The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-12-16

and for this l do love that sweet singer
through whose inner ear and brain the
gush OF his native Aufdius forever
streamed and flashed. How some per-
ennial brooks OF crystal glimmered for
ever through all his day dreams; how
he yearred to marry his own Immortality
with the eternally murmuring hymn OF
that bright Elandusan iount Wisely,
too, and learnedly, did Clarence Man
gan discourse with the rivers, attune
his notes to their wonderful music"
This is really exquisite, perfectly fin
ished, highly wrought prose, as con-
summately skillful as anything that the
English language has produced. 1t
might we'll rank with Meagher's fare
we'll utterance in Clonmel Courthouse,
and with Shells savagely satiric apos
trophe to the memory OF the anti Cath
olic Duke OF York, as one OF the three
stars in the Orons belt OF Irish prose
literature. Yet Mitchell is practically TN
known in England, except in vague
way as a ferocious rebel who was exilcd
and who broke prison, and who tried
in later years to introduce his ielon-
ship into the sanctuary OF St. Stephens.
From the presses OF publishers volumes
of extracts OF English prose, beauties OF
the English language, half hours with
best authors, and all such gear, pour
necessarily, all OF them enriched in
some OF their brightest pages by the
genius OF Irish intellect. Burke and
Goldsmith Sheridan and Swift yield
their glories to the cleaner; but OF the
man who was the peer OF the proudes,
OF these in the mastery and magic OF
his language, you will not find pas
sage, not a paragraph not a sentence
no, not a jet Or title OF all the magnfi-
cent eloquence which makes the Jail
Journal one Of the abiding glorics OF
Irish and of English literature. 1t is
to be hoped that with the better under
standing now new born and swiftly
thriving between the two countries, an
understanding which, paradoxical
though it may appear, is in no small
measure due to Mitchell there may
come a truer appreciation in England
Of Our Irish literature and OF the men
OF genius who made it what if is, and
among the best OF whom is this same
John Mitchell
When O'Connclrs vast agitation fell
to pieces after the suppression OF the
meeting OF Clontarf and the subsequent
imprisonment OF OConnell showed that
the Liberator did not mean ever to ap-
peal to the physical force he had talked
about, Mitchell and OBrien became the
leaders OF different sections OF the
Young Ireland party as the men of The
Nation were now called. Thomas Davis,
the sweet chief singer OF the movement,
died suddenly before the movement
which, he had done so much for had
taken direct revolutionary shape. Mitch
ell went on The Nation in his place,
and advocated revolution and republic
anism. He followed the traditions Of
Emmett and the men OF oS; lie was in
favor of independence. His doctrines
attracted the more ardent of the Young
Irelandcrs, and what was known as a
war party was formed. There were now
three sections OF Irish agitation. There
were the Repealcrs, who were opposed
to all physical force; there were the
moderate Young Irelanders, only rec
ognizing physical force when all else
had failed; and there were now this new
party who saw in revolution the only
remedy for ireland. Small wonder ii
men like Mitchell believed in the posi-
bility of the thing. There had been
encouragement abroad Vast meetings
organized and directed by men like
Seward and Horace Greeley, had threat
cned England with "thc assured loss OF
Canada by American arms" if she sup
pressed the repeal agitation by force,
and at one time Horace Greeley was
one OF directory i'll New York for
sending officers and arms to Ireland In
France the Republican party had been
loud in their expressions OF sympathy
Tor the Irish, and Lcdru Rollin had de-
clarcd that France was ready TO lend
her strength to the support Of an op-
pressed nation. No wonder the leaders
OF the National party were encouraged
in the belief that their cause was pleas
ing to the iatcs; no wonder ii Mitchell,
weary OF delay, believed that in action,
distinct, desperate action, lay the only
hope for the movement which had DRIFT
ed from repeal into Young Irclandism,
and from Young Irclandism into Mitch
cldom, will, all its dcrcc, vehement
fiery energy. ATitchcl's scheme has
been bitterly blamed. AT least" says
one who shared in the agitatons OF the
time, 1T may be called the only scheme
which had the slightest chance OF sue
cess; VIC do not say OF success in cs-
tablishing the independence OF Ireland
which Mitchell sought for, but in meet
ing a genuine rebellion aloot. Mitchell
was the one formidable man among the
rebels OF '4S. He was the one man who
distinctly knew what he wanted, ant
was prepared to run any risk to get it
lie was cast in the very mould OF the