The Irish standard., 1907-05-04
JOHN o'LEARY,
Last of Fenian Leaders At Rest in
Gjasnevin,

Glasnevin,
Dublin, March 2S-A noble spirit
passed to rest this week. John O'Leary,
the veteran Fenian is dead. Requies-
cat in pace.
He was a man of whom any country
might be proud, and as one who up
holds the banned he upheld says:
Like men there have 1oeen in all ages
and nations, but Ireland can claim a
greater number than most. Ireland Is
still the nursing mother of men VINO
hold their honor. dearer than their
lives" writes NJ. +. l.. Butler in the
San Francisco Leader.
| To the present generation John
OLeary was scarcely moro than
memory. and all ''iIinsfsrafion, even fbe-
fore his death, for he lived in retire.
n1ent, taking no part i'll public life, and
was seldom met at any house except
at that Of his lifelong friend. Doctor
Sigerson, with whom he dined every
Sunday evening. But even to have
seen the Grand Old Man is something
to be glad. of. His was one of the no.
b1est and most impressive figures i'm
aginable. There was extraordinary
dignity in the tall. white-hared man.
and q look Of absolute unconquerabe-
ness in the piercing eyes, which looked
out as honestly and as fearlessly at the
world in his old age as in his youth.
John O'Leary's eyes, like Parne]l's,
were very remarkable. No one could
he in the room with him and remain
unconscious of his fearless, penetrat-
ing glance. Mr.. John Yeats Senior has
painted his portrait. and has conveyed
in startlingly life-like manner the
remarkable expression of the eyes. Fu-
ture generations looking at this pnr
trait will gain from it an idea Of the
manner of man that OLeary was.
John OLeary was born in the town
of Tipperary in 1890, and belonged to
an old and very respectable family who
|
ty. He had a university education.
passing through queens college. Gal
way and Trinity college, Dublin. and
subsequently,. prosecuted the studies
both of law and medicine in Paris.
He was early attracted by the Young
Ireland movement. and when the death
Of Davis closed that chapter Of Irish
history O'Learv threw himself heart
and soul into the Fenian movement ana
became ono Of the most active mem
bers Of the Irish Republican Brother
hood. He edited The Irish People. the
official organ of !7eni2nism in 1855. The
Government seized the paper and ar
rested O'Leary, With his colleagues.
Charles Kickhan (the novelst).
Thomas Clarke Luby and ODonovan
Rosa. John O'Leary was tried on a
charge Of treason felony. found guilty
as a. matter of course, and sentenced to
twenty years penal servitude.
When asked Why sentence should
not be pronounced upon him, he said
Il have been found guilty Of treason
felony. Treason Is a. foul crime. The
poet Dante consigned traitors to, be
leve, the ninth circle of hell. but what
kind Of traitors Traitors against
King, against country, against friends
and benefactors? sydney and Emmett
were legal traitors. Jeffreys was a
loyal man. and so was Norbury. leave
the matter there. After five years he
was released from prison, as a result of
the Amnesty movement. on condition
that he spend the remaining fifteen
years in exile. He lived during most
of this time in Paris, where he acted
las correspondent for several American
and Irish papers. He returned to Dub