut my most cherished disclosures. l
wis!,-I deslre~--I most Intensely covet,
Chat the Academy would convince me
that this is not an act of the most aggra-
waited injustice"
Rather heated language this. 1t
shows what sort of a man poor O'Brjen
was--it shows how filed he was with the
spirit of all enthusiast; how convinced
that his theory was not alone true, but
most wonderful aud astounding, and
that consequently it should have been
epplauded, and he himself
exalted on high throne among anti
quarians and archae ologists. The Acad-
envy saw at orce they had caught g
Tartar in O'Brien, and while refusing
to acceae to his demand to publish
his book, they returned him the MS.
and sought to mollify him with sugared
phrases. He again wrote appealing
most hvefar,oo11u RI t},a Aco1o,nu RI