The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-06-09
THE TRlUMPH OF TIE EMANCIPATOl
.sassUs
D'Esterre's Bulldozing Tactics
Resulted in His Death.
CATHOLIC CHAMPION WAS FEARLESS
Victim Of the Tragedy deserted
by Enemies Of Ireland.

O'Connell had seen the last decades
of the eighteenth century end in red
ruin, with the murder of sovereigns,
the destruction of laws and the desecra-
ton of sanctuaries, says the Irish
World. That was in France, where he
had been educated, and a melancholy
and impotent after flash of the terror
had wrought nothing but misery in his
own land. In France the horrors of a
revolution had almost persuaded him
to be Tory, but when he had finished
his earlier education and had returned
to Ireland, he found there a people
whom oppression had so long subdued
shat liberty was unrenembered.
=; In his political warfare his blows
were directed more against men than
! measures. He did not shrink from per-
Z sonal abuse, virulent and even coarse,
but always leavened by humor.
Foremost in the mind of O'Connell
before even the removal of religious
disabilities was the repeal of the union.
But to further such change of gov
Kermnent was looked upon by the gov
5ernments of the day almost as an act
Of rebellion to be strenuously opposed.
Numerous difficulties open hos
) tility of the government, the timidity Of
his own followers and their internal dis
sensions-had long delayed the forma-
ton of "Catholic association" for for
nulating their grievances with the OBJ
ject of having them redressed. After
lengthy struggle O'Connell got to-
get 4 united party of followers
pledged to accept no half measures
They held their first meeting in Capel
street, Dublin, in January, 1875.
1t was at another meeting of the as
sociation, held shortly afterward, that
, O'Connell used the following words:
IT am convinced that the Catholic cause
shas suffered by the neglect of discussion.
Had the petition been last year the sub
iect of debate we should not now see
the beggarly corporation of Dublin an
ticipating our efforts by petition OF
an opposite tendency" The words
were reported in the newspapers, and
soon afterward the following letter was
addressed to O'Connell:
"Sir-Carrick's paper of the 23d inst.
(in its report of meeting of Catholic
gentlemen on the subject of a petition)
states that you have applied the appella-
ton of beggarly to the corporation of
this city, calling it beggarly corpora
ton. Therefore, as member of that
body, and feeling how painful such is, l
beg leave. to inquire whether you really
used or expressed yourself in such Ian
guage? / feel the more justified in
calling on you on this occasion as such
language was not warranted or pro-
voked by anything on the part OF the
corporation; neither was it consistent
with the subject of your debate or the
department of the other Catholic gen
tlennen who were present, but, as l
view it, so inconsistent in every respect
that l am in hopes the editor is under
error and not you. l have turther~to
request your reply in the course OF the
J, evening and remain, sir, your obedlent
servant, }. N. u Eol ENNE'
'"rhe beggarly corporation OF Dub.
lin" was at that time composed OF
Oraneemen, a community more noted
for intensity of political and religious
convictions than for philosophic calm.
All the bias of their minds was naturally
antaeonistic to all that O'Connell held
most dear. To D'Esterre's letter O'Con-
nell replied:
"No terms attributed to me, however
reoroachful, can excel the contemptu-
ous feelings 1 entertain for that body
in its corporate capacity, aitnouen'
doubtless. it contains many valuable
persons whose conduct as individuals
/ lament, must necessarily be confound-
ed in the acts of general body. have
only to add that this letter must close
our correspondence on this subject.
D'Esterre was not satisfied with
O'Connell's letter, neither would he let
r the matter rest. When he and his
friends discussed the situation, they
evidently determined that the pride OF
O'Connell should be tanned. The papist
LAWYER had bitter tongue, they said
- ~. .oen,;es with words.