The Last Conquest of Ireland (Perhaps)

THE LAST CONQUEST OF IRELAND (PERHAPS). By JOHN MITCHEL. [1861] AUTHOR'S EDITION. BOSTDH mum, UBHARY CH£SiNiiT hill; IVJASS/? - • C; . GLASGOW: R. & T. WASHBOTJRNE, Ltd,, 248 Buchanan Street. Head Office : 1, 2 and 4 Paternoster Row, London, Manchester Depot : 74 Bridge Street. — CONTENTS, CHAPTER L Introduction—Address of the American Congress " To the People of Ireland," in 1775 —Satistics and Condition of Ireland—Ireland in 1843 —O'Connell—The Repeal Debate in the Corporation of Dublin—The "Monster Meetings" in 1843— Opinion in the English Parliament—Sir Robert Peel's Declaration in Answer to Mr Bernal [Osborne], • .--.-...7 CHAPTER II. ** Repeal Year " (1843) —Resources of O'Connell—Clare Election, and Catholic Emancipation—Shiel—" Young Ireland"—Davis, Dillon, Dufl^—The "Nation"—Resources of the English—Disarming loiwa, ---.-•---••-II CHAPTER III. ** The Repeal Year " still—O'Brien's Motion—Arms BiU—Sir Edward Sugden — Dismissed Magistrates — Arbitrators — More Monster Meetings, •••• -••. ••-22 CHAPTER IV. O'Connell's Oratory—Its Themes—The Whigs— Davis and the " Natien" —The Young Agitators—Tara Meeting—Council of Three Himdred—The Queen's Speech against Repeal —Great Meeting at MuUaghmast—Meeting at Clontarf forbidden, • - - -30 CHAPTER V. Determination of the Enemy—Clontarf—The " Projected Massacre " Arrest of O'Connell and the " Conspirators "—Opening of " Con- " ciliation Hall —O'Brien joins the Repealers —I'reparatiou for the Trials, - «« —A It content^ CHAPTER VI. tkm The Trial—SyBtein of " Selecting " a Jury in Ireland—Verdict against O'Comiell—Debate in Parliament on the State of Ireland—Opera- tion of the Arms Act—Sentence and Imprisonment of O'Connell, - 46 CHAPTER VII O'Connell in Prison—Davis; his Misgivings—Reversal of the Judgment —Whig Law Lords—Rejoicings in Dublin—llie People disap- pointed—Federalism—O'Brien, ..-..••55 CHAPTER VIII. Approach of the Famine, in 1845 —Repeal prospects after the liberation of O'Connell—Irish Produce exported to England in 1844—Arms and Detectives in return for it —" Landlord and Tenant " Commis- sion—Ejectment Legislation—Condition of Ireland in 1845—The Devon Commission—The Tenant-Right of Ulster—Conspiracy of Landlords and Legislators—Sir Robert Peel, • • -63 CHAPTER IX. Land-Tenure Report— O'Brien—Eighty-Two Club—Grey Porter— National Militia—President Polk and Orgeon Territory—Robert Tyler— Colleges BUI—MacNevin—James Haughton—John O'Con- nell and General Jackson— Lord Stanley's Bill—" Surplus Popu- lation "—Death of Davis—Famine, 74 CHAPTER X. Davis; his influence, aim, and labours—His opinion of " Imposing Demonstrations "—His Letters—His Death— Fate of MacNevin, 84 CHAPTER XI. Duties of Government—Alms—Playfair and Lindley—Memorial of the Corporation and Citizens of Dublin—Lord Heytesbury—O'Connell'g proposals—O'Brien's— Meeting of Parliament—Coercion Bill Repeal of the Com Laws—Relief, ...... 93 CHAPTER XII. Lobs of the Irish Crops—Accounts between England and Ireland Rapid export of Irish harvest and cattle—Sir Robert Peel's " Remedial Measures '*—O'Brien in Parliament—English Press on "Alms"—Sir Robert Peel's two weapons—Repeal Association Resistance to the Coercion Bill—Extermination in Connaught The " Nation " and Young Ireland—Another State Prosecution —Change of Ministry, 103 ——— CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIII. Fia ** Relief of Famine "- Importations of grain—Imprisonment of O'Brien —Destruction of the Eepeal Association—The Labour-rate Act More Poor Law Extermination—Recruiting, » • • . 112 CHAPTER XrV. Lalxmr-rate Act— Bigfjing holes—England begs for us—Out-door Kelief—" Fast and humiliation "—Quarter-acre clause—The Calcu- lations of " Political Circles " —Two millions of Celtic corpses America baffled—Parish coffins—Repudiation of Alms by the • Nation," 122 CHAPTER XV. Death of O'Connell—His character—Arrangements for the next year's famine—Emigration— Keport of a '* Select Committee "—A New Coercion Act—The Crisis approaches, --•••• 135 CHAPTER XVI. Lord Clarendon, Viceroy—Subterranean agencies of Government Monahan, Attorney-General— Galvvay Election, - • - . 144 CHAPTER XVIL " Dublin during the Famine—"Young Ireland — Alr>,rm of the Moneyed Classes—" S. G. O."—Sudden meeting of Parliament—New Coercion Act—Differences in the Irish Confederation —Break up in the " Nation Office "—O'Brien—The United Irishman," - - 151 CHAPTER XVIII. The "United Irishman" Newspaper—Nature of the enterprise Effect of the French Revolution of February, 1848 — Situation of the Govermnent—Examples, • - - • • •160 CHAPTER XIX. March, 1848—The French Revolution- fTaterford Election—Aggre- gate Meeting in Dublin—Prosecution of O'Brien, Meagher, and Mitchel—O'Brien in the English Parliament—The "Treason- Felony" Act—Trial of O'Brien and Meagher for "Sedition"— " The " United Irishman —Trials for illegal drilling—Prosecution for "Sedition" abandoned- x-vrrest of Mitchel for "Treason- I'elony," ..,-..,.