The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-05-06

hand writer. He did the ordinary work
OF the reporter for several years. with
occasional dashes into moro congen1al
occupation in special descriptions of par
ticular picturesque incidents. Whenever
his work had any connection with the
p litics, condition and prospects OF his
country he devoted himself to it with a
special fervor. 1t was bis descriptions of
the county of Mayo in the great distress
of 1879 which first concentrated the at
tention of the Irish people on the calam-
ity impending over the country. While
he was working with an energy 80 great
as that of any other journalist in Dublin
at his own profession, his heart was in
theseause of his people. When the coer-
cion act was passed in 1880, he though
the moment had come for him to offer
his services to main tain the fight in face
of threats of danger, and he proposed
through MIR. Davitt and Mr.. Egan that
he should take up some Of the work Of
the league. His health, however, was at
the time 50 weak that his friends feared
that imprisonment, which was almost
certain to follow employment by the
league, would prove fatal to his constitu-
ton, and he was dissuaded from joining
the ranks of the movement. I'm June,
1881, when the conflict between Mr..
Forster and the Land League was at it's
fiu.cest, the idea occurred OF establishing
a newspaper as an organ Of the League
and Parnellite party. At once the
thoughts Of several people turned to the
able and brilliant writer on the Free
mans Journal, and he was invited by
Mr.. Parnell to found United Ireland and
to become it's editor.
It was then for the first time that the
higher powers Of O'Brien were disccv-
cred. Great as YVES his reputation as q
writer Of nervous and picturesque Eng
lish, he had hitherto been unknown as
the author Of editorial and purely politi-
cad articles and few were prepared for
the Political grasp and feverish and be-
7wszfii1lesang force: snf the editorials he con-
tributed to the new journal. He had
now been placed in the position for which
his whole character and gifts especially
fitted him. O'Brien is the very embodi-
ment of the militant journalist. In some
respects, indeed, his character resembles
that of the French, rather than of the
Irish, litterateur. Though he has keen
literary instincts and a fine soul, his
work is important to him mainly be-
cause of it's political result. Fragile in
frame and weak in health, he is yet
above all things comhatant, ready and
almost eager to meet danger, If he had
been born in Paris, he would probably
have been found at the top OF barricade,
or, like Armand Carrel, might have per-
ished in a political duel. A long. thin
face, deep set and piercing eye, flashing
out from behind epectacles, sharp fea-
lures, and quick feverish walk the
whole appearance Of the man speaks of
a restless, fierce ard enthusiastic charac-
ter.
The times We're such as to bring out to
the full all his qualities of mind and
character. AS has been said the foun.
dation of United Ireland came in the
agony of the struggle against coercion.
Its tone was q trumpet call to furthe
and fercer advance instead of an appeal
to retreat, and naturally, before long, Mr..
Forster knew that either United ireland
should be crushed or the spirit OF revolt
would grow daily fercer and more un-
bending. Mr.. O'Brien was accordingly
arrested the day after Mr.. Parnell, under
an act which was obtained for imprison-
ing ''mauvais sujets" and village tyrants,
the perpetrators and participators in
crime! It was part of the sadness that
followed his whole life that at the very
moment of his arrest his mother was
seriously i'll, woman whose nobility of
character deserved the affection she re-
ceived from her SOD. During his impri-
enough to allow him out under escort to
pay visit to her, and he was released
the day after her death After various
attempts to have the paper published in
different places. sometimes in England
and sometimes in France, United Ire
land was finally suppressed bv Mr.. Fors-
ter. With his overthrow the paper ives
again revived. Then began long a, d
lonely duel between Mr.. O'Brien and the
administration, which lasted for scarce
an interruption for three of the --fercost
years in Irish history.
The son of General Sherman, Father
Tom Sherman, S. j., delivered ecathing
denunciation of the A. P. A. and all sim
liar proscriptive societies from the pull
pit of the Jesuit church at Detroit on
recent Sunday. The eloquent young
Jesuit declared that such organizations