CHAPTER IV.

THE character of Mr. O'Connell was now in a great degree known to the Irish people, and it may be said to the whole of the English. In his official character, he stood pre-eminent, his professional talents were called forth on almost every occasion of importance, and the people looked up to him as one, in whom implicit confidence could be placed; who had showed himself above the low chicanery of the law, and, who, if hehad a fault, was sometimes apt to injure the cause of his client by the excessive zeal that he displayed, which sometimes exposed him to the attack of his wily antagonist, who knew how to take advantage of this temporary weakness to make it subservient to his own purposes.

Mr. O'Connell at this period, may well be styled, the Brougham of the Emerald Isle; his surprising and almost surpassing industry enabled him to bound over every obstacle, which the ingenuity of his opponents might throw in his way. At the time, when the judges of Dublin rise, about three o'clock, he had already gone through a mass of business sufficient to waste the strength of an ordinary constitution, and it might have been naturally expected that he would have devoted the remainder of the day, to reading, recreation, and repose. Instead of which, however, he had usually some public meeting to attend, at which he was the presiding spirit, or the popular Mercurius, and in the duties of which he appeared to have just started fresh for the labours of the day. Nor did he render the evening a period of much greater rest. Some public dinner was to be held, where he was to be called upon "to speak and speak again," and the conviviality and oratory of which continued to detain him to a late hour. After this, a

short period of necessary repose intervened betwen the boisterous efforts of the last evening, and the calm and profound studies of the early morning, for which no labours nor indulgence of the preceding day ever appeared to unfit him.

These varied scenes of industry and excitement suggest a second and corresponding quality of this surprising man, namely the versatility of his talents, which appear so varied in their texture and exercise as sometimes to carry the semblance of inconsistency.

These vagaries, however, of an ambitious prince of Kerry may be forgiven. We are content to pass from them to the genuine variety of talent which he displayed, and to its corresponding diversity of practical uses and public benefits. Mr. O'Connell was always in the greatest request in jury cases, where he was allowed to be exactly in his element. It has been observed that a Dublin jury was the twelve-stringed harp, upon which above all things, he delighted to play. His powers as a Nisi prius advocate were numerous, and always at command to select and adapt to the claims of each particular case. His skill in the conducting of defences in the crown court was acknowledged and undoubted. But here his versatility seemed to approach nearer to inconsistency, than in any other department of his practice. Habitually bold and sanguine every where else, he was in these cases a model of prudence and caution. Rapid in his usual cross-examinations, he never put a hasty, nor especially a hazardous question; he appeared to ponder well before he spoke, and having gained a point, he darted a look upon the opposing counsel, which was at once a look of triumph and consciousness of superiority.

Much, however, it is to be regretted that Mr. O'Connell in the numerous speeches which he made on the Catholic question, so far, sometimes, forgot himself as to vilify even those, who were working in the same vineyard as himself, and who although they might not go all the length, to which he carried his designs, yet, who on the whole were his able and zealous coadjutors in accomplishing the great work of the eman

cipation of their countrymen from all the disabilities which an intolerant government had established, and which the existing one seemed anxious to perpetuate.

No more forcible instance of the truth of the above remark can be adduced, than the attack which Mr. O'Connell made on Dr. Milner, the agent of the Catholic Board in London, and who had given great offence to Mr. O'Connell by the views which he took of the important question of the veto. The speech of Mr. O'Connell on this occasion was lost, on account of no reporter being present, its intent; and spirit, however, can be ascertained from the following letter addressed by Dr. Milner, to the editor of the Dublin Chronicle.

Sir,

Per infamiam et bonam famam exhibeamus nos melipsas ut Dei ministros 2 car. vi. This injunction of the apostle which ought ever to be before the eyes of a Catholic pastor, forcibly struck me two days ago, when returning home from a journey, I learnt from your Chronicle of August 30th, that a celebrated Orator had in an aggregate meeting of the Catholics of Ireland, deprived me of their good opinion and good-will, by grossly mis-representing my principles, and degrading my understanding. Well, Sir, I shall not alter my principles or my conduct; but shall endeavour to stick to my text. Per infamiam et bonam famam, &c.

