{.4

ITHE‘-iiiP H CH] NIX.

than the one just glanced at, is advisable, nor can
any other he successfully carried ‘out. In our ac-
tual state of preparedness, we cannot begin 311.111-
surrection on our own account and by our own ini-
pnlse, without the certainty of failure. Cease, H10“;
to desire to preciptate one. However, determined
and personally brave the parties desirous of an
Irish rising may be, they must lack tli0,C<il1<3-91011
and common understanding that is needtiil to en-
sure such a unity of counsel and simultaneity of ac-
tion, as could render insurrection successful. There
would be but partial and scattered attempts at ris-
ingg,he1‘(} and there, and one isolated band would
be put down, before ever a second would be ready
to follow its lead.——VVe saw examples encugli of this
in 1Q4s - they were seen in 1849 also. Certain par-
ty (_ . ,,
ties were as eager to be led to the field then, as you
are now. But What came of their eagerness? A
few miserable riots ; while one man was waiting
for his neighbor to do something, and the inhabi-
tants of one locality watching to see the fight. be-
gun by those of another, the time for action had
passed away, and all the intended movements of the
insurrectionists became known to their enemies,
who were thereby enabled to counter-act them.
\Vhenever our wilv ’ErV1‘€"1iS Seriollsly “PP*"9h"’1d
any fixed resolve and secret combination amongst us,
Irishmen for the purpose of viiidicatiiig the freedom
i‘ ’ I . u
of our country by the force of arms, they invaria-
, .
bly adopt some contrivance for the discovery of the
exact object we have in view, the means by which
we hope to accomplish it, our system of operations,
the men that direct us, and the numerical force and
local distribution of their supporters. Their tac-
tics are therefore directed towards forcing us to
unmask our batteries prematurely, and to expose
our full strength to their view, so that, knowing the
nature and extent of the threatened danger and see-
ing whence it comes, they may the more easily
guard against it and baffle our plan of attack.
0
The suspension ofthe Habeas CorpusAct enabled
the British Government to attain this end, with full
success, in the summer of 18-18. It was awell-
timed and effective expedient ; but it can scarcely
be said to have been an able one ; because it was so
obvious and so trite, that it seems inexplicable, un-
derthe circumstances, how, no one either forsaw it,
or having forseen it, took no measures to counter-
7
actiits effects After little more than a-week’s ex
perience of that measure, it was discovered that no
hidden danger whatever to Saxon domination lay
concealed beneath the noisy and threatening sur-
face of the Club organization. I/Vhen the bulletins,
as they may be called, which were sent forth week-
ly from the head-quarters of the Confederation
through the public press, had been suddenly stop-

‘ped the whole Club organization fell assunder, and
all who looked to that body for counsel and guid-

ance, were left in gasping bewilderment, like
stranded fishes, left high and dry by the receding
tide, A few short days were quite enough to show

I. the complete prostration of our energies. Some of

our leaders attempted an impossible campaign,

 .-which a few hirelings of our enemies quelled as easi-

ly as a street riot, as soon as theyhad seen how
very little cause there was for the amazement and
terror that had, at the first start, kept them in-

active within their entrenchments 1

Again, nearly two months later, a somewhat

‘A similar, and no less imprudent and hap-hazard at-

tempt, was made in theneighborhood of Carrick-on-
Suir. Of this I had the misfortune to be, myself, the
ostensible mover. This undertaking was urged on
by no immediate exhortations of the press. It was
simpiy the result of the popular indignation of the
men of that locality, at the disappointment of their
hopes at Ballingarry. At first, as if spontaneously,
this feeling took the shape of a conspiracy. VVith-
out any pledge of secrecy to bind us, all our
movements of any importance were kept concealed
from the enemy. The authorities of the foreign gar-

rison knew, indeed, of our combination, and might

easily guess at our ultimate designs; but they
could neither form an estimate of our force, nor
learn when, where, br how, it was about to be
brought to bear against them. This uncertainty,
on their part, gave us a very great advantage over
them. Night and day, during several weeks, they

had parties of their myrmidons in almost constant.

pursuit of me and two or three fellow-outlaws, who
joined their fortunesto mine--I suppose because they
could find no oneelse then-but though I had no armed

A or well organized body ofmen around me, I baflled, all

their efibrts at arresting either myself or my com-
rades. They never could succeed even in coming with-
in sight ofus ; and, though we had often to sleep in
the open air, and in caverns and wo::ds, still we
never lost a night’s rest by their pursuit. My
friends and adherents were so much more faithful
than theirs, that Iliad better intelligence of their
movements than they had of mine. I was nearly
always made aware of their intended line of march
before they had gone far beyond the precincts of

their barracks, so that. by a slight detour, I could
always avoid meeting them.

