The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-05
Irish Observe
 Anniversary of Birth
 <of "The I.iberator''

1rishmen in many cities, as we'll as in Ireland, will celebrate this evening or tomorrow the 14Oth anniversary of the birth of The Liberator of Ire land, Daniel O'Connen. Now that some of the dreams of the sons of the old sod are coming true, and the Vs(ons of the past are becoming the realities of the. present, the observ- anYe of the birthday of The Great Agitator'i is becoming more general than ever, and it is likely that the sixth of August may become a festival day in the calendar of the new Ire land.
 Daniel O'Connel was a son of County Kerry, and was born August D, 1775. During his youth and young manhood, the spirit of revolution was abroad in the earth, and many nations were being rocked by political convuI- sfons In that era of transition and rebellion it was natural that the keen intellect and wide sympathies of O'Connells should inspire him with an. ambition to do something for his na- tive land.
 The Liberator came. of sturdy. fighting stock, for his ancestors had been chiefs and rulers in the old days, and others had fought yanantly# under the banner of France. Although the Immediate forbears of Daniel were reduced%to toiing as tenants on land WHICH =hAQ Ce-DGen a part or the O'Connen domain, they did not forget their blood, and young Daniel was inn pressed with the idea that English | men were oppressors and tyrants. The horrors of the French revolution, however, led him to abandon the idea of a bloody uprising, and turned his attention to politics and a study of 4 the law. After completing his legal l education in London he was admitted to the bar in 1798, and soon became one of the ab1est of Irish lawyers. As the brilliant and resourcecul l leader of the movement for the eman- icipation of Catholic Irishnen he | founded Catholic societies in all parts l of the Emerald Isle. As a recognized authority constitutional and crim- l ina1 law, O'ConneI was able tot keep l these associations within the limits 1 of the law, and they hourished and became powerful. As a result of his 1 agitation, and his eloquent and inn pressive appeals in the House of Com mons, the claims of the Catholics I were allowed, and O'ConnelI was hail. ed by his counuymen as their Lib- orator.
 l In 1s41, when he was Lord Mayor Eof Dublin, O'Connell placed himself | at the head of the movement for the l repeal of the union between Great Britain and Ireland This naturally aroused great opposition in Great Britain, and after a monster meeting to be held at C1ontarf was prohibited d by the government, O'Connel1 was ar
 rested on the charge of sedition, con
 victed, and sentenced to imprfson-
 ment for one year and to pay a fine of $1o.OoO. This Judgment, however l was shortly after reversed by the
 House of Lords, and OsConnel1 was Iset at liberty.
 l In the latter part of his life the
 great agitator's avowed adherence to
 the Whig party made him unpopular
 with the Irish national party. which
 he had swayed for nearly half a. cen
 tury, and cost him many of his ad-
 herents. The defeat of his agitation flor the repea18 of the union was also a great blow t2 him. He was deeply affected by the decline of his popu- 1arfty and influence, and orry sent
 him into a physical decline.
 ' His friends urged him to make 8
 trip to Rome, hoping that he would
 recover his shattered health and
 spirits, but the journey was the end fo1 his earthly pilgrimage. When he 't reached Genoa he became very i'll l and died there on May Is, 1847. The
 Genoese felt great sympathy for the Il Irish statesman and erected a rnonu.
 ment to his memory, which is annu- ' ally decorated with flowers on the Il anniversary of his birth