The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-03-17
BEING IN HIS TwENTY=FOURTH YEAR
Major Sirr of Infamous Memory
Attended the Meeting.
QUAKED AT ECHO OF HIS OWN VOICE
His Initial Address Praised bv
William E. Gladstone.

The last session OF the parliament of
ireland was opened on Jan. IS, 1900,
says Swift MacNeill in the Dublin Free
man. On Jan. IS Daniel O'Connell
made his maiden speech and that
speech was delivered against the union
and in indignant reiutation of the cal
umny that the Catholics OF ireland were
III favor OF that measure. Here is Dan
icl O'Conncll's account forty three years
afterwards OF this celebrated speech:
The first time he said in 1S43 II
ever addressed a public asscmblagc,
when shuddcred at the echo Of my
own voice, was on JAN 1.s, 1900. That
was my maiden speech, and it was much
against the union. | may here observe,
by way OF parcnthesis, as proof of the
resistance that was given by the au-
thoritics to the expression OF public
opinion at the period when the union
was carried, that when we, the Catho-
lies OF Dublin met in the Royal Ex-
change CITY HalD, in pursuance of ad-
vcrtiscmcnts inserted for a fortnight
previously in the newspapers, and for
the purpose OF pctitioning against the
union, the chair was scarcely taken
when we heard the measured tread OF
approaching military, and Major SIR
entered at the head of a large force of
soldiers who arranged themselves along
three sides oi the room. Major SIR
called upon the secretary Tor the rcsoIu-
tons which were about To be proposed,
and after pcrnsing them twice over he
then graciously permitted lis to go on.
tndismayed by this interruption ad-
dressed the meeting" ......
O'Conn@lls maiden speech won, 80
years afterwards, the enthusiastic ad-
miralion oi Mr. Gladstone Writing in
the Nineteenth Century for January,
1850, Mr. Gladstone said: The end of
O'Conncll WAS the restoration Of the
public life Of Ireland, and he pursued it
from his youth TO his old age with I'M
laltcring fidelity and courage. In this
between Roman Catholic Ireland and
Protestant Ireland, nay, he subordi-
mated not civil equality alone, but even
liberation for his co-rcligionis,s to the
political independence and unity of Ire
land. Perhaps the very noblcst cpitaph
which could be inscribed upon his tomb
would be a passage from speech which
he delivered, when only "a years OF age,
at a meeting OF Roman Catholics in op-
position to the union, on Jan. 49, 1900.
O'Conncl very frequently in after life
declared that this speech was the text
book OF his political career.
ut was the union" he said, (which
first screwed me up to come forward in
politics. was naddcned when heard
the bells OF ST. Pa,rick's ringing out a
joyous peal for lrcland's degradation
as il it was a glorious national festival.
My blood boiled and | vowed on that
morning that the dishonor should not
last il could put an end 10 it,
Here is summary OF this famous
maiden speech O'Conncll said: That
under the circumstances OF the present
day, and the systematic calumnies flung
at the Catholic character, it was more
than once determined by the Roman
Catholics OF Dublin to stand entirely
aloof, as mere sect. from all political
discussion; at the same time that they
were ready, as forming generally a part
OF the people Of Ireland, to confer with
and express their opinions in conjunc-
ton with their Protestant fellowship
jccts. This resolution which they had
entered into gave rise to an extensive
and injurious misrepresentation, and it
was asserted by the advocates Of union
-daringly and insolcntly asscrtcd-that
the Roman Catholics OF Ireland we're
friends to the measure OF union, and
silent allies to that conspiracy formed
against the name, the interests and the
liberties OF Ireland This libel on the
Catholic character was strengthened by
the partial declarations OF some mean
and degenerate members OF the COM
munion, wrought upon by corruption or
by fear, and, unfortunately, it was re-
ceived with a too general credulity.
Every union pamphlet, every union
speech, impudently put forth the Catho-
lie name as sanctioning a measure
which would annihilate the name OF the