The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-05

condemn my tongue to silence and my
reputation to reproach? Your execu.
toner may abridge the period of my exis.
tence; but while exist I shall not for.
bear to yindicate my character and mo-
tives from your aspersions, and, as a man
to whom fame is dearer than life, will
make the last use of that life in doing
justice to that reputation which is to live
after me, and which is the only legacy
can leave to those L honor and love, and
for whom I am proud to perish. As
men, my lords, we must appear on the
great day at one common tribunal; and
it will then remain for the searcher of all
hearts to show collective universe who
was engaged in the most virtuous actions,
or swayed by the purest motives-my
country's oppressor, Or
Here he was interrupted, and told to
listen to the sentence of the law.
My lords, will a dying man be denied
the legal privilege of excul eating him
self in the eyes of the community from
an undeserved reproach thrown upon
him during his trial, by charging him
with ambition, and attempting to cast
away for paltry consideration the iber-
ties of his country. Why did your lord
ships insult me? Or rather, why insult
justice in demanding 0" me why sentence
of death should not be pronounced
against nae? know, my lords. that form
prescribes that yon should ask the ques-
tion. The form also presents the right of
answering. This, no doubt, may be dis
pens@d with, and SO might the whole
ceremony of the trial, since sentence was
already pronounced at the castle before
the jury was impaneled. Your lordships
are but the priests of the oracle, and /
insist on the whole of the forms
Here Mr.. Emmett paused, and the
court desired him to proceed .
I am charged with being an emissary
Of France. An emiesary of France! and
for what end? It is alleged that T wished
to sell the independence of my country :?
and for what end? Was this the object
of my ambition? and is this the rnode by
which tribunal of justice reconciles
contradiction? No; l am no eu,issary;
and my ambition was to hold q place
among the deliverers Of my country, not
in power nor in profit, but in the glory
of the accomplishment Sell my coun
try's independence to France! and for
what? Was it for change of masters?
No, but for my ambition. Omy country!
was it personal ambition that could inhu-
ence ne? Had it been the soul of my
actions could I not, by my education and
fortune, by the rank aad consideration
of my family, haze placed myself amongst
the proudest of your oppressors? My
country was my idol To it L sacrificed
every selfish, every endearing sentiment;
and for it [ now offer up myself, OGod!
No, my lords; acted as an Irishman,
determined ON delivering my country
from the yoke Of a foreign and unrelent-
ing tyranny, and the more CALLING yoke
of q domestic faction which is its Joint
partner and perpetrator in the patricide
from the ignolniny existing with an ex-
terror of splendor and coneious depra-
witty. It was the wish of my heart to OK
tricate my country from this doubly riv-
eted despotism-I wished 10 place her in
dependence beyond the reach f any
power on earth. wished to exalt her
to that proud station in the world. Con
nection with France was indeed intend
ed, but only as far as mutual interest
would sanction or require. We're the
French to assume any authority incon-
sistent with the purest independence, it
would be the signal for their destruction.
We sought their aid-and we sought it
as we had assurance we should obtain it
as auxiliaries in war and allies in
peace We're the French to come as in
vaders or enemies, uninyited by the
wishes of the people, I should oppose
tNcul w uA4o uVuOSt VI LILY SuIonS Gu
Yes my countrymen, I should advise
you to meet them upon the beach, with a
sword in one hand and torch in the
other. I would meet them with the de-
structive fury Of war. would animate
my countrymen to immediate them in
their boats, before they had stepped on
the soil of my country. IT they succeed
ed inlanding and if forced to retire be-
fore superior discipline, I would dispute
every inch of ground, burn every blade
of grass, and the last entrenchment of
liberty should be my grave. What
could not do myself, if I should fall, /
should leave as last charge to my coun-
trymen to accomplish; because should
feel concious that life, any more than
death, is improbable when a foreign ma
tion holds my country in subjection.
But it was not as an enemy that the sue
cors of France were to land. I looked,
indeed, for the assistance Of France; but
r wiahed tn nroya fo France and to the