The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-03-08
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL. SATURDAY, MARCH 1890.

"Were I to number indeed the men
among all I have ever known, who ap-
peared TO me to combine in the greatest
degree puse moral worth with intellect
ual poweg, I should among the. highest
! of the tew, place Robert Emmett.
| Wholly free from the follles and frailties
of youth-though how capable he was
of the most devoted passion. events
afterwards proved-the pursuit of sci
ence in which he eminently distin~
| guished himself, seemed at this time
the only object that at all divided his
| thoughts, with that enthusiasm for Irish
| freedom which IN him was an heredl
tary, as we'll as national feeling; him
self being the second martyr his father
had given to the cause. Simple in all
his habits and with repose Of look and
manner indicating but little movement
within. it was only when the spring
was touched that set his feelings, and
though then, his Intellect ia motion,
that he at all rose above the level of Or
dinary men. On no occasion was this
more particularly striking than in these
displays of oratory with which, both in
the Debating and Historical society he
SO often enchained the attention and
sympathy of his Young audience. No
two individuals indeed could be much
more unlike to each other than was the
same youth to himself before rising to
speak, and after;-the brow that had
appeared inanimate, and almost dro0p-
ing at once elevating itself to all the
consciousness of power, and the whole
cuuntenance and figure Of the speaker
assuming change as of one suddenly
inspired. OF his oratory. iC must be
recollected, l speak from Youthful i'm
presslons; but l have heard little since
that appeared to me, of loftier, or
what IS far more rare quality in Irish
eloquence. purer character: aud the eff
fects it produced, as we'll from Its own
exciting power. as from the suscepti-
bility with which his audience caught
up every allusion to passing events, was
such as 10 attract at least the serious at
tentlon of the fellows; and, by their
desire, one of the scholars, a man of ad
vanced standing and reputation for
oratory, came to attend our debates ex-
pressly for the purpose of answering
Emmett, and endeav0rlng to neutralize
the Impressions of his fervid eloquence.
Such in heart and mind was another Of
those devoted men, who met gifts that
would have made the ornaments and
supports Of a we'll regulated community, |
were driven to live the lives Of conspi
rators and die the death of traitors by a
system of government. which it would
be difficult to think Of with patience,
did we not gather hope from the pre-
sent aspect of the whole civilized world,
that such system of bigosry and mis-
rule can never exist again."
Judge Johnston, in the London aud
Dublin Magazine of 1925, entitled
"Robert Emmst and his contem-
poraries, y says:
During these harangues Emmet's
fine manly countenance gloWed with an
ardor. and he delivered
himself with as much animated fervor
as If he were addressing numerous
but distracted assembly which be
wished to persuade. His words flowed
with graceful tluency, aud he combined
his arguments with all the ease OF a
man accustomed to abstract discus
sions.'
In the spring of, 1898, the society of
United Irishmen was rapidly growing
large, and many of Emmet's class
mates and associates in court Of college
were leading spirits in it. It was about
this time that Lord Chancellor Glare
visited the college with the view OF |
holding court of inquiry into the
workings of the Students, whom he
were sworn members Of the
but Emmett protested
against any examination under oath
as such procedure intended to inculpate
their fellow students, and required
them to disclose the names Of such of
their associates as were mem bers of the
society. This course on Emmet's part
cost him his seat in college. for he was
expelled soon after. This act Of injus
tice on the part Of the college autho-
rites created considerable feelings
against Chancellor Glare, and much
sympathy for Emmet. He resolved to
push the movement that was so dear to
his heart VIZ: the perfecting of the
society and the overthrow OF the govern
ment at home. He became closely