Still it may be proper to inquire, upon what evidence the learned gentleman has defamed me? This is such, that, as a professional man, he would spurn at it, were the person or character of the vilest human creature submitted in a regular manner to his sentence. He has, in the present instance, pronounced upon hearsay evidence, and this at second or third hand, namely, he heard a prelate say, that he heard another prelate read a letter from me, which, in his opinion, bare such and such a sense. But how many mistakes might have occured as to that letter, between the learned gentleman and the prelate, his friend, and between this prelate and the reading prejate? Thus much is certain, that the letter in question, whic£

was a very long one, was also a confidential one and was stated to be such in the body of it; nor will I easily believe that any one of my honoured and venerable friends was capable of betraying confidence. In case, however, it should be the general opinion of those prelates, that the letter ought to be published, I will withdraw my injunction of secresy.

In the meantime, notwithstanding the high credit due to the learned orator, and the irresistible force of his eloquence, I think I ought to stand acquitted of the charges he has brought against me, on the solemn and public testimony of the Prelate of Ireland, and of the orator's friends among the rest, who, after having considered upon my letter and the whole of my conduct for fifteen months past, unanimously voted their grateful thanks to me, for a zealous and able discharge of the trust reposed in me. This honourable testimony which is the fourth of its kind, that I have received from the immortal prelates of Ireland, is recorded in the same number of your Chronicle, which contains the orator's speech.

I shall argue in the same succinct and exclusive manner with respect to the old refuted calumny of my being the original author of the Veto, which the eloquent gentleman is pleased to revive at the present day. Let it then suffice to say, that on the ever memorable day alluded to (Sept. 14, 1808) when the prelates passed their most wise and pious resolution (one that I then adhered to, never have abandoned and have suffered more for defending than any other individual whomsoever) namely, that it is not expedient to alter the discipline of the Catholic church of Ireland, they, at the self-same time, resolved that I had given a satisfactory explanation with respect to my conduct at that period, and was entitled to their thanks.

With still greater injustice does the eloquent orator charge me, in the face of the Catholic world, with having gone over to Ireland on a Vetoistical mission, adding that Ireland rejected the missionary and the mission that I repented, &c. with other circumstances perfectly fabulous, Sir, I am bold to say, and I challenge contradiction, if fair proof, and not groundless conjectures, are to be admitted in evidence, that I never had but two

missions in my life, one from God to preach his gospel, the other was from the Irish prelates to guard the purity and independence of their holy church. No, Sir, I did not go to Ireland in 1808, sent commissioned, supported or encouraged by any man, and I am convinced that no friend of any kind of veto, previously knew of my intention of going thither; I went for the sole purpose of complying with the pressing invitation of my ever lamented friend, Dr. Waylan, who invited me to be present at the opening of his new chapel, at Cork.

I am, &c.

J. MILNER, D. D.

In this manner did Mr. O'Connell draw down upon himself, from his violent and unguarded mode of expressing himself in his public speeches, the indignant remonstrances even of those, who were co-operating with him in the great work of emancipation, and which gave rise to the imputation which was at this time thrown upon him, that so fixed was his determination to be the lord ascendant of the Catholic population of Ireland, that any one who presumed to raise himself to eminence in adopting or proposing measures for the redress of their grievances, was sure to have the thunder of O'Connell hurled against him, by an attack either on his professional or personal character. Like the giant of old, he brandished his clubs around him, and in the impetuosity of his on sets, he found, too often to his chagrin and mortification, to the displeasure of his friends, and to the injury of the cause which he had in hand, that he had crushed an auxiliary, instead of overthrowing an opponent. It is true, that in the emancipation of the Catholics, Mr. O'Connell saw the panacea for all the evils under which his native country was oppressed, but at the same time it must be admitted that there were some other very powerful causes existing which tended to check the progress of national prosperity, and to prevent the Irish people from obtaining that rank in social life to which by nature, they were so well fitted. That some of these evils did not originate or were in the least de