The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-07-05


to Paris. and was somewhat disap-
pointed to learn that Stephens, whom
he had hoped to meet there, had some
time previously returned to Ireland.
He spent a pleasant year in Paris,
however, in the society of his friend,
Kelvin Izod O'Doherty and his wife,
"Eva," of the Nation" Here also he
met for the first time John Martin, ].
2. Leonard and John O'Hagan,
afterwards Mr.. Justice O'Hagan. To
wards the end of sc Mr.. O'Ieary lett
Paris for London, returning to Dublin
in 1857, when he renewed his acquaint.
ance with Stephens, who by this time
had begun to think seriously Of MAX
ing another attempt on Saxon suprem-
acy in Ireland and he conveyed his
ideas to O'Leary, who was sympa-
thetic but not convinced of their prac-
teal success, as he was not inclined to
believe that the people We're just then
in a condition to be nodded into any,
thing like successful movement OF
the kind.
Mr. OLeary's first direct connection
with the Fenian movement was in 80.
when Stephens asked him to meet him
at Boulogne after his return from
America, in connection with some mat
ter referring to the custody of certain
moneys he expected to bring from
America. This Boulogne meeting is
only important on account of its being
OLeary's first active connection with
the movement. A more extensive mis-
sion was that which Stephens asked
him to undertake to America in April
of the same year, although the bust.
ness was not of any great Importance.
However, he arrived in New York on
the first Of May, 1859, and was not
particularly enamored of the ways of
life he found there. He and O'NIahony
became very close friends. and with
John Mitchell, Michael Doheny and
General Corcoran he also became ac-
quainted at this time. In September
Of the same year he returned to Paris,
where he met Stephens, and lived with
him for awhile in the Rue Montaigne.
In 1850 he went to London with the
intention of renewing his medical stu
dies, and in 1861 was recalled to Ire
land to take a last farewell of his
h1sN A,sf1 Ill ~,
Of June of that year. During all the
time from 1859 to 1861 he was in con-
slant communication with Stephens
and Luby about the affairs of the Or
ganiZation.
Of course it was with the establish
ment of the Irish People" that Mr..
O'Leary's really important work for
the movement commenced although as
may be seen from this necessarily inl-
perfect memoir, he was in touch with
the inner affairs of the organization
and enjoyed the unrescrved confidence
of Stephens from the very start I'm
der Mr.. O'Learys guidance the Irish
People became power in the land
snon after the publication of it's first
number, on Nov. IS, 1868; and up to
the government seizure on Sept II,
1865. the most uncompromising Ma
tional doctrine was preached in its
pages from week to week, sometimes
eloquently, but always certainly very
forcibly and without any beating
about the bush. On the night of the
seizure Mr.. O'Lcary was arrested at
his lodgings in Palmerston place, and
after the same procedure had been
gone through as in the other cases, was
committed for trial on a charge of high
treason. which was afterwards chang
ed to treasOn-felony. O'Leary's trial
lasted from the list of February up to
the 9th, when he was found guilty"
and, like Luby, sentenced to twenty
years penal servitude. An incident
that occurred during Isaac Butts
speech for the defense may be stated
here as showing Mr.. O'Leary in char
acteristic light. Butt was arguing that
Mr.. O'Leary could not be held respon-
sible for the management of the paper,
saying that the jury could only hold
him responsible for the articles he HIM
self wrote and whatever credit or
"discredit' attached thereto.
When Butt said this. Mr.. OLeary
stood up in the dock and sail:
will you allow me to speak a mo-
ment?'
Mr.. Butt-"No: if you do must sit
down."
Mr.. OLeary-"I wish simply to say
that 1 object to its being considered a
discredit or at least that it SHOULD b.
supposed for moment that l consider
it any discrcdit to have been connected
with that paper
Mr. Butt did not say it was Il
discrcdit. l honor the man who even
in that dock would not purchase his
freedom at the expense Of disclaiming
connection with the paper"
In his speech from the dock Mr..
OLeary also referred, like Luby, to the
unfounded statements that had been
made about assassination; and conclud-
cd by saying: Il have been found
guilty Of treason-felony. Treason is
foul crime Tie p3et Dante con-
signed traitors to, l believe, the ninth