The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-02

lish soldiery. He had seen the natural
outcome of these excuses and goadings
in the rebellion Of 179S which 1t took an
army OF 100000 to suppress; and he dad
witnessed the final defeat of that glori-
Gus effort to cast off the baleful yoke
of English tyranny. He had seen, too,
the last symbol Of nationhood wrested
from his beloved country when, In 1901,
by the hated act of the union Ireland
was deprived Of her native parliament.
1t was this pathetic picture of his mother
land that confronted Emmett when, in
his early twenties, he met with his
brother, Thomas Adds, and several other
Irish exiles of the 9S rebellion in France.
This was in the autumn of 1902. He
and his compatriots then decided on or
ganizing one more effort to rescue Erin
from the Saxon thraldom. Emmett re-
turned from the Continent fred with fresh
hope and enthusiasm, and Immediately
set to work with an energy rarely equal
ed in rousing the spirit Of his country
men by word and pen, and in secretly
providing arms for those who were to
join him in his final effort. He worked
indefatigably till the summer of 1903,
and by that time had planned fresh
insurrection to be carried out by his
brethren, the United Irishmen," and to
be started concurrently with the arrival
Of troops from France, who were to as
sist in the revolution.
Feared British Gold.
But now, as ever, British gold was found
to discover the inevitable traitor, and
Emmett found himself obliged to attempt
a premature rising without the benefit
of a general and widespread preconcerted
action-for the authorities had already
learned much of the details of the pro-
posed rising. On July %, 1903, Emmett,
at the head of a comparatively small
number of insurgents, but II. hopes that
general and spontaneous action would i'm
mediately follow throughout the country.
boldly unfurled the Irish. flag in the
streets of the metropolis and marched ON
Dublic Castle. The struggle was short.
The soldiery met the devoted little band
in superior numbers. and after few vol
leys the Inflated attempt was over. En-
met was soon captured, and though the
formality Of q trial was gone through,
the farce of 1t was apparent to all.
Within twenty -four hours from the COM
mencement of the trial his head was
severed from his lifeless body. and the
executioner. holding it UP before the hor-
rified audience, exclaimed: This is the |
head OF a traitor,'
Tragic End.
Thus was Robert Emmett cut off in the
bloom OF early manhood. His attempt, it
so happened, was scarce worthy the name |
of an Instruction: but the nobility of his |
character, the untimely and tragic ending |
of young life teeming with high ideals |
and of noble possibilities, and. above all, |
his matchless last discourse-his never |
to- forgotten speech from the dock as
the brutal sentence was about to be |
passed upon him-have secured to the |
name and memory of Robert Emmett a |
place in the hearts of the Irish people |
which has never been accorded to any |
other.
His last request, when my country |
takes her place among the nations of the |
earth, then, and not till then let my cpl |
taph be written" has been for a century, |