The Irish standard., 1902-08-09


fought the Catholic cause in all places
and i'll all seasons, on the public plat
form and in the crowded court room.
With an eloquence which was not less
remarkable for it's power than for it's
passion, for its beauty than for it's bit
terness. for it's admirable arguments
in favor of it's cause than for it's mer-
clleSS attacks upon his powerful adver-
Saries
1t Was new thing fer the Catholics
to see a man Of their own creed ris-
ing up from their midst 10 assnil the
Ascendancy with all the weapons of
wit and scorn and satire and invectiye
OF which O'Connell WIS then and al
ways so complete MASTER Fearless
ana serene Inc aSSaile,l the Il ;minant
class after Il fashion to which they
were indeed maccuStnmed. and the
surprise of the Catholics on discover
ing such defender can scarcely have
been greater than that of the Ascend
ancy in finding that the tlespised Cath
olics had found at last a tongue that
was more terrible to them than the
sword.
III 1872 he made a speech in LINER
lck which is one OF the finest speci-
mems OF his surprising elouuencn. Af-
ter reminding his hearers of the valnr
OF their ancestors. he said: eyes. if
ireland he fairly reused to the battle
OF the country and of freedom. all is
safe. Britain has often baen con-
quered. The Romans conquered her
the SaNcns conquered her. The Nor
mans conquered her. In short whenever
she was invaded. she was CONQUERED.
But our country was never subdued:
we never lost our liberties in battle. nor
did we ever submit to armed conuucr
OrS.
lit is true the old inhabitants lost
their country by pieceme1l. by fraud
and treachery They relied upon the
faith Of men who never. l.,ver OBJ
served Il treaty with them. until a new
race has sprung up in dissension and
discord. But the Irish heart and soul
still prednmnate and pervade the sons
ct the oppressors themselves"
The coarsest vituper:ltion was daily
poured upon O'ConnelI. but this had
little or no effect. Those who assailed
him he could assail again: those who
abused him he could abuse vet more
roundly. He could meet the ferocity
ct his opponents with IL ferocity IF his
own. far more acrid and far more gall.
ing. His marvellous elo1uence made
nm more than a match for the ablcst
Of his opponents.
Ot0nnelES was no mere clOOucncc
OF the senate or of the school: it was
as much at home on the hillside as in
the council chamber. upon the hust-
lngs as in the hall 1t did not need
ITS audience Il chosen group of cul-
tivatel. educated men. 1t stirred the
hlCOu and fired the mind of the hum
hlest with the same national pulsa-
ttons ami aspirations that it gave to
the statesman and to the scholar.
such was the man who had now
come forward to take the lead in
IRISH politics. and to press upon the
English government the twin NATIONAL
'cmand for Catholic emancipation and
'G'' the repeal of the union The latter
| theme had been one of the earliest OBJ
1ects of his eloquence. but it was to
catholic emancipation that he devoted
himself actively in the earlier period
OF his career and it was over Catholic
emancipation that he achieved his
greatest triumph and rendered the
greatest service to his country.
His opponents had no eloquence of
their own to pit against him, but there
remained means of silencing too
eloquent opponent. \ duel was forced
! nron O'Connell. The latter met DIES
telre and exchanged shots: and O'Con-
nell wounded his adversary so severely
that he died a few days after
In May. 1920. the English House Of
| Commons was the theatre of the last
: act in great religious and politicol