The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-06

an unfortunate prisoner, whom your
policy, and not justice, is about to de-
liver into the hands Of the execution
er, lis not suffered to explain his mo.
tives sincerely and truly, and to vindi-
cate the principles by which he was
actuated? My lords, 1t may be a part
of the system of angry justice to bow
mans mind by humiliation to the
proposed ignominy Of the scaffold; !;
but worse to me than the shame Of the
scaffold's terrors would be the shame
of such foul and unfounded imputa-
tions as have been laid against me in
this court. You, my lord, are Judge;
l am the supposed culprit. Lam a man; !;
you are a man. BY a revolution of
power we might change places, though
we could never change characters. If
stand. at the bar of this court and
dare not vindicate my character, what
farce is your justice! If stand at
this bar and dare not vindicate my
character, how dare you calumniate it?
Does. the sentence of death which
your unhallowed policy inflicts on my
body condemn my tongue to silence
and my reputation to reproach? Your
executioner may abridge the period OF
my existence; but while exist shall
not forbear to vindicate my character
and motives from your aspersions,, and
as man to whom fame is dearer, than
life l will make the last use of that
life in doing justice to that reputation
which is. to live after me, and which Is
the only legacy can leave to those
honor and love, and for whom l am
proud to perish. AS men, my lords,
we must appear on the great day at
one common tribunals. and it will then
remain for the searcher of all hearts to
show a collective universe who was
engaged in the most virtuous actions
or swayedz blythe purest motives-my
country's oppressor. or.
(Here he was interrupted, and told
to listen to the sentence of the law.)
My lords, will dying man be denied
the legal privilege of exculpating him
sell til the ,eyes s6fs the comnnntt from
al IL III lfnlsd1eseffvSed Tsproach thrown upon
HIN during his trial.. &By charging him
with ambition, and attempting to cast
away for a paltry consideration the
liberties Of his country? why did you,
lordships insult me? Or rather, why
insult justice in demanding Of me why
sentence Of death should not be pro
nounced against me? know, my lords;
that form prescribes that. you should
ask the question. The form also pre-.
sumes the right of answering. This,
no doubt, may be dispensed with, and
SO might the whole ceremony of the
trial, since. sentence was already pro.
nounced at the castle before the jury
was impaneled. Your lordships are
but the priests of the oracle, and !
insist on the whole of the FORMS.
(Here Mr.. Emmet paused and the
court desired him to proceed)
l am. charged with being IN ennis.
sary of France. An emissary of
France! and for what end? 1t is alleg.
ed that wished to sell the independ.
ence of my country! And for what
end? Was this the object of my ambi.
tion? And is this the mode by which
a tribunal Of justice reconciles contra
diction? No; I am no emissary; my
ambition was to hold place among
the deliverers of my country, not in
power nor in profit, but in the glory Of
the accomplishment. Sell my country's
independence to France! And for
what? Was it for a change of masters?
No, but for my ambition. Oh my
country! was it personal ambition
that could influence me? Had 1t been
the soul of my actions could I not, by
my education and fortune, by the rank
and consideration of my family have
placed myself amongst the proudest
of your oppressors? My country was
my idol. To it sacrificed every selfish,
every endearing sentiment; and for it
now offer up myself, o God! No,
my lords, acted as. an Irishman, de-
termined on delivering my country
from the yoke Of a foreign and unre.
lenting tyranny, and the more CALLING
yoke of a: domestic faction which is its
joint partner and perpetrator in the
patricide-from the ignominy existing
with an exterior of splendor and a con-
scious depravity. twas the wish OF
my heart to extricate my country from
this doubly riveted despotism-I wish
to place her independence beyond the
reach of any power on earth. wish
to exalt her to that proud station in
the world. Connection with France
was indeed intended, but only as far
as mutual interests would sanction or
require. Were the French to assume