The Irish standard., 1905-07-08

"The sentence is that you, William
Smith O'Brien, be taken from hence to
the place from whence you came, and
De thence drawn on hurdle to the
place of execution, and be there
hanged by the neck until you are dead !;
and that afterwards your head shall
be severed from your body, and your
body divided into four quarters, to be
disposed of as her Majesty shall think
fit, and may God have mercy on your
soul"
Immediately after O'Brien's sen.
tence NIacManus was put on trial
with the same result
Then came the trial of Patrick
O'Donoghoe-before jury of ultra,
loyal Protestants: AS a matter of
course he, too, was found guilty.
Maurice R. Leyne was not brought
to trial.
On Monday, October 1G, 1S4S, Clon-
mel courthouse was crowded to it's ut.
most capacity, while the streets in this
vicinity were densely thronged with
the people of both town and country
1t was the day selected for the open
ing of Meagher's trial.
The indictment contained two
charges-one for "levying war against
the queen" and the other of compass
ing the death of the queen" Meagher
was found guilty in due course, and,
in company with his compatriots-
MacManus and ODonoghoe-was, on
Monday, October 90, brought to the bar
for judgment.
On being asked if they had any,
thing to say why sentence of death
and execution should not be passed
upon them, MacManus and O'Donoghoe
replied in a few manly sentences; Mr..
Meagher then proceeded to address
the court. He spoke as follows:
"My lords: 1t is my intention to say
a few words only I desire that the
last act OF a proceeding which has oc-
cupied SO much OF the public time
shall be OF short duration. Nor have
| the indelicate wish to close the
dreary ceremony OF State prosecu-
ton with a.vain display OF words. Did
| fear that. hereafter, when | shall be
no more, the country l have tried to
serve would think ill of me, I might,
indeed, avail myself OF this solemn
moment to vindicate by sentiments
and my conduct. But | have no such
fear. The country will Judge OF those
sentiments and that conduct in light
far different from that in which the
jury by which | have been convicted
have viewed them; and by the country,
the sentence which you, my lords, are
about to pronounce, will be remem-
bcrcd only as the severe and solemn
attcstation of my rectitude and truth.
Whatever be the language in which
that sentence be spoken, | know that
my fate will meet with sympathy and
that my memory will be honored. In
speaking thus, accuse me not, my
lords, OF an indecorous presumption
TO the efforts l have made in just
and noble cause l ascribe no vain i'm
portance. nor do | claim for those ef-
forts any high reward. But it so hap
pens, and it will ever happen so, that
they who have tried to serve their
country, no matter how weak the ef-
fort may have been. are'sure to receive
the thanks and the blessings of its
people.
with my country, then, I leave my
memory, my sentiments, my acts,
proudly feeling that they require no
vindication from me this day. A jury
OF my countrymen. it IS true, have
found me guilty OF the crime OF which
stood indicted. For this I entertain
not the slightest feeling of resentment
towards them. Influenced, as they
must have been. by the charge OF the
Lord Chiei-Justice, they could have
lOund no other verdict.
What OF that charge? Any strong
observations on it. | feel sincerely,
would i'll beht the solemnity OF this
scene; but | would earnestly bcseech
OF you. my lord-you who preside on
that bcncl,-wllen the passions and the
prciudices OF this hour have passed
away. to appeal to your conscience,
and ask Of it. was your charge as it
ought to have been-inpartial and i'll
different between the subject and the
crown.
"My lords, you may deem this lam
s,age unbccoming in me, and pcrahps
ii may seal my fate. But am here to
speak the truth whatever it may cost.
| am here to regret nothing have
ever donc--to rctract nothing I have
ever said, | am here to crave with no
lying lip the life | consecrate to the
liberty OF my country. Far from it;
even here-lere. where the thief. the
libcrtnc, the murderer, have left their
footprints in the dust; here, on this
spot. where the shadows Of death sur
round me. and from which 1 see my
early grave in an unanointed soil open
to receive mc-cven here, uncircled by
these terrors. the hope which has
beckoned me to the perilous sea upon
which, I have been wrecked, still con-