Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-01
DANIEL O'CONNELL.
Two Important Episodes In the Life OF
the Irish Liberator.

Two Important Episodes In the Life OF
the Irish Liberator.
Daniel O'Connell was born in 1776,
and was sent to France to be educated,
as was the custom at the time among
Catholic Irish families. At the age Of
20 he wrote to relative concerning
his future PLANS II have now two
objects to pursue-the one the attain
ment of knowledge; the other the &C.
QUESTION of all those qualities which
constitute the polite gentleman. l am
convinced that the former, besides the
immediate pleasure which it yields, is
calculated to raise me to honors, rank
and fortune, and l know that the
latter serves as general pass
port or first recommendation and
as for the motives of ambition
which you suggest, l assure you that no
man can possess more of it than do.
l have, indeed, glowing and, if l
may use the expression, an enthusi-
astic ambition, which converts every
toll into pleasure and every study
into an amusement. Though nature
may have given me subordinate tai
ents, l never will be satisfied with a
subordinate situation in my profession.
No man is able, l am aware, to supply
the total deficiency Of abilities, but
everybody is capable of improving and
charging a stock, however small, and
in its beginning, contemplate. 1t is
this reflection that affords me most
consolation. If l do not rise at the
bar l will not have to meet the re-
proaches of my own conscience"
The young man understood himself
we'll. His success as lawyer was ex
traordinary. Before he had been prac-
ticing five years he had within his
reach law business that would have
brought him an income of $4,000 or
500, 900 year But he had not fore
seen that he was born political gladi-
ator, and that the oppression of Irish
men and the miseries of Ireland would
constitute the one great cause of his
career.
When O'Connell took up the Irish
question many of his fellow Irishmen
like himself, were under a religious
and legislative yoke. They were for
hidden even to hold real property.
The agitator lived to see some of the
worst disabilities removed, and this
largely through his own incessant
efforts. His parliamentary tactics were
much the same as Parnell 's-he may
be said to have invented them. He
was elected to Parliament in 1928, and
was the first Catholic Irish member
after the revolution. The emancipa-
ton act received the royal signature
in 1929.
Parliament voted to admit O'Con-
nell if he would take the oath obliga-
tory with all members at the time.
His first appearance in the house OF
commons is thus described: THE ex.
element was intense; breathless
silence prevailed in that crowded as
sembly when O'Connell was intro
duced by Sir E. Burdett and Lord
Duncannon. The speaker then in
formed him of the resolution of the
house on the previous night-that he
could not take his seat unless he took
the oath prescribed at the time he was
elected The liberator then said
May l ask to see the oathi" The
clerk was directed to hand him the
oath, which was printed on large
card. O'Connell put on his spectacle:
and perused the oath with deepest at
tention. One would suppose he hat
never seen the oath before; during the
few minutes he was 50 perusing it the
smallest pin could be heard drop.
He then said: Il see in this oath one
assertion as to matter of fact which
l know to be false, / see in it another
assertion as to a matter of opinion
which believe to be untrue. / there
fore refuse to take that oath, and
with an expression of the most pro
found contempt, he flung the care
from him on the table of the house
The house was literally struck of {
heap. No other phrase that know o
but that quaint, old fashioned one cal
accurately describe the feeling o
amazement that pervaded parliamen
for some minutes after the card wa
thus contemptuously flung on thu
table. The speaker then said: "Th'
honorable and learned gentleman
having refused to take the oath, vii
please retire below the bar" and tn,
Liberator, again leaning on Burdet
and Duncannon, came below the ba
and sat near me under the gallery. Ii
the debate that ensucd the speakers OIL
all sides paid him the highest compli
ments but it ended in the issuing of
new writ for Clare. Detroit Ere
Press.