Year: 1867

Two of the Fenan leaders in Ireland
have Just been convicted and sentenced
to death by a Dublin jury One of the
witnesses against them was the infamous
renegade Massey. One of the unfortu-
nate men convicted was General Burke,
who, it seems, was an officer in this
country during the late war, II is TO a
speech he delivered before the court,
when asked why the sentence of death
should not be pronounced against him,
that we desire to call attention.


In speaking of this noble speech, the
Richmond Times says, that in pathos
and eloquence, it has no parallel, except
is that Of the noble Emmet; and it
will be remembered in Ireland, honored
by the patriot and wept over in the cot
ter's cabin, as long as the memory oil
heroic deeds is treasured by a gallant
people" 1t is stated that, during its de-
| livery, the court and a vast audience
appeared spellbound, rs if by a voice
from beyond the grave" We introduce
it in the language of the Times; " Let
every Irishman rejoice that, by the
splendid courage, eloquence and pathos
Of one MANNED, broken and feeble prisa.
ner, the sunset glory and immortal ra-
dance of true patriotism will gild the
ruins and wreck of the dead order"


1t is not my desire, now, my lords,
to give utterance TO one word against the
verdict which has been pronounced
against me. But, fully conscious Of my
honor as man, which has never been
impugued-tully conscious thatI can 90
into my grave with name and charac-
ter unsullied-I can only say this: that
these parties, actuated by desire either
for their own aggrandizement, or to save
their own paltry, miserable lives, have
pandered to the appetite, if / may so
speak, of justice, and my life shall be
the forfeit Fully convinced and salts
fed of the righteousness of my every
act in connection with the late revolu-
tionary movement in Ireland, l have
nothing to recall-nothing that / would
not do again-nothing that would bring
up the blush of shame to mantle my brow;
my conduct and career, both here and in
America-if you like, as soldier-are
before you, ahd, even in this my hour of
trial, | feel the consciousness of having
lived an honest man; and | will die
proudly, believing that, if have given
my life to give freedom and liberty to
the land of my birth, have done only
that which every Irishman and every man
whose soul throbs with a feeling of liberty
sheuld do, /, my lords, shall scarcely
/ feel l should not at all-mention the
name of Massey. | feel | should not
pollute my lips with the name of that
traitor, whose illegitimacy has been
proved here-a man whose name even is
not known, and who, / deny point blank,
ever wore a star of Colonel in the
Confederate army. Him shall let rest,
! shall pass him, wishing him, in the
words of the poet:


"May the grass wither from his feet;


May the woods deny him shelter-earth


home;


The ashes a grave; the sun his light;


And Heaven its God.'


Let Massey remember, from this
day forth, he carries with him, as my
learned and eloquent counsel Mr.
Dowse) has stated, serpent that will
gnaw his conscience-will carry about
with him in his breast a living hell, from
which he can never be separated. |, my
lords, have no desire for the name of a
martyr. / seek not the death of
martyr; but if it is the will of the
Almighty and 0mnipotent God that my
devotion for the land of my birth should
be tested on the scaffold / am willing
there to die in defense of the right of
man to free goverhment-the right of an
oppressed people to throw off the yoke
of thraldom. | am an Irishman by birth,
an American by adoption, by nature
lover of freedom, and an enemy to that
power which holds my native land in the
bond of tyranny. 1t has so often been
admitted that the oppressed have right
to throw off the yoke OF oppression, even
by English statesmen, that deem it un-
necessary to advert to that fact in British
court of justice. Ireland's children are
not-never were and never will be-will-
ing or submissive slaves, and so long as
England's flag covers one inch of Irish
soil, just so long will they believe it to
be divine right to conspire, imagine
and devise means TO hurl it from power,
and erect in its stead the God-like struet-
ure of government. / ask for no
mercy. My present emaciated form-my
constitution somewhat shattered-it is
better that my life should be brought to
an end, than to drag out a miserable
existence in the prison.pens of Portland.
Thus it is, my lords, accept the yer
dict OF course, my acceptance Of it is
unnecessary; bnt am satisfied with it.
And now / shall close. True it is. there
are many feelings that actuate me at this
moment In fact, these few diseOn-
nectcd remarks can give no. idea of what
desire to state to the court. | have
ties to bind me to life and society as
strong as any man in this court have
d family I love as much as any man in
this court But can remember the
blessings received from an aged mothers
lips, as / leis fer the last time. She
spoke as the Spartan mother did : Go,
my boy. Return either with your shield
or upon it. This reconciles me. This
gives me heart / submit to my doom,
and / hope God will forgive my past
sins. l hope, too, inasmuch as he bas,
for seven hundred years, pr served Ire
land, notwithstanding all the tyranny 10
which she has been subjected, as a sepa.
rate and distinct nationality, He also
will assist her to retrieve her fallen for
tunes--to rise in her beauty and majesty
tho sister Of Columbia-the peer Of
any nation in the world