New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-22
THE LIBERATOR.
o,coNNEIIss MErunnS AND CAREER.

vet been written, though there are many Doohs Gull
tanning material for his life. In the little volume
before us Mr. Hamilton has aimed at giving rather
n full sketch than biography. Indeed, no more
could have been accomplished IN the space at
command. for thoroughly jnteliieible life OF the
"Liberator" must involve tolerabB full history
of his time The earlier biographical attempts
were disticured and their value diminished by a
partisan animus which, while it made them par
ticularly lively reading, rendered 1t impossible to
accept their conclusions or even their versions
of occurrences without liberal allowance. MIR.
Hamilton has seered clear OF that pitiall at least
He has carefully consulted all the available au-
thoritcs, and he writes of exciting events with an
impartial tranquility add balance of Judgment
calculated to create confidence in his statements
and respect for his opinions
OConnel's life was one of storm and stress.
Born under the full weight of Catholic disabilities,
his boyhood and youth familiarized him with a
system of humiliation and oppression so CALLING
and bitter that at an early age he vowed to
relieve his countrymen were relief possible. 1t
was time when to be an Irish Catholic was to
be almost beyond the pale Of humanity. The
prescribed people were forbidden TO hold real
property; they were shut out from every avenue
to preferment or fame; they were exposed to in
cessant espionage; were at the mercy of the basest
shadow of confscaton; were refused educational
as well as religious privileges were barred from
Trinity College, and, as Mr. Hamilton observes
were in many respects treated very much as the
negroes were at the South before emancipation.
In regard to education, the analogy was close,
and the motives of the governors identical. The
Irish Catholic gentry were forced to send their
sons to France for a collegiate training and even
to get them across the Channel they had to be
concealed on board some slippery smuggling
schooner. In this way young Daniel OConnell
was sent to France, and at Douai he received his
education acquiring during the same period that
near view of the French Revolution which in-
huenced him ever after to condemn that move
ment, and probably gave him his strong and life
long bias against the use Of force as an agent of
political or social reform.
Returning to Ireland he studied law and was
called to the Irish bar. where in few years he
obtained a large and lucrative practice. After
his fourth or iilth year he could probably have
made from $4,000 to 100000 year by his pro-
fession, providing he had applied himself to it
steadily; but he was patriot first
and an advocate afterward. and moro
that half his life from manhood on
was given to his country. When first he en-
tered politics he found his people without leader
or . policy. Keogh had been their guide, but he
was old and failing, and the Irish aristocracy were
in favor Of doing nothing. Emancipation had
almost ceased to be agitated. OConrell at once
proceeded 70 Infuse new life into the cause. and
his untiring efforts produced remarkable effects
His policy was not the most sagacous probably,
for by his alliance with the Irish Bishops and his
Endorsement of their obstinate refusal to give
securities" there can be no doubt that Emanci-
patton was delayed several years. 1t might have
been secured while Napoleon was still in full
career, but when Waterloo had been fought the
British Government ceased to be uneasy about
Ireland, and she lost her leverage. O'Connen, on
the other hand was the inventor of the line of
politics which Parnell has since developed eff
iectively. Prior to that time the Irish knew but
two modes Of Accommodation in arms, or abject
solictation-and by neither of these methods had
they taken anything O'Connell had two strings to
his bow-Emancipation and Repeal. He could not
move English opinion on the latter proposition,
but he made it serve him powerfully in fusing
Irish opinion, harmonizing it and creating an or
ganization for practical political work. His idea
of the Catholic Rent was felicitous 1t
enabled him to provide the sinews of war, to keep
up the struggle without intermisson, to worry
Parliament, to teach the Government that the
Irish party might hold the balance of power.
both his own temperament and the exigencies OF
the situation rendered necessary. That the Eng
lsh should fail to understand him was inevitable
He was driven by stress of circumstances to play
o double game. He could not rouse the cnthus-
asm of his countrymen without appealing strongly
TO their hatred of their hereditary oppressors;
but it was his intention to "speall daggers, not
use them,' and here came in the most serious diff
fculty of his undertaking. He had to stimulate
Irish feeling almost to the point of rebellion, yet
to prevent it from reaching rebellion. Eventually
the tortuousness of this policy proved too much
for even the genius of OConnell He had taught
resistance too elIectualy for his own predom-
nance. and presently Young Ireland arose, vital
lied by the breath Of his fervd oratory and re-
fused to recognize the mandate of the old leader
Thus far and no farther shalt thou go!n The
Nation" party believed in physical force, and
broke with O'Connell on that question: taking
from him in the act the most vigorous blood of
the generation. 1t was terrible blow to
the old man, and perhaps it ended his career. 1t
must, however be perceised that he made his
own position far harder than it need have been
The plain truth is that his temperament was essen
tally combatve, while his judgment convinced
him that force could not remedy the evils COM
planned Of The result was that he talked sedi-
t1on and revolt on the stump, and in
the cabinet pursued distinctly con-
sentative course. Emancipation was finally
won, and it was won mainly by O'Con-
nell At the last he was compelled to make
concessions which seemed to stultify him some
what, but the gains worth all the sacr-
fees The loss of the forty-shiling freeholders |
indeed was heavy blow TO the Irish party, |
but it was that or nothing, and the Govern |
ment after the Clare election, could not be ex- |
pected to regard the extension of the franchise |
70 far beyond that enjoyed by England herself !
with favor.
In fact during his latter years his sincerity
was somewhat dscredited, and he lost ground
in consequence. but more simply by reason of
the advent of new generation, which had other
and loo Ia. l,;.l Id