The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-04-23

amid the deafening cheers of the sur
rounding delegates, and In the debate
which followed his name was frequently
mentioned with honor and applause"
And yet according to the evidence which
the state papers Of the time supply, ere
IL months had passed, the chaplain to
the volunteers was intriguing with the
authorities. In September, 1884, Lord
Sydney Pitts brother-in-law, wrote to
the lord lieutenant: "O'Leary has been
talked to by Nepean. and he is willing to
undertake what is wished for G100
year, which has been granted him." Al
few days later in the same month Chief
Secretary Orde writes to an English Of
fetal: II am very glad also that you
have settled matters with O'Leary, who
can get at the bottom of all secrets in
which the Catholics are conccrned--and
they are certainly the chief promoters
OF our present disquietude. He must,
however, be cautiously trusted, for he is
priest, and, If not too much addicted
to the general vice of his brethren here,
he is at least we'll acquainted with the
art of raising alarms for the purpose of
claiming merit In doing them away"
Upon these extracts Froude has based
his indictment against Father O'Lcary's
claims to patriotism. IF rebellion was
medltated," he writes, the government
required fuller knowledge, and new
plan of management had to be adopted
to obtain exact information Of the coll
duct and motives Of tho most suspected
persons! Useful and confidential
agents." whose silence and fidelity
could be relied on, "who would write the
daily history of mans motions" with
out betraying himself, were not to be
found in Dublin. The Irish secretary
applied to the English cabinet to furnish
him from their own staff of informers.
Two valuable persons answering to Mr..
Ordo's description were sent, and the
name of one of them will be an unpleas-
ant surprise to those already interested
in the history of the time. They were
both Irishmen. Ono was a skilled de-
tective named Parker, an accomplished
orator, who could outmo,lth the noisicst
patriot and had already some know
ledge OF their leading agitators.
The other was no less a person than the
celebrated Father OLeary. whose mem
ory is worshiped by Irish Catholic politi-
clans with devotion which approaches
idolatry O'Leary, as he was known to
the world, was the most fascinating
preacher, tho most distinguished con-
troversialist of his time A priest who
had caught the language Of liberation.
who had mastered all the chords Of
liberal philosophy, and played on them
like master; whose mission had been
to plead against prejudice, to represent
his country as the bleeding lamb,
maligned, traduced, oppressed, but ever
praying for her enemies, as eager only
to persuade England to offer It's hand to
turn tho affectionate homage Of undying
gratitude. OLeary had won his way to
the heart of Burke by his plausible
eloquence. Pitt seemed to smile on him;
it is easy now to conjure why. Thus
far the English historian who then
quoted a letter written by the chief
secretary-"Your experts have arrived
safe," wrote Orde. "At this moment we
are about to make trial Of O'Leary's SER
mons and Parker's rhapsodies. They
may be both in their different callings
Of very great use. The former, If we
can depend upon him, has 1t in his
power to discover to us the real designs
Of tho Catholics, from which quarter
after all tho real mischief is to spring.
The other can scrape an acquaintance
with the great leaders Of scdltion, par
ticularly Napier Tandy, and perhaps by
that means dive to the bottom Of his
secrets"
Five years afterward Father OI.eary
left Ireland forever, and took up his
permanent residence in London, where
ho became chaplain to the Spanish en-
bassy. His death took place In 1902,
and his burial place is marked by
monument which bears an inscription
stating that 1t was erected at tho sole
expense Of the right honorable earl Of
Mora as a token Of respect from him to
the virtues and talents of the late Vener-
able Father O'Leary, O'S. r."
Whether his contemporaries or those
Who have come after him have taken the
proper measure of Arthur O'I1earys
character will remain a matter Of con-
troversy. The evidence of his alleged
perfdy is confined to the two letters
quoted. In neither of these is the Chris
tian namo given, and the most diligcnt
search has failed to discover any letters
written by O'Leary which would cor
robOrate tho unfavorab]e opinion formed
of his actions by both Froude and Lecky
Indeed the latter, in his history. quotes
every passage he had ever come across
in which Father OI-eary was mentioned,
and when questioned upon tho subject
of the friar's connection with the author
ites he stated that he had never seen
any reports from O'IIeary to the govern
ment. Tho case$ made against him,
however. even though it be not over
whclming, raises a strong presumption