The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-06-10
SPEECH
OF INVOCATION
Irish Patriots Eloquent Ad-
dress Before Court Which
Decreed His Death.

My Lords: What have l to say why
sentence of death should not be pro-
ounce on me, according to law? l
have nothing to say that can alter
Your REORGANIZATION, nor that it will
become me to say, With amy view To
the mitigation of that sentence which
YOU are here TO pronounce. and L must
abide by. But | have that to say, which
Interests me more than life. and which
You have labored to destroy. ! nave
much to say. why my reputation should
be rescued from the load of false &C
cusation and caluInny which have been
hcapcd upon it.
Mere | only to suffer death, after be
ms adjudged guilty by your tribunal. L
should bow in silence, and meet the
fate that awaits me without a muir
mut; but the sentence OF law when
delivers my body to the cNecutioner
Will. through the ministry of that law,
labor, i'll It's own Nindieation, TO con
sign my character to %obloquy, for
there must be guilt somewhere
whether in the sentence OF the court.
or In the catastrophe, posteritN must
determine. The man dies, but his mem
ory lives. That mine may not perish
that it may live in the respect OF my
countrymen-l seize upon this oppor'
tunity to vindicate myself from some
of the charges alleged against me.
more friendly port; when my shade
shall nave Joined the bands of those
maItNred heroes who have shed their
blood, on the scaffold and in the field,
In defense of their country and virtue;
this is my hope-I wish that my MEM
DRY and name may animate those who
survive me, while | look down With
complaccncy on the destruction OF that
pertidious government which npholds
Its domination by ~blasphemY of the
Most High, which displays its power
over man as over the beasts of the for
est. which sets man upon his brother,
and lifts his hand, in the name of God,
against the throat of his fellow. who
believes or doubts q little more or less
than the government standard-a gov
nmc which is steeled to barbarity
by the cries of the orphans and the
tears of the Widows which its cruelty
has made.
l swear. by the throne of heaven. be-
fore which l must shortly appear-by
the blood of the murdered patriots who
have gone before me-that my conduct
has been, through all this peril. and all
my purposes, governed only by the
convictions which | have uttered. and
no other view than that of the eman-
cipation of my country from the SUI
perinl.uman oppression under which
she has so long, and too patiently
travelled; and that | confidently and as
surcdly hope (wild and chimerical as
1t may appear, that there is still union
and strength in Ireland to accomplish
this noble enterprise.
Let no mar dare, when I am dead,
TO charge mo with dishonor; let no man
attaint my memory by believing that
l could have engaged in nsly cause but
that of my country's liberty and indie
%Iendence; or that / could ave become
the plant minion of power, in the OPP
precision of the miseries of my u
trymen. | would not have submitted
to q foreign oppressor, for the same
reason that 1 would resist the domes-
tic tyrant; in the dignity Of freedom.
] would have fought upon The
threshold of my country. and her enc
mics should enter only by passing over
my lifelcss corpse. Am I. who lived but
for my country, and who have sub
jected myself to the vengeance of the
jealous and wrathful oppresscr, and to
the bondage of the grave. only to give
my countrymen their rights-am | to be
loaded with calumny. and not to be
suffered to resent or repel it? No! God
forbid.
If the spirits of the illustrious dead
participate in the concerns and cares of
those who are dear to them In this
transitorv life-O ever dear and ven
cradle shade of my departed father,
look down with scrutiny on the conduct
of your suffering son: and see il I nave
even for a moment deviated from those
principles of morality and patriotism
which it was your care to instil into
my youthful mind. and for an adher-
ence to which l am now to offer up
my life!
MY lords. you are all impatient for
the sacrifice. The blood which you seek
is not CONCEALED by the artificial ter
rors which surround your victim: 1t
c%irculates warmly and unruffled,
through the channels which God Gre
ated for noble purposes. but which you
are bent to destroy, for purposes so
g%rievous that they cry to heaven! BE
Yet patient! I have but q few words
more to say. I am going to my silent
crave: my lamp OF life is nearly ex-
tinguished; my race is run: the grave
opens to receive me. and I sink into
! its bosom. I have but one request to
ask at my departure from this world
1T is the charity Of it's silence. Let
no man write my epitaph; for, as no
n who knows my motives dare now
vindicate them, let not prejudice or
ignorance asperse them. Let them and
me repose in obscurity and peace. and
my tomb remain uninscribed. until
other times. and other men, can do
Justice to my character. When my
country shall take her place among
the nations Of the earth. then. and not
till then, let my epitaph be written!