The Irish standard., 1915-10-30
THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF JOHN mitchell
Biographical Sketch Taken from John Mitchels Jail Journal
Published by Gill and Son. Dublin.

ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF JOHN mitchell.
Biographical Sketch.
The tradition of John Mitchels fam
lily that it was descended from Scots
Covenanters who took refuge from
their prosecutors in Tory Island and
later crossed to the mainland at Done.
gal, was long accepted by him as au-
thentic, and explained his occasional
references to himself as an Irishman
devoid of Celtic blood. In his later life
Mitchell became convinced that his
ancestors originally hailed from Mon
aghan instead of from Scotland, and
that they were of the ancient stock,
Mitchell" being a rude Anglicization
of their Gaelic name. The father of
Mitchell, a Presbyterian clergyman of
strong and conscientious character,
was stationed at Dungiven in County
Derry, when on the 3rd of November,
1915, his son was born. His infant
education was received in Derry City
but Newry to which the family re.
moved when John Mitchell was but
seven years old was the town where
in he grew from childhood to man.
hood, and which he regarded with af-
lection as his native place.
From his mother-a member of an
Ulster family, the Hasletts, associated
in 1898 with United Irishism, and in
our own times with Unionism-Mit-
chel derived many of his striking quail
tiles. At school in Newry he formed
that friendship with John Martin which
made them more than brothers
through life, and kept them In death
undivided. Mitchell took his degree at
Trinity College in 1884, but the reader
will search in vain what purports to
be the roll of the graduates of that in
stitution for his name. 1t has been
omitted. A silent commentary, more
eloquent than the spoken word, on the
slavish subservience of Irish institu-
tions to English prejudice.
The Rev. John Mitchell designed his
son for the ministry, but after period
Mitchell discovered his vocation was
not the Church, and he was appren.
ticed to the law. Before his appren-
ticeship was completed he had become
the husband of the daughter of his
neighbor, Captain Werner. The lady's
family and his own were strongly op.
posed to the marriage for the good
reason that the bridegroom and bride
did not at the time total thirty-six
years beteween them, but Mitchell
overcame the opposition by inducing
the lady to elope, and when the first
elopement was frustrated carrying her
of a second time. After his marriage,
which proved happy one, Mitchell be-
came a partner in the law firm of Mr..
Frazer, of Newry, and took charge Of
the branch of the business at Ban
bridge. Banbridge was a center Of
Orange Ascendancy, which frequently
amused and asserted itself by rough.
riding over the Catholic minority with
the assurance of the favor of the
Bench If the law were invoked. The
young Protestant solicitor made him.
self the buckler Of the oppressed and
the terror of the partial magistracy.
His reputation as the stern and fear
less advocate of Justice against the
Ascendancy spread through the prov
ince and up to Dublin, and when in
May, 1S43, Mitchell joined the Repeal
Association, Daniel O'Connell, who
seconded his name, rejoiced in the
Importance of the new recruit
His legal business called Mitchell to
Dublin couple of times a year and
there he found the acquaintance of
Davis and Duffy, and found in them
and their colleagues of the Nation men
whose ideas ran close to his own.
Davis, whose shrewd judgment of
men was half his strength, recog-
nized in the quiet young solicitor the
indomitable soul and lightning genius
of the John Mitchell men knew in after
times. He drew him to Young Island
and sealed him to its fortunes when he
induced him to become contributor
to the Irish Library" When Davis
died, Duffy instinctively turned to
Mitchell as his successor in the conduct
of the Nation. He invited him to re-
linquish his business as a solicitor and
fill the dead patriots place on the ma
tional journal. Mitchell broke up his
home in Newry and came to Dublin in
response to the invitation. 1t was the
turning point of his life.
From October, 1S45, to December,
1S47, John Mitchell was the chief
writer of the Nation newspaper. A
vast deal of the pregnant history of
Ireland lies between the dates. The
shadow Of the so-called Famine was
creeping over the land when he en-
tered the Nation office, and it grew
until it covered the whole island, while
he remained. He had to deal not
only with political situation of grave
difficulty, but with social situation
for which there was no parallel. The
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