'Mr. D'Esterre's wound was declared immediately to be very dangerous, the ball had passed through both thighs and lodged in the hip, whence it could not be extracted. On the return of Mr. O'Connell to Dublin, it is impossible to describe the emotion which appeared to pervade all ranks of people on the road, when it was known that he was safe, at the same time, to the credit of the Irish character, it must be said, that a strong degree of sympathy was manifested for the individual who had perhaps, from a mistaken sense of honour, put himself forward as the champion of the corporation, on account of a mere expression which did not apply to him personally, nor was in the slightest degree meant as a personal affront to him. To speak of a body of men in their official or political character, cannot be regarded as any impeachment of private worth, nor can it be construed as an infraction of that courtesy, which is the distinguishing mark of polished society. From this view, it cannot but be regarded as rather a headstrong and unjustifiable act on the part of Mr. D'Esterre in calling upon Mr. O'Connell to answer personally for what he had uttered_against a body of men in their corporate capacity, at the same time, that he might respect and esteem them for their private virtues, and a strict fulfilment of the various relations of human life. We should be justified in many points in styling the House of Commons, as at present constituted, a very "beggarly House" indeed, but we should be doing great injustice to the members of it invidually, were we to stigmatize them as "beggarly." Mr. O'Connell held the corporation of Dublin in the most profound contempt as a body, he maligned as such, not as individuals, although in their official character, as being public property, he, as one of that public had a right to express his opinions of them, without laying himself open to the risk of being called upon by every hot-headed common councilman, who might think his character and honor aggrieved, of having his brains blown out. Were we to speak of the court of aldermen of the city of London, we should acknowledge our obligations to Mr. O'Connell for having supplied us with the word "beggarly," but individually we entertain a high respect for many

of them, though as a body, the opinion which Mr. O'Connell expressed of the corporation of Dublin, and that which we have generally expressed of the court of aldermen of London, exactly harmonize together. Fortunately for us, there are not many D'Esterres sitting on the aldermanic bench.

On the day subsequently to the duel, it was the sole theme of conversation in all the circles of Dublin, but still a heavy gloom pervaded the city, when it was announced by the surgical attendants of Mr. D'Esterre, that no hope whatever remained of his recovery. An hormorrhage of the bladder took place, when the most alarming symptoms were exhibited, and surgeons Macklin and Peele despaired of his recovery. Mr. Crampton was called in and at nine o'clock in the morning they pronounced the wound mortal. Till that moment, his wife had not been at all apprised of his situation. being absent from the house, and kept in ignorance; it was, however, deemed necessary to send for her, The meeting may be imagined— not a tear escaped her; she remained unmoved, and insensible. He was perfectly aware of his dissolution, and with that coolness and fortitude which he so uniformly displayed, endeavoured to urge her to composure. He next called for a clergyman, and having received the sacrament, and occupied an hour in ardent devotion, he turned his attention on worldly affairs; his relatives, who surrounded him, having apprised him that it had been insinuated in some of the public papers, that he had been urged to the business by a party, he desired that Sir Edward Stanley should be called, whom, in the presence of all his relations and friends, he embraced in the most ardent manner; he assured his wife and family that the entire of the correspondence had taken place without his consulting any individual in the world; that Sir Edward was not acquainted with any circumstance till he was called on by Mr. James O'Connell, and that all the solicitations of Sir Edward, or the whole world, would not have induced him to abandon the cause he had espoused. He then thanked Sir Edward for his exertions for him, and asked him for a packet containing his will, which he gave him on his going out; upon receiving

which, he said, now my mortal cares are over, except my reconciliation with my brother-in-law Atkins. When he was informed that he was in the house, he sent for him, and, having affectionately embraced him, whom he had been at law with for several years, he desired to be left to rest; he laid his head upon his pillow, and in less than half an hour he breathed his last, without a single sigh.

Mr. D'Esterre was an officer of marines on board the fleet at the Nore, during the mutiny, and distinguished himself by his courage and loyalty upon that occasion; he was so near suffering for his loyal exertions, that the rope was actu ally about his neck, and he was on the point of being run up to the yard arm. At the time of his death, he was a merchant in Dublin, and a government contractor. He married the accomplished daughter of Mr. Cramer, the musician.

