Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-04-15
The Government Issued Many
PrOclamatiOns Against Him
and His Society.
Under His Influence the Swell
of Really Democratic Move
ment Was Felt.
WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY UNITY

O'Connell's leadership of the move
ment for Catholic emancipation became
virtually established about the beginning
of 1871. "He avowed himself repeatedly
TO be an agitator. with an Interior OBJ
ject," says Lecky, land declared that
that object was the repeal of the union.
Desiring as do the repeal of the union
he said in one of his speeches in 1913,
I rejoice to see how our enemies promote
that great object. They delay the liberty
of the Catholics, but they compensate
us most amply because they advance the
restoration of Ireland. By leaving one
cause of agitation they have created and
they will embody and give shape and
form to a public mind and public
spirit.
Nothing can be more untrue, " contin-
ues Lecky, ethan to represent the repeal
agitation as a mere afterthought designed
to sustain his (O'Connell's) tagging pop
ularity Nor can it be said that the pro-
iect was first started by him. The deep
indignation that the union had produced
in Ireland was fermenting among all
classes, and assuming the form, some
times of French party, sometimes of a
social war and sometimes of constitu-
tional agitation. 1t would be tedious to
follow into minute detail the difficulties
and the mistakes that INSTRUCTED the
Catholic movement, and were finally
overcome by the energy and the tact of
O'Connell.
"Several times the movement was
menaced by government proclamations
and prosecutions. Its great difficulty was
to bring out the public opinion of the
whole body of the Catholics actively and
habitually into the question. For the first
time, under the influence of O'Connell,
the great swell of really democratic
movement was felt. The simplest way Of
concentrating the new enthusiasm would
have been by system of delegates, but
this would have been rendered illegal by
the convention act. On the other hand,
the right Of petitioning was one of the
fundamental privileges of the constitu-
-tion.- By ayailing himselfof. his right
O'Connell contrived, with the dexterity
of practiced lawyer, to violate contin-
ually the spirit of the convention act
while keeping within the letter of the
law.
The Government issued proclamation
after proclamation against O'Connell's
society, but by continually changing its
name and its form he generally succeeded
in evading prosecution. These early
societies, however, all sink into insignifi-
canoe compared with that great Catholic
association which was formed in 1924.
The avowed objects of this society were to
promote religious education, to ascertain
the numerical strength of the different
religions, and to answer the charges
against Catholics embodied in. hostile pc
titions. 1t also recommended petitions
(unconnected with the society from
every parish and aggregate meetings in
every county. The real object was to
form gigantic system of organization,
ramifying over the entire country, and
directed i'll every parish by the priests,
fot the purpose of petitioning and in
every other way agitating in favor of
emancipation
"The success of the Catholic associa-
ton became every week more striking.
The Catholic rent Ia system of small
subscriptions collected throughout Ire
and to pay the heavy expenses attendant
upon so great a project rose with ex-
traordinary rapidity from 81 $50 week
in October to So, 800 week in December,
1924 The meetings in every county
grew more and more enthusiastic. The
Government made feeble and abortive
effort to arrest the storm by threatening
both O'Connell and Richard Lalor Shell
with prosecution for certain passages in
their speeches.
son the accession of the Wellington
and Peel administration the Catholic
association passed a resolution to the
effect that they would oppose with Their
whole energy any Irish member who con
scented to accept Office under it. An OPP
portunity for carrying the resolution into
effect soon occurred. Mr. Fitzgerald, the
member for Clare, accepted the Office Of
Prerident of the Board of Trade, and wa:
consequently obliged to seek reelection
O'Connell entered the lists against him
The excitement at this announcement
rose at once to fever height. 1t extended
over every part of Ireland and penetrated
every class of society. The whole mass
of the Catholics prepared to support him
and the vast system of organization
which he had framed effectually in every
direction. For the first time the land
lords found that the voting of their ten
ants could not be controlled. Fitzgerald
withdrew from the contest and O'Connel
was elected.
Ireland was now on the verge of revo
luton. The whole mass of the people
had been organized like regular army
and taught to act with the most perfect
unanimity. The British Ministers, feel
ing further resistance to be hopeless
brought in the emancipation bill. con
fessedly because to withhold il would
be to kindle a. rebellion that would ex
tend over the length and breadth of the
land.