The Irish standard., 1890-08-16

and veneration for ireland, he resolved
at an early age to raise that dear ole
isle to the position among the nation!
of the earth which she deserved. H,
saw the cream of the rising generation
of his time forced to either cross tn,
seas and take their chances among the
people of other lands. or JOIN the Brit
ish army that was then. as it is now
maintained to crush the helpless ane
rob the needy of their own. When bu
boy Of 10 years he weighed we'll tn,
lesson that Martyr Emmett taught, ant
fearful of the result should his plan
fail, he decided to do missionary worl
among his countryEen, who then com,
posed almost two thirds of the British
army. Though possessed of splendid
literary abilities which his after life de
velOped in marvellous degree, he chose
his c0untry's cause first, and forgetfu
of himself he enlisted in the Englist
army with the view of educating his
cOuntrymen up to true state of Ire
lands condition. He labored we'll in
this capacity for time. but was de-
tected and thrown into prison. His
trial, like those Of hundreds OF othes
Irish martyrs before him, was travesty
on Justice. and without allowing him an
opportunity to explain, he was pro-
nounced guilty OF high treason and sen.
fenced to be shot. What a dangerous
man must this boy of % years have
been England feared not the cause
that he was advocating, but it was be-
cause of his nationality and religion
that the extreme penalty of the law was
ordered to be inflicted. Some kind and
admirlng friends interceded for young
O'Reilly, and, the sentence was com.
muted. He was then shipped to the
transportation colony in Australia.
Here he reconciled himself to the I'M
pleasant surroundings as best he could,
and when the opportunity presented it,
self he made his escape to the seaside
and left in an open boat. He, with
other convicts, put out to sea without
provisions and nothing to sustain them
on the waters Of the deep except their
iron constitutions. In this abandoned
and starving condition they drifted
over the ocean for several days, until
they were sighted by an American
steamer and taken on board. They were
taken to the ''land of the free." where
Mr.. O'Reilly was received with open
arms by those who still thought him a
prisoner in Australia. He turned his
attention to literary work, and wrote
many poems and novels, which COM
mand high place among the best
literary productions of the country. AS
an editor he was great success. After
working on several Eastern newspapers
he founded the Boston Pilot, and acted
in the capacity of editor 1n-chief of that
paper up to the hour of his death. How
we'll he built up that influential paper
need not be dwelt on here. Ke made 1t
the leading Irish-American journal of
the country. Through his many years
of hard and faithful work, he did not
forget the land of his birth. Many
poems he wrote in her honor, and these
the best American critics have pro-
nounced as very fine. A more dlstin-
guished martyr in Ireland's cause has
not yet set foot on this freedom loving
land OF ours. His life was almost
wholly given up to the cause of his ma
tive lana. Unlike many who suffered
In England's jails and prisons, John
Boyle O'Re1llY was very slow to touch
on his own sufferings in prison. He
seemed to care more for his countrY,s
freedom than he did for himself, and
how we'll and industriously he worked
in her behalf can never be described
even by the most careful writer. In him
ireland and Ireland g cause hau q warm
friend and advocate, and his loss to her
is irreparable, She will mourn his
death for many years to come. Amer
lea too will mourn his death, for it is
here that his worth as a man, q poet
and patriot was appreciated. Ireland's
most gifted son IN America is dead, and
the sympathy Of IS, OOO. 600 Of people is
extended to the bereaved family. 81
s $500. 3
85 JUDGE u. q. Baxter, Of Fergus Falls,
who was spoken Of as a candidate for
governor on the Demo cratic ticket, SAYS
he is not, and would not under any cir
#cumstances allow the use Of his name
before the convention for that Office.
He e out of politics 50 far as the gov
Iernorsbip a concerned.