The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-04-23
SKETCH OF A PATRIOT PRIEST OF
THE LAST CENTURY.
AN FRESHMAN OF VERSATILE ABILITY.
A FAMOUS PULPIT ORATOR IN THE
DAYS OF GRATTAN,
A PoLEMICAL WRITER and POLITICIAN
HIS PATRIOTISM BEsMIRCHED uy A
LYING HISTORIAN.

The hundredth anniversary Of the In
surrection OF 98 holds no memory dear
er to the hearts Of the Irish people than
that OF the patriot priests who fought
and fell for the cause, says the Dublin
freeman's Journal. They had long been
witnesses of the cruelty and oppression
that weighed down their unfortunate
and defenceless people; they had
preached patience and submission in the
nope that the authorities would give
them the right to live in peacefulness
and quiet, and that the CALLING restric-
tions placed upon the exercise of their
1alth would be considerably abated, if
hot entirely abolished. The reward
winch met their efforts is written in
every page of the history of the insurrec-
tlon. Stirred to their inmost depths by
the outrages with which government
emlssarles famed the flames of disaf
lection, men like the Father Murphys
and the Father Roches determined that
1T was better that they and their f1ocks
should die fighting than to suffer ex-
termination by the burnings, the pitch
capplngs and the other diabolicl means
so freely used by their relentless perse-
cutors. Their names are deservedly on
shrined In our Irish martyrology, and
While the cause Of Irish nationality will
endure they must hold an abiding place
In the hearts of all patriotic Irishmen.
There is, however, one reputation as
sociated with that period or rather with
the preceding 10 or Is years-which has
not improved with age It is that Of
man Who in the pre-union days, despite
the disabilities Of his class, won for
himself prominent position by the
sheer force of his abilities but who now
stands charged with having betrayed the
cause OF which he pretended to he the
most ardent supporter In the old
churchyard of St. Pancras, London, lie
the remains Of the Rev. Arthur O'Leary,
Franciscan Friar, who in the last
quarter of the eighteenth century,
achieved considerable reputation as a
pulpit orator, humorist. polemical
writer and a politician. In his day he
was the friend of Grattan, Burke and
Curran, all Of whom have left on record
their appreciation of his talents. But II
int
trusted 1t would appear that OLeary
was entirely unworthy Of the glowing
eulogies which his distinguished contem-
poraries lavished upon him. When he
lay upon his death-bed in January, 1902,
he is said to have exclaimed more than
once: "Alas! have betrayed my poor
country and there is only some reason
to believe that there existed grounds for
the remorse which embittered his last
moments. That he was a pensioner Of
the government was known In his own
day. 1t Is mentioned by Plowden, his
intimate friend, in ireland since the
union;" but it remained for Froude to
place upon the incident that sinister In
depreciation which strikes at the very
root of tho Franciscan's reputation for
patriotism.
O'Leary had been a vigorous pamph-
leteer from about the year 1910. He had
written trenchant public letters in de-
nunciation OF Whiteboyism, and was the
author Of a brochure entitled Loyalty
Asserted; Or, A Vindication of the New
Test Oath of Allegiance; with an i'm
partial inquiry into the Pope's Temporal
Power and the Claims of the Stewards 10
the English Throne, proving that both
are equally groundless," These and
similar services constituted his claim up
on the English government, according to
Plowden, who says: 1.-THE Rev. Arthur
OLeary was thanked by the British
minister for the services he had rem
dered to the state by frightening away
the bug-bear of Jacobinism, and securing
the allegiance of the whole Catholic
body to the house Of Hanover. A pen
sion of 9200 was granted to him for his
life in tho name Of trustee, but upon
the secret condition that he should for
the future withhold his pen and reside
no more in Ireland-in such dread was
holden an evangelizer Of tolerance and
brotherhood in that country. Two or
three payments Of tho hush money were
| made"
OLeary's eloquent address "on the ac-
| casion Of an apprehended invasion by
the French and Spaniards In July 1779,"
was an important factor in stirring up
enthusiasm for the volunteer movement,
and when the Irish brigade corps was
| formed its members testified their ap-
probation OF his services by selecting
| him honorary chaplain. He was
present in that capacity at tho great
| national convention held in the Rotunda
| in 1888, when signal honor was paid
him. He was received at the entrance
to the historic building by the entire
| guard of volunteers with full salute of
rested arms. "He was marched up the
- gsls