The Irish standard., 1892-11-19
FOR HIS COUNTRY,
O'Connell, the Defender Of the
Weak, and the Terror Of the
Wrongdoer.
STRUGGLE FOR EMANCIPATION

STRUGGLE FOR EMANCIPATION
What the Great Champion of Civil
and Religious Liberty Ao-
complished. Fl,
OF all the distinguished men OF whom
Ireland can justly boast there is mono in
ancient or modern times whose name
stands SO proudly before the world as,
that Of Daniel O'Connell. the Emancipa-
tor of the Catholics OF Great Britain and
Ireland, the consistent and practical
child and advocate of the Church, and
the enemy of despotism, slavery, and all
forms of injustice throughout the world.
In the history of modern Ireland he
seems to stand like tower OF strength,
guarding and dominating the smaller
structures around him. His massive
frame and gigantic intellect, his earnest
ness, enthusiasm, aggressiveness and
profound knowledge of human nature
would in any age or nation have pointed
him out as one destined to lead his fell
low men, az the defender Of the weak and
the terror Of the wrong doer.
Never did prosecuted and detected
IN n ~, -
cate their claims to civil and religious
liberty, and seldom did knight or pala-
din bring to bis task more devotion or
greater courage. For four hundred
years before his time the history of Ire
land, with all the devotion and heroism
of her sons, is blurred over with failure.
The O'Neills failed, O'Moore failed, the
confederation 0; Kilkenny, Sarefe.d and
even Henry Grattan, all went down in
disaster and gloom. On O'Connells
broad manly. brow ia written the magic
word Success. Not that he either az ]
teoted the total separation of the two ISL
ands, for at that he never aimed; nor the
restoration Of the legislative independ-
denoe OF his country, task commenced
late in life and rendered impossible of
fulf Uncut by the great famine Of 1886
7-8; but he struck the fetters off the
limbs OF seven millions of his country
men, and in so doing freed likewise his
co-religionists1n every part OF that vast
empire upon which it is said the
sun never sets. But he did more. .He
opened the doors of the imperial parlia-
ment to the representatives ofhis people;
the avenues Of professional preferment
and emolument to the educated, and
schools and colleges to the children Of
the unlettered peasant and laborer. He
broke down the Orange civic corpora
tions, and annihilated the system OF
Orange juries, sheriffs and magistrates.
All this he succeeded in effecting in the
face of a bigoted sovereign, Tory MN
istry, and parliament, every member Of
which was secretly or openly opposed to1
his claims.
Born in 1856, and educated partly on
the continent, he had scarcely reached
manhood before he had become the wit
ness or the interested student Of the
three great events which mark the his
tory OF the latter part of the eighteenth
century-the birth Of the American Re-
public, the French Revolution and the
Insurrection of '9s, followed logically, by
the treaty Of union between Great Brit
ain and Ireland. These great and far
reaching changes, which have since in
luenced materially the destiny Of the
human race, could not have been with
out their influence on SO reflective and
profound mind as O'Connell's. From
our revolutionary forefathers as we'll as
from the lips Of Grattan, Uurran and
other nationa!ists in the moribnnd Irish
parliament, he doubtless learned many
lessons Of wisdom and patriotism, while
the horrors of the great uprising in
France, and the cruelty practised on the
people Of his own land by the British
officials and soldiery, must have made
him utterly adverse to the shedding of
blood unnecessarily, and only last re-
sort. s
When O'Connel had fairly entered
public and professional life IN 1903, for.
the acts were simultaneous, he found his
countrymen 60 abjeot, dispirited and dis
organized. that mind lies hopeful and
courage less undaunted might veil have
shrunk troms the labor Of endeayoring to
rallystheir scattened forces, arouse their
manhood and lead them to victory. Bnt
he was no ordinary man, and once hav-,,
ing determined y ,emancipate the Irish
Catholics be knew 40 rest nor pause till.
his work was accompl plished.
9he selfimpoaed, but glorious mission,
required not onlyy sll1ll and perseverance
but endurance md uni limited paatlence.
After several eriiments be became
nfa3 fhnf tho fenl1 rlNa 3srx7