The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1850-06-04 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE MURDER OF SMITH O'BRIEN." Involuntarily, we Were induced to refer to the paper itself, (the Dublin Nation,) in search of news so extraordinary ; and we were not disappointed. The fact is broadly announced by our contemporary,—not, however, that actual violence has been perpetrated, or that blood has been shed, but that " they are killing Smith O'Brien by slow murder in Maria Island" ; and the excitable people of Ireland are, it seems too evident, to be worked up to frenzy, and plunged into outrage for his rescue. The representations made with respect to O'Brien's treatment are, indeed, such as, if true, disgrace us as a nation. Such treatment as that to which he is said to be subjected could not be tolerated for an hour by any Christian community; and hence we are driven to the conclusion that the whole story is only an extravagant romance. It is said that O'Brien " is caged in the closest solitary confinement. His food is scanty and loathsome. He has no comforts, no attendance. He never sees the face, or hears the voice, of a friend. He is denied the common requisites of decency : for months he has not been allowed a change of raiment, or permitted to cleanse his dress ;" and more, to the same purport, follows. His condition is compared to that of "a chained reptile ;" and the author of all these atrocities is said to be the Governor of Maria Island,—an official whose bru. tality has earned for him the title of the black serpent' ! Our contemporary intersperses his somewhat ejaculatory narrative of the various forms of oppression, which he alleges to be systematically directed against Mr. O'Brien, with earnest appeals to his influential friends to interfere in his behalf, and to Irishmen, of all classes, to do something— to agitate, or rebel, or perform some other feat—to procure an amelioration of his condition. We are utterly at a loss to make out what amount of truth there is in this story—whether it is a fabrication altogether, or Mr. O'Brien has been committing some act of insubordination and is, in reality, under restraint ; and we do really think that some explanation from government should be given upon the subject. It is melancholy to think of the consequences of another ebullition of dissatisfied spirit in Ireland, at a moment when it is so imperatively necessary that all classes should pull together for their common salvation ; and, to avert such an evil, the incendiary spirits who are ever ready for turmoil and disorder, should be unmasked at once, if what they convert into food for agitation is a slander upon the Colonial Government. The concluding paragraph of the effusion of our contemporary is sufficient to explain what we mean :  •‘ We hear, indeed, that the Queen of England comes to Ireland again this summer—comes for the ovation which monarchs love from petted slaves. But we warn her and her ministers that surely as she sets foot on Irish soil, while O'Brien is thus tortured and degraded, so surely, wherever she turns, shall his name be thundered in her ears as a malediction. So surely shall his blood be flouted in her face. 60 This promise we will see fulfilled."  Such atrocious language must be put a stop to either by the strong arm of authority, or by such an exposure of the untruth of his charges as will draw down contempt upon their utterer.  The Atlantic's departure from this port on Wednesday took place with great eclat. Vast crowds lined the piers which stretch along the river ; salutes were fired from the Canada and returned with all honour by the Atlantic. A very elegant musical invention has been introduced into Liverpool by Mr. Smith, music dealer, of Lordstreet, from the manufactory of Messrs. Collard and Collard. As an ornament and as an instrument nothing could be more suitable to the cottage orne6 or country residence.