It was generally supposed that an inquest would be held on the body of Mr. D'Esterre, and considerable anxiety was felt as to the verdict which might be delivered, involving Mr. O'Connell, perhaps, in a criminal prosecution. All fears, however, on this head were laid aside by the following handsome letter, addressed by Sir Edward Stanley to Mr. O'Connell:"Royal Barracks, Feb. 4, 1815.

"Sir,-Lest your professional avocations should be interrupted by an apprehension of any proceedings being in contemplation, in consequence of the late melancholy event, I have the honour to inform you, that there is not the most distant intention of any prosecution whatever, on the part of the family or friends of the late Mr. D'Esterre.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

"EDWARD STANLEY?

"Daniel O'Connell, Esq, Merion Square."

To the above Mr. O'Connell returned the following answer

"Merion Square, Feb. 5, 1815.

"Sir-I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of

your letter of yesterday, and I beg of you to accept my sincere thanks for your very polite and considerate attention.

"It is to me a mournful consolation to meet such generous sentiments from those, who must be afflicted at the late unhappy event. But, believe me, my regret at that event is most sincere and unaffected; and, if I know my own heart, I can, with the strictest truth assert, that no person can feel for the loss, society has sustained in the death of Mr. D'Esterre with more deep and lasting sorrow than I do.

"Allow me again to thank you, Sir, for the courtesy of your letter-a courtesy quite consistent with the gentlemanly demeanour of your entire conduct on this melancholy transaction. "I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

"Sir Edward Stanley."

"DANIEL O'CONNELL."

One of the consequences of this duel was, that it fanned the flame of party spirit to an intensity, which actually threatened to subvert the happiness of domestic life. It penetrated into the bosom of families; the son rose against the father, the father against the son; the ties of ancient friendship and of brotherhood were broken asunder; consanguinity, lost its influence in society, and all the relations of human life were diverted from their legitimate purpose to support the cause, which self interest or patriotism might have prompted the individual to espouse. Every engine, which the Protestants could set in motion, to blacken and defame the character of Mr. O'Connell, personal and professional, was greedily seized upon, and not the national character itself of the Irish, noble and generous as it is, stood in the way. Had O'Connell lived in the latitude of Madrid or of Lisbon, the assassin's dagger would have been in his heart, and hundreds would have followed up the blow, rather than their victim should escape. In vain was it reiterated by the friends of Mr O'Connell, that he was not the aggressorthat he sought not the blood of another man, and that whatever act he might have committed, he did commit it in self defence.

He was a member of the great compact of human society, and, therefore, under the influence of its laws; but, said the moralist, the laws of honour, as they are so termed, are not founded on the basis of humanity or Christianity, and as such, Mr. O'Connell was not bound to obey them; but, upon the same principle, it was overlooked on the part of Mr. O'Connell's opponent, who sought the conflict upon a false and perverted notion of a wounded reputation, and, therefore, on him, and on him alone was the burden of the iniquity to be placed. The conduct of Mr. O'Connell was not viewed through the medium of reason, justice, or impartiality, on the contrary, it was examined by the scale of political predilections and antipathies. In the opinion of Protestants Mr. O'Connell was a murderer; in the estimation of the pseudo-moralist, he had placed himself beyond the pale of Heaven's forgiveness. It was said, that the ultimate object to which all public exertions should be directed, should be the establishing of private virtue, and the ensurance of domestic felicity; Mr. O'Connell had, in the death of Mr. D'Esterre, falsified both; he, therefore, had abrogated from himself all claim to the character of a patriot, or of a virtuous man. Such flimsy, superficial reasoning was, however, thrown away upon the partisans of Mr. O'Connell; like the arrows against the shield of Ajax, it fell fruitless, and in many instances contributed to produce a contrary effect, His own immediate party beheld in him, their champion, who gave all his mental energies in support of their righteous cause, and who was willing to shed his blood in its defence. If before he was worshipped, he was now idolized;-if before, the members of "the beggarly corporation" evinced their fear of him, they now quailed before him, he stood before them, with the consciousness of having performed the part of a brave and honourable man. They were tacitly constrained to confess in the words of him who sat in judgement on the saviour of mankind, “We have found no fault in this man."

In the estimate which is generally formed of the character of an individual, when the principles on which that estimate is founded, are the result of malevolence or hatred, it frequently