Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1906-03-17
Noted Journalist and Patriot
of 1S4S Who Died in
America.
Had Attained Zenith of Fame
When Career Was Cut
short.
DEATH WAS A NATIONAL CALAMITY

none deserve a more devoted memory
than Thomas Deyin Reilly. He was a
chronicler OF events, an unmasker OF
wrongs. and wherever tyranny ran riot
Rcjlly's pen was ever ready in de-
tense of the weak and downtrodden
Still his was gentle soul. though
brave even to audacity in time of peril.
He was born in the town and county
of Monaghan on March 30, 1924. HIS
father was a solicitor in the Court OF
Chancery. His early education was
received in his native town, and wnen
he was twelve years old his father re-
moved to Dublin, where young Thomas
Devin Kelley was placed under the
tuition of the priests. Later he TOOK
his college entrance course at Hud-
darts noted seminary. Upon entering
Trinity he was noted for his attain
ments in the classics and mathematics.
lie took several honors, but left the
college TO throw himself into the
''Young ireland" movement. His first
article was concerning DIR. Madden
connection between the Kingdom OF
Ireland and the Grown of England,
and appeared in the Nation, at that
time the organ of the Irish National
lists. on October %, 1S45, when Reilly
was barely twenty-one years old Short
IL after his letters on Louis Blanc's
History of Ten Years" made their
and Reilly at once became
famous as a writer of elegance and
force
In the following year Reilly took to
task Mr.. Steele, a member of Con-
ciliation Hall, who had attacked GER
tain resolutions offered in the Amer
lean House of Representative by the
Hon. Felix Mcconnell, of Alabama.
Mcconnell held out inducements for
The annexation of Ireland to the Unit
ed States. Steele in his address IN
Hall said. Il would rath-
er see Ireland overwhelmed and sub
merged forever by the swelling and
upheaval of the wild Atlantic ocean
than annexed to a slave-holding re-
public. | disdain the attainment of
selfish Irish nationality at the sacrl-
flee of the sublime principle of uni
versal liberty"
A few days later, or the next issue
If the Nation, Reilly wrote reply TO
Steele He denied that nationality
was selfish. condemned the mock phil
anthropy that negatives home inter-
ests while going abroad for principles
% fight about Nationality" he wrote,
is a pearl, the richest, too in charity's
basket. Philanthropy enlarged is the
pearl dissolved
Reilly continued to write against
tyranny, and oppression and all his
articles had literary merit as well as
political strength. While he could
make speech at times, he lacked con- |
idence in his own powers of oratory. (
n his speech at Confederation, April !
7, 1S47. Reilly said in part:
"a people, sir, which tamely lies
lown in its own land to starve de- +
erves to starve. If it be given to men
o interpret the motives of the living
Tod and |. for one, do not believe this
anime is His work, yet whatever OF
{ be His, was done by Him, | am con-
'inced, to make the national exist
nee of our country identical with our
personal lives, to make us act like
men, that we may live like animals, 10
make us brave in self-defense."
Again and in the same month he let
himself out in unmasking the noted
cheme of Cooley. who sought to
Raise an Irish nationality in the back
woods of Canada.
"You are slaves" said Reilly to his
auditors. False flatterers have told
-ou you are brave and noble peo-
lie. Now |. one of the people, tell you
ou are no such thing. You are no
les, citizens. merchants, farmers, beg
,ars and all what your present mas
ers and owners call you, an inferior
aste, because they are your masters
nd owners You are not Irish men,
nut Irish slaves. Now, then, choose at
whether you will wait on
uietly till the most agoniZing OF L
eaths. the most horrid of diseases,
nd the most cruel of infamous prof.
cts shall have swept you all from the
IRISH soil, or whether you will at once
pring 10 your feet from your apathy
nd your degradation. and win your
purs of natiOnhood like men,"
II is hardly necessary to recite the
tory of the failure of the insurrection.
leilly was arrested, but was not pros
cuted at the't time Later he was out
awed, but after several exciting adj
n November. 1S4S Early in the fol-
DWluS year, III NOiupdl9 viii William i,
!. Robinson, he issued THE People.
nut the proprietors were opposites in
american politics. and the venture
vas discontinued. He began the study
+ American Revolutionary history.
nd in 1850 he went to Boston to as
ume the editorship OF The Protective
Jnion, a paper started by the printers
N the joint stock company plan. This .
enture proved a failure and Devin
Reilly returned to New York and
grote political articles for the Amer
can Review. In 1853 he was given
lace in the Land Office as a reward
or his article defending the govern
nent on Naturalization and the Kosta
,ase."
Poor Reilly died in Washington
March 6. 1854. So great was his pop
Ilarity that a public meeting was held
o express the nations sorrow Bev- /,
'rly Tucker presided, while Senator
Shields, John r. Thompson and John
/, Breckinrldge were among the Vice
Presidents In the resolutions the peo-
de are assured:
That in the death of Thomas Devin
Reilly great public loss has been
loss to his fatherland, to
lis adopted country, and to the cause
i progressive principles"
Il Is much better 70 use hot water