The St. Louis Republic., 1901-02-24
FAMOUS SPEECHES.
On Being Found Guilty of Treas

On Being Found Guilty of Treason.
JURY of my countrymen have found me
guilty OF the crime for which l stood IN
dictcd. For this entertain not the slight
est feeling OF resentment towards them. IN
fiuenced, as they must have been. by the
charge o. the Lord Chief Justice, they
could have found no other verdict. What
of that charge? Any strong observations
on 1t feel sincerely would i'll beht the
solemnity Of this scene; but would ear
nestiy beseech of YOU, my Lord-you VINO
preside on that bench--when the passions
and prejudices of this hour have passed
away, TO appeal to your own conscience
and to ask OF IT, was your charge as II
ought to have been. impartial and indif1er-
ent between the subject and the Crown!
My Lords. you may deem this language
unbecoming In me. and perhaps II VIII seai
my fate. But ] am here TO speak the
truth. whatever il may cost: i am here TO
regret nothing / have ever done-to retract
nothing I have ever said. / am here to
crave. with no lying lip. the life l conse-
crate to the liberty OF my country. Ear
from II. even hcre--here. where the thief.
the libertine, the murderer. have left their
footprints in the dust: here on this spot.
where the shadows OF death surround me.
and from which l see my early grave in
an unanointed soil opened to receive me
even here. encircled by these terrors, the
hope which las becSoned NE TO the periious
sea upon which l have been wrecked. still
consoles. animates. enraptures me.
No: do not despair of my poor old coun-
try-her peace, her liberty, her glory. For
that country can do no more than bid her
hope. To lift this island up; to make her
benefactor to humanity. instead Of being
the meanest beggar IN the world; to restore
her to her native powers and her ancient
constftution-thfs has been my ambition
and this ambition has been my crime
lrrflwA hv hA Ia 80 anA II q
crime entails the penalty Of death: but the
history Of Ireland explains this crime and
juytifies IT, Judged by that history. the
treason Of which I stand convicted loses
all its guilt. is sanctioned as a duty. will
be ennobled as a sacrifice. With these sen.i-
ments. my Lord. await the sentence Of the
court.
Having done what felt to be my duty,
having spoke what / felt to be the truth
as have done on every other occasion of
my short career-I now bid farewell to the
country OF my birth. my passion and my
death: the country whose rlisfortunes have
invoked my sympathfes: whose factions
have sought to still: whose intellect / have
prompted to lofty aim: whose freedom has
been my fetal dream. offer to that coun-
try. as proof Of the love bear her. and
the sincerity with which 1 thought and
spoke ana struggled for her freedom. the
life Of a young heart, and with that life
all the hopes. the honors. the endearments.
OF happy and an honored home.
Pronounce. then. my Lords. the sentence
which tho laws direct. ard I will be pre-
pared to hear It. trust shall be prepared
to meet its execution. hope to be able.
with pure heart. and perfect composure.
to appear before higher tribunal. a trib-
unal where judge OF infinite goodness as
well as of Justice VIII preside. and whore.
my Lords. many. many of the judgments
Of this world will be reversed.
T. F. MEAGHER.