•.. i^ —— Yl CONTENTS. CHAPTER XX. FAGi Bag* of the British Press—Protestant Repeal ABSociatlons—Lord Clarendon's Manoeuvres among the Orangemen—Proclamationa against " Communists " —-The Chartists and Irish in England Letter to the Protestants of the North— Prosecution, - • 174 CHAPTER XXT. Juries in Ireland —Whig professions of impartiality—In the Dock Holmes— Challenging the array — Closing Scene — The Clubs restrained—Meagher's Account—My last week in Ireland, - - 182 CHAPTER XXII. " Triumph of the Enemy—The " Irish Tribune —The Ech'tors—Habeas Corpus suspended—Numerous Arrests — O'Brien takes to the Country—Carrick—Killenaule—Ballingarry—Dispersion of the people—No Insurrection, 192 CHAPTER XXIII. Arrest of O'Brien; of Meagher; of MacManus, etc. —Trials—Excuse for more Jury-packing—Excitement in England—Trial of Chartists —Special Commission in Clonmel— Trial of O'Brien for High Treason—Sentence of Death—Trials of MacManus, O'Donohoe, and Meagher—Commutation of the Sentences of Death—Plan for " a New " Plantation of Ireland — Systematic vilification of the Celtic Irish by Enghsh writers, 202 CHAPTER XXIV. Consummation of the " Conquest "—The Queen's Speech in 1849 More Coercion—More Poor-law—Depopulation: condition of the people, as described by Mr DufFy in 1849— Lord John liussell's " •' Eate-in-aid "—The '* Incumbered Estates Act — Result to Ireland of Incumbered Estates Court—Queen's Visit to Ireland in 1849: Popular feeling in Dublin suppressed by the Police L^eland "tranquil," "improving," and " prosperous " — Statistics —KecaiDituletiun—Conclusion, --.«--• 210 THE LAST CONQUEST OF IRELAND (PERHAPS). CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION—ADDRESS OF T^E AMERICAN CONGRESS " TO TEE PEOPLE OF IRELAND," IN 1775— STATISTICS AND CONDITION OF IRELAND—IRELAND IN 1843—O'CONNELL—THE REPEAL DEBATE IN THE CORPORATION OF DUBLIN—THE "MONSTER MEETINGS" IN 1843—OPINION IN THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT—SIR ROBERT peel's DECLARATION IN ANSWER TO MR BERNAL [oSBORNe], " We are desirous of possessing the good opinion of the virtuous and humane. We are peculiarly desirous of furnishing you with the true state of our motives and objects) the better to enable you to judge of our conduct with accuracy and determine the merits of the controversy with impartiality and precision.^' These sentences are taken from the " Address to the People of Ireland/' by the Continental Congress of America, adopted July, 1776. They fit the other side at present. The Irish People are now the pleaders and appellants. Americans are the virtuous and humane. In the same Address, Congress was pleased to say to the People of Ireland: " Your Parliament had done us no wrong. You had ever been friendly to the rights of mankind; and we acknowledge with pleasure and gratitude that your nation has produced patriots who have nobly distinguished themselves in the cause of humanity and America." Ireland, at that time, had a Parliament, and national exist- ence; and her voice counted for something among civilized nations. And Americans, at that time, would have been very unwilling that the civilized world should form its ideas of their rightSj wrongs, and resistance from the British Press; but their eventual success set them quite above that apprehension; for the civilized world " sympathizes " with success. Ireland^ on $ THE LAST CONQUEST the contrary, having been, since that day, ttoice broken, con- quered, and utterly ruined, it may seem that the English have a patent-right in our history, as well as in everything else of ours, and must not be interrupted or controverted. Yet there are some circumstances which perplex an inquirer who derivep his information from the English periodical press. That an island which is said to be an antegral part of the richest empire on the globe—and the most fertile portion of that empire;—with British Constitution, Hahecis Coi-pus^ Members of Parliament, and Trial by Jury—should in five years lose two and a half millions of its people (more than one- fourth) by hunger, and fever the consequence of hunger, and flight beyond sea to escape from hunger,—while that empire of which it is said to be a part, was all the while advancing in wealth, prosperity, and comfort, at a faster pace than ever before,—is a matter that seems to ask elucidation. In the year 1841, Ireland, a country precisely half the size of the State of Georgia, had a population of 8,175,124. The natural rate of increase of population in Ireland, through all her former troubles, would have given upwards of nine millions in 1851; but in 1851 the Census Commissioners find in Ireland but 6,515,794 living souls. (Thorn's Official Director//.) Another thing, which

Load more