The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-05-22
His Memory Kept Green In the
Souls of Patriots.
A MOST EXTRAORDINARY MAN
Founder Of the Society Of the
''United IriShmen."
KEEPING UP NAME AND FAME

Which Will Be Perpetuated In
Dublin by a Monument.
Wolfe Tone is one of the most inter-
esting characters in Irish history, and
the story of his life-as told by himself
lis one of the most interesting auto
biographies in the English language.
The charm of personal history depends
on the frankness of the writer, and
Wolfe Tone is frank to fault. Indeed,
it is difficult to take anything he says
of himself au serieux, and the reader
needs to be warned at the outset that he
was humorist as we'll as rebel. Tha
diaries which compose his autobiogra.
ply were never intended for publica-
,tion. They were written for the amuse-
ment of his wife, and kept for her eye
alone. But this faithful record Of tho
I0u6l A0Ux0 OVOAt9 III "AA\A Az PAesyVN
so extraordinary a part was given to
the world by his son as an invaluable
contribution to the history of Ireland.
Tone was practically the founder of tho
Irish separatist movement. He was not
man of half measures. He did not
believe in mere legislative independ.
ence. To build up an Irish state freq
from all foreign control was the one
object of his life. There could be no
Irish freedom, he thought, while Eng
land exercised any authority In the isl-
and, and to overthrow English author
ity in every shape and form was the
end for which he stroYe with marveloua
energy and persistence. He sought coll
leagues and comrades in the capital Of
Ulster, then the hotbed of treason, and
found them. He brought Catholic and
Protestant together, and impressed up
on all who came under the sphere OF
his influence the necessity of united ac-
tion against the common enemy. There
was to be but one cresd-Irish nation-
ality-and one class-Eebels against the
British rule. The Society of United
Irishmen was formed in Belfast, and
soon made recruits in Leinster, NUM-
ster, and Connaught. Among the most
interesting parts of the autobiography
is Tones account of the state of Ulster
towards the end of the eighteenth CEN
tury and his narrative will come as an
establishment to many reader who
has been brought up to believe In the
unchanging loyalty of the Northern
province. Nor are the glimpses which
Tone gives us of social Ulster less in
terestfng because seen through political
glasses. Some of the United Irishmen
vacillated between constitutional re-
form and rebellion. But Tone never
wavered. He kept on the high road to
rebellion all the time. At length he
was obliged to leave Ireland and sought
refuge in the United States, crossing
the Atlantic under circumstances Of ex-
citing interest and adventure. In the
United States he planned and plotted
anew, and finally sailed for France to
persuade the directory to dispatch a
fleet and army to Ireland to help the
United Irishmen in overthrowing the
government of England. Tones nego-
tiations with the directory, and his OBJ
servations on men and things in France
during the critical years, 1796-97-98,
possess absorbing interest. His success
with the directory won the admiration
of the duke of Wellington, "Wolfe
Tone" says the duke, was a most
extraordinary man, and his history is
the most curious history of those times.
With q hundred guineas in his pocket,
unknown and unrecommended, he went
to Paris in order to overthrow the Brit
ish government in Ireland. He asked
for large force, Lord Edward Fitz-
gerald for small one. They listened
to Tone and the Bantry Bay expedition
was the result"
Tone returned to Ireland with the
Bantry Bay expedition. But the ele-
ments fought for England and the
French fleet was scattered by the winds
before blow had been struck. But
Tone did not despair. Full Of hope and
energy, he persuaded the directory to
send another and yet another expedi-
tion. Both failed. A fourth and last
expedition sailed from Brest in septem-
Der, 7ss. Mr.. Barry O'Brien has
told Of it's fate in few words In the
introduction to the autobiography:
1T consisted Of feet Of one sail Of
the line, the Hoche GA guns) eight frig-
ates, Loire, Resolve, Be1lane, Coquflle,
Embuscade, Immortaiite, Romaine,
semillant and one schooner, the Biche.
under the command Of Admiral Bonn
pard and Of an army Of three thousand
men under General Hardy. Tone va
on board the admtral's shfp, the Hoche:
AS on the previous OCCASION the sl.ill
were scattered On the yoya -
soctober 10ths i lsl1y
q & q e. ilIjI|ll 81 llIl @