Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1906-03-07
From Fridays Daily.)

Robert Emmett, the immortal IRISH pa
,riot and martyr Martyrs iunumer.
able have yielded mp their lives TO the
cause Of the freedom of the Emerald
rslc. hut few, il any, there are whose
memories are held as sacred by the
scattered Gael, all over the world, ~
the youthful Emmett. The sad but
-quickeniDg story Of his sacrifice
tor love Of his country and its liberties
is well known to all. The bravery and
nobility Of character he displayed
when he refused to take advantage of
the avenues Of escape that were open
TO him without taking leave Of the
beautiful Sarah Curran, daughter Of the
gifted orator, who reciprocated his at.
,achmcnt, was only equalled by the
for,itudc he displayed nj his execution.
Iii. speech, on being found guilty Of
high treason. when the clerk Of the
crown read the indictment and an
nounccd the verdict in the usual form,
which ~ n masterpiece Of extcmporan.
eous cloquence, the counterpart of
which cannot be found, perhaps, in any
language. is herewith given in full at
The request of NJ. J. Hickey, one of
'hc proprictors of the Burke hotel, who
Il great admirer of the martyrcd pa
'riot of his native country:
What have l to say, why sentence of
death should not be pronounced upon
me, according to lawl have nothing
To say which can alter your prcdcter-
mination, or that il would become me
10 say with any view to the mitigation
Of that sentence which you are here to
pronounce and which ] must abide. But
have that TO say which interests me
more than life, and which you have Ia
horcd-as was necessarily your office
IN the present circumstances of this
oppressed country-to destroy. i have
much to say, why my reputation should
be rescued from the load of false accu-
sa,ion and calumny which has been
heaped upon il. | do not imagine
that, seated where you are, your minds
can he NJ freed from impurity ms to re-
ceive the least impression from what ]
am going to utter. l have no hope
that can anchor my character in the
breast of n court constituted and tram.
lrelcd IA this is. only wish, and it is
The utmost | expect. that your lordships
may suffer it to float down your mem.
cries, untainted by the foul breath of
prejudice, until it finds some more on.
pitablc harbor, to shelter il from the
rude storm by which it il at present
bufrcted.
Were ! only TO suffer death after be.
my adjudged guilty by your tribunal,
J should bow in silence and meet the
late that awaits me, without n murmur.
But the sentence of the law which de-
Iycrs my body to the executioner will,
through the ministry of that law, labor,
IN 'ts own vindication, to eonsign my
character to obloquy, for there must be
guilt somewhere whether in the sen
tencc of the court or in the catastrophe
Posterity must determine. A man In
my situation, my lords, has not only 10
encounter the difficulties of fortune,
"hi the force of power over minds
which II has corrupted or subjugated,
Int the difficulties Of established pre-
ludice-the man dies, but his memory
hves that mine may not perish, that II
may live in the respect of my country
men, l seize upon this opportunity 10
vindieate myself from some of the
charges alleged against me. When my
spirit shall be waited to q more friend
~ port, when my shade shall have
loihed the band Of those martyred
heroes who have shed their blood, on
the seafYOld and in the field, In defence
OF their country and Of virtue; this "
my hope; ] wish that my memory a"d
name may animate those who survive
me, while ] look down with coinpla-
eency on the destruction Of that peril
ulous government which upholds hs
dominion by blasphemy Of the Most
high, which displays its power over
man as over the beasts Of the forest,
which sets man upon his brother ana
htts his hand, in the name Of God,
against the throat Of his fellow, who
believes or doubts a little more, or a
little less, than the government stand
ard--a government which IL steeled to
oafbarity by the cries Of the orphans
al the tears Of the widows which
has made.
Following the foregoing paragraph