The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-04-23

State Cr1alS were IN tnHee Gays, lne
Government was fighting for it's very OK
istence, it was surrounded by men ready
to strike the blow which would annihi-
late it, and it was accordingl ly constantly
pouncing on enemies and bringing them
before courts in the hope Of making the
trial the chamber to the scatfold.
There grew up in such times the noxious
brood of spies-men who, to. use the
picturesque but awful phrase of Curran,
measured their value by the cofflns of
their victims" To betray a client then,
in such times, was to hand him over to
the hangman.
Bearing all these facts in mind, the
reader will be able to appreciate the
scene, the description which is now
about to be quoted. Among the United
Irishmen vas Protestant clergyman
named William jackson. In l794 he
came to Ireland on secret mission from
France, he was arrested, tried and SEN
fenced to death. Jackson, like SO many
of the Republic in the first flush of the
French Revolution, looked 10 ancient
models; and when he saw that Lord
Clonmel, the presiding Judge, was about
to sentence him to be hanged, took poi
son. Shortly before McNalIy passed the
dock Jackson, grasping his hand, whis-
pered, "We have deceived the Senate. I"
And here is an account of how McNally
repaid this generous confidence. This is
from Mr.. Lecky:
jackson, shortly before his death,
found an opportunity of writing four
short letters, recommending his wife and
child, and child still unborn, to two or
three friends, and to the care of the
French nation, and he also drew up q
will leaving all he possessed to his wife,
and entrusting McNally with the protec-
tion of her interests. He wrote at the
bottom of it, Signed and sealed in the
presence of my dearest friend, whose
heart and principles ought to recommend
him as worthy citizen-Leonard Nc
Nally" These precious documents he
entrusted, when dying, to his friend. and
about three weeks after the death OF
jackson, McNally placed them in the
hands of the Irish Government y
THE CHAR .cTER OF MCNAL1Y.
The portrait Of McNally cannot be
completed in any better fashion than by
quoting from Mr.. Lecky his extraor-
dinarily brilliant and pene trating analy-
sis of this strange mans character. 1t 10
one of the very finest passages in Mr..
Lecky's last published Volumes: .
'sThe interest, the singularity and tn
melancholy Of his career will certainly
be enhanced by reading his letters, writ
ten for the most part in great haste,
without regular beginning or ending,
but in the most beautiful of handwrit-
ings, aud in the tersest and happlest
English; they reveal with great fidelity
strangely composite character, in which
the virtues of impulse seemed all to live,
though the virtues Of principle had
wholly gone. Though his revelations
were very important, it was evidently his
object to battle plots without injuring in
idiyiduals, and he retained all the good
nature and native kindness of his dispo-
sition. He retained also, to very re-
markable degree, the calmness and IN.
dependence of a most excellent judg-
ment, rare discrimination in judging the
character of men and the changing
aspect of events. From no other quarter
did the Government obtain 80 many USE
full warnings, and if the advice Of Nc
Nally had been more frequently listened
to some of the worst consequences OF the
rebellion might have been avoided"
We shall not quarrel with Mr.. Lecky's
Judgment, founded as it is on SO pro-
found study of the period with which
he deals; and Mr.. Lecky's judgments, be-
sides, are always distinguished by their
breadth and impartiality. 1t is quite
true, too, that no judgment of any man
can be altogether sound which paints his
character in unmixed gloom. But there
is certain exaggeration, we fear, in the
good nature which Mr.. Lecky attributes
to McNally. McNally betrayed Curran,
for instance; and possibly went near de-
livering him over, like so many others, to
the executioner. Here, for instance, are
a couple of extracts from McNally's re-
ports in Mr.. Fitzpatrick g volume. They
ate brief, but terribly significant;
"Grattan and Curran are completely in
the secret. Everything that's done or
intended Is communicated to them
X X X
s.Curran gives dinner at his house.
Will be there"
McNally's conduct to Robert Emmett
was, if possible, baser. When Emmett
and his associates were to be tried, most
of the prisoners chose McNally as their
counsel:
"On the morning of Emmet's execu
tion an effecting scene took place be-
tween the rebel chief and McNally, the
only friend allowed to see him. Emmet's
mother had just died. but he did not
know it, and desire to see her filed him.
Then, Robert, you shall meet her this
day. replied McNally, pointing to heaven
in his accustomed dramatic style"
It is scarcely credible that this de-
voted friend had been tracking Emmett
to his final doom for years, Three years
before Emmet's insurrection, McNally
wrote to the Government:
:. Emmett, junior, gone on business to
France probably to eupersede Lewins." )"
Phillips says Of McNally that chs eyes
and voice pierced you through like ar