The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-02-19
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE AG1TATOR
NOW PUBLISHED.
RtcoLLEcrIoAs OF A LIVING LEADER
WHO PAR1TCII.AT9cD IN POLITICS
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
HISTORICAL EVENTS OF THE CENTURY.
1NrERESTING NOTES OF FAMOUS
MEN Bi THE AUTHOR,

The autobiography of Sir Charles Ca
van Duffy, entitled MY Life In Two
Hemispheres." has just been issued in
Dublin. 1t is an interesting and yalu-
able contribution to literature
Sir Charles, who was born in Mona
CHAN on Good Friday, 1916, tells us that
the country was almost as different from
the Ireland Of today as from the Ire
land Of the penal days. The Catholics
OF Ulster were beginning to rise out of
the abject penury to which they had
been reduced, but there was 10 Catholic
school at Monaghan, and little Charles
had to go to the Presbyterian school,
where ono OF his creed had never enter
ed before. His father was dead, and his
guardian was the parish priest, and al
though some of the boys showed pre-
)'ldice, the new pupil seems to have been
fairly received. Probably he was too
bright to keep in the background. for
during his first year hoys' Marlin
ment, a boys regiment and boys
newspaper were started, with NIL of
Which he had something to do. There
was some resistance in the name of
Protestant ascendancy but, says Sir
Charles, "after a fierce debutc the ma
Jority voted my emancipation three
years before the legislature of larger
growth at st. Stephens made n similar
concession to my seniors. I used to
boast that was the first Catholic cman
cipated in Ireland, but though tolerated
l was never allowed altogether to for
get that / belonged to the race who
were beaten at the Boyne" After some
press experience in Dublin Duffy was
sent to Belfast to edit a new Catholic
paper, no light undertaking for younp
man OF %, but Mr.. Duffy was always
successful as "a journalist, 80 far as
bringing his paper into public notice
went. as witness the subsequent career
of the Nation. 1t is not surprIsinp ,ho,
"hen he comes to that part of his mar
rative Sir Charles quotes the tributc
paid him by Mr.. Lccky, the Unionist
hlstorian: What the Nation WAS whom
Gavan Duffy edited it, when Davis, Me-
Carthy and their brilliant associates
contributed to it. and when it's columns
maintained with unqualified zeal The
cause OF liberty and nationality in every
land lrishlncn can never forget. Seldom
has any Journal of the land exhibited a
moro splendid combination of clou,cnce,
OF poetry and of reasoning
In his visits to London Duffy came
across many notabilities, and his notes
about them and their letters are full .,p
interest. He came across CARLYLE and
his wife, and declares he owes mucb to
the sago's counsel and instruction and
his wifc's gracious offices. The twu
men did not agree Oh many things, cx-
ccpt on the duty of living for mob @
ends, but Carlylc's talk WAS "as STINT
lating as the morning brcczes In an Al
pine valley" The writer quotes a lot
ter received from Carlyle few weeks
after their acquaintance began. Carlyle
pomscs to read the book which Duffy
Is sending him. MY IMPRESSION" he
says, lis that you must mean something
by it--vcry considerable distinction for
u book or man in these days" lie
thanks him for the promise of sending
the Nation. II can say with great SIN
cerity ! wish you well and the rssrncc
OF your cause weIl-alas, If one could get
the essence of it extracted from the nd
scititious confusiOns and inlpossIblc
quantities Of it would not all men wish
you and 1t right well? Justice to Ire.
land; Justice to all lands, and to Ireland
first as the land that needs IT. Most
the whole English nation expect the
quacks and knaves of II (Who in the
end are merely negative quantities and OF
no force in the English natiom, does
honestly wish you that DO not be-
lieve the contrary for IT, is not true. The
believing of It to be true may give rise
to miserable mistakes yet at which ones
imagination shuddcrs Well when poor
Ireland has succeeded again in making
a man Of insight and general valor, who
might help her little ont of her de. =
confusions, ought | not to pray and hope
that he may shine as light, instead
OF blazing as n frcbrand to his own
waste and his country's? Poor old Ire
land! Every man she produces of that
kind Is like another stake set up,n the
great rogue bet nnir Of the destjnie<;
Shall | win with thee or shall losc
with thee, too. blazing off upon me as
the others have done, she tries again MS
with her last guinea. May the gods
grant her Il good issue. bid you, with
many kind wishes, good speed and aim.
Very truly yours,
r. CARLYLE.
Sir Charles gives a graphic sketch of
the house Of commons when he first
found himself within its walls 1t was
a strange sensation, he says, to en-
counter in one hall Of limited extent q