The Irish standard., 1899-09-30

his power, of course heaped foul abuse
upon it. O'Connell was seated at break
fast while they were gathering for the
meeting. The door opened and several
reporters OF the Times entered. One
advanced and told who they were, and
remarked that they as yet had nothing
to eat. O'Connell bade them sit down,
and share his breakfast Then conduct
ing them to the platform, asked if their
pencils were all pointed, and if they
had paper enough for long speech, as
he intended to speak for four hours, to
which they said yes. O'Connell ad-
vanced to the front OF the platform and
addressed the audience in Irish, much to
the delight and enthusiasm of the vast
crowd and to the unspeakable chagrin
of the "Th,rnderers" scribes.
In 1S43, his remedial measures not
having been acted upon by parliament,
and a Tory government, under Peel,
having come into Office, OConnell un-
iurled the banner OF repeal and COM
menced an agitation, the memory and
effect OF which have never passed away,
and never will pass away till that in
iquitous act OF union is repealed forever.
From end to end OF the land he travelled
and wherever he appeared the enthusi-
astic heart and manhood OF Ireland
gathered round him.
Though at the commencement of this
great crusade he was in his sixty-cighth
year, at no period OF his life had he
displayed such indomitable energy or
such amplitude OF intellectual power.
He reused again the popular enthusiasm
to a marvellous extent. Everywhere,
from Malin Head to Cape Clear, from
Galway to the Hill OF Howth, the people
gathered into giant groups to discuss
repeal To use Lord Broughan's words
there were "musterings OF men in
nyriads"
The attendance at the fifteen monster
meetings ranged from fifty thousand to
five hundred thousand, while innumer-
able minor hustinss sparklcd over the
land like star dust among the greater
lul1inaries. Never was there such peace.
never such sobriety, never such good
order. The Catholic forgot his wrongs
the Protestant his privileges; hands that
had been raised in ferd were claspcd in
friendship. AS the movement proceed
ed, the whole country, with small cx-
ception, was ahame with generous en-
thusiasm, kindled by the fire which
new PronletFeus had won from heaven.
Oh, how grandly does he rise up now
before ones imagination! FIc stands
upon the Hill OF Tara-consccratcd bv
the proudcst memories OF the Irish ma
tion--bcsidc the stone said to have been
used for the coronation Of the ancient
monarchs Of Ireland. He is surrounded
by five hundred thousand Irishmcn who
are "kneeling on the grccnsward round
their priests, while the incense rose
from hundred rude affairs, and the SOL
emn music Of the mass hoated upon the
gale"
He stands again by the Croppy's
grave at the Ratf1 of Mulagh1nast
where he is proclaimed, amid tumult
of deafening cheers, the ''uncrowned
King Of Ireland!' Hc has around him
on the slopes of that hill five hundred
thousand OF the brave and stalwart citi-
zens Of Ireland. Not a disorderly scene
is to be witnessed-rot 4 sound of dis
cord is to be heard. O'Connell plays on
the feelings OF these immense multitudes
as skilliul musician plays on the
strings OF his Tyre He now convulses
them with laughtcr-now melts them to
tears, and now fires then, with hate at
the recital OF the crying wrongs OF Ire
land, till those five hundred thousand
voices go forth to heaven registering a
VOW never to rest satisfied till they have
achieved the Legislative independence OF
their native land.
Then came the state trials, which
were in every particular a libel on i'm
partial justice. Catholics were excluded
from the jury. The jury was packed
with the political enemies OF the ac-
cuscd, and, to cap ALL the verdict was
drawn up not by themselves. but by one
OF the crown lawyers. From such
machinery no other verdict than that OF
guilty could be expected, and none
other was given. O'Conncll was thrust
into jail
But the outrage cried to heaven The
iniquitous judgment was reversed and
the lfberator was free A wild delight
thrilled the land. Bonfres bazcd all
over Ireland. No triumph OF old Rome
could have been more imposing than
that which presented their idol to the
nlyriads which thronged the metropolis
OH the day OF his release
O'Connell was borne through the
streets OF Dublin in triumphal process
sion. The excellent people accompanied
him from the Jail to his home. Aloft
in his triumphal chariot sat the 'hoary
criminal the hero of the day, while on
either side and as far as the eye could
see before and behind, moved the
mighty multitude like IAN army with
banners"
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