The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-03-04

ROBERT
177s-Mart
bloodhounds employed to hunt him to
the death.
Yet he might have foiled them and
got clear out of the country if his
personal safety was all on earth he
cared for. But in that noble heart of
his there was one passion co-existent
with his love of Ireland, and not I'M
worthy of the companionship, which
forbade his immediate flight. With
all that intensity of affection of which
a nature so pure and so ardent as
his was capable, he loved being in
every way worthy of him-a lady so
gentle, and good, and fair, that even
to less poetic Imagination than his
own, she might seem to be fitting
personification of his beloved Erin;
and by her he was loved and trusted
in return. Who is it that has not
heard her name?-who has not
mourned over the story of Sarah Cur
ran! In the ruin that had fallen on
the hopes and fortunes of the patri-
OF chief, the happiness of this ami
able lady was involved. He would
not leave without an interview with
her-no! though a thousand deaths
should be the penalty. The delay was
fatal to his chances of escape. For
more than month he remained in
concealment, protected by the fidelity
Of friends, many of whom belonged to
the humber walks of life, and one of
whom in particular-the heroic Anne
Devlin, from whom neither proffered
brides nor cruel fortunes could extort
single hint as to his place of abode
should ever be held in grateful re-
membrance by Irishmen. At length
on the 25th Of August, the Inflated
young gentleman was arrested in the
house of Mrs. Palmer, at Harold's
cross. On the 18th Of September he
was put on his trial in the court
house, Green street, charged with high
treason. He entered on no defence,
beyond making few remarks in the
course of the proceedings with view
to the moral and political justiica-
tion of his conduct. The jury, with.
out leaving their box, returned a
verdict of guilty against him; after
which, having been asked in due form
why sentence of death should not be
pronounced upon him, he delivered
this memorable speech, every line of
which is known and dear to the hearts
of the Irish race:-
"My Lords-I am asked what have
to say why sentence of death should
not be pronounced on me, according
to law. have nothing to say that
can alter your predetermination, nor
that it will become me to say, with
any view to the mitigation of that
sentence which you are to pronounce,
and must abide by. But have that
to say which interests me more than
life. and which you have laboured to
destroy. l have much to say why my
reputation should be rescued from the
load of false accusation and calumny
which has been cast upon it. l do
not imagine that, seated where you
are, your mind can be so free from
prejudice as to receive the least i'm
preston from what am going to ut
ter. have no hopes that l can an
Choir my character in the breast of a
court constituted and trammelled as
this is. l only wish, and that is the
utmost that I expect, that your lord
ships may suffer it to float down your
memories untainted by the foul
breath of prejudice, until it finds some
more hospitable harbor to shelter it
from the storms by which 1t is buff
fetted. Was only to suffer death, aft
or being adjudged guilty by your tri-
bunal, should bow in silence, and
meet the fate that awaits me with
oOe I" AuA "uA UuL tu0 oOASOAASO Va
the law which delivers my body to
the executioner will, through the min
istry of the law, labour In its own
vindication, to consign my character
to obloQuy; for there must be guilt
somewhere, whether in the sentence
of the court, or in the catastrophe,
time must determine. A man in my
situation, has not only to encounter
the difficulties of fortune, and the
force of power over minds which 1t
has corrupted or subjugated, but the
difficulties of established prejudice.
The man dies, but his memory lives.
That mine may not perish. that 1t may
live in the respect Of my countrymen,
seize upon this opportunity to vim
dicate myself from some of the
charges alleged against me. When
my spirit shall be waited to more