Meanwhile, as some of you may remember, the
revolutionary spirit of the people, in and around
Carrick-on-Suir, had again become red-hot-. The
Middle Classes, indeed, stood aloof from me;-but
the brave peasantry and mechanics flocked around
me the more zealously, as if for this very reason. I
held constant counsel with influential men.aniong
the latter, within the sound of the biigles of our
enemies, and, more than once, held parley with
their rebelliously disposed soldiers, almost within
the lines of their encampmcnts.

By these means, I caused my pursuers to suffer
many of the evils of an actual campaign, though no
opposing force could be seen by them anywhere.
Their soldiers and policemen were liai‘i'assed and
worn out by forced marches by night and day, and
many of them, broken down by fatigue, had, as I
have since learned, to be sent off sick to distant
hospitals——but sent thither, privately and by night,
lost our party should have the satisfaction of know-
ing the effect of our manner of acting upon their
ranks. I

But where was this system of operations to end?
For my own part, I had no distinct plan of action
on my mind, when I assumed the leadership of my
brother rebels in South '.l‘ipperai'y and the neighbor-
ing districts of VVaterford and Kilkenny. I did it,
at first, for the sole object of keeping up the war-
spirit of my immediate neighbors and friends, and
of concentrating around me a remnant of the Club
organization. and of thus retaining it together,
until some more experienced and better known
man, should be found to direct it; for I could not
then believe it possible that, all our chiefs and
leaders had fled from us, never to return, or even to
look back at the pitfall into which their own impr.o-
vidence had led us. I expecti d that, some one or
other of them would turn up somewhere, when they
should have heard that, we were able and willing to
shelter and protect them, and, coming ' to take the
guidance of myself and my comrades, that they
would strive to remedy the disaster and shame that
fell upon our country, renouncing the clatnorons
oratorical appeals and sensation articles of the Con-
federation, and falling into the footsteps of Tone,
Fitzgerald, and Emmet. To find them do this,
would have afforded some satisfaction for the sad
desolation which their first attempt had brought
upon the homes of some of us. Alas! I labored
under that illusion over long. It was but of late
years that it was thoroughly dispelled. VVith one
or two exceptions, it would seem as if the promi-
nent Young Irelanders were then fleeing, not alone
from the consequences of the crude and rash enter-
prise in which they had been just, foiled; but from
the very cause itself, to which they had committed
us all. Up to this day, their flight has been to us,
like what is expressed by the Irish saw—Imtheacht
an hiaiyh on Airc; I mtheacht yan casadh choidhche. But
this is, perhaps, the wiser course. It is at all
events the easier, while the world esteems them
heroes and martyrs, leaving to us the disgrace and
ruin and grief. ,

Besides this, I fancied that it could not be possi-
ble but that some more of their partizans were
working in other rural districts, as I was in that of
Carrick on-Siiir. Feeling my own personal safety,
and feeling how easy it was to reorganize our party
with intelligent helpers, I hoped to open a commu-
nication, and take counsel with any man that might
be keeping the field, previous to taking any aggres-
sive steps whatever. Bcfore I knew my mistake,
and learned that I was really alone, I found myself
the centre and head of an ardent and zealous, but
widely scattered and unorganized force of several
thousand brave and faithful partizans.

How was I to bring together in "large masses the
dispersed, isolated, and undisciplined members of
this force. I had scarcely any subordinate officers
to divide the labor with me, and to participate in
the burthens of command. IVhei‘ever I chanced to be
personally present, my orders were obeyed; but
when I was absent those orders, transmitted
througli others, were little heeded. In the dearth
of assistants, I felt, in my own mind, that some ex-
citement, coming from some outside quarter, should
be present, in order to give impetus and direction
to a general muster. I dreaded the result of suin-
moning my men together at any preconcerted time
and place, or by any command or signal, emanating
directly from myself. It seemed otherwise to my
more ardent companions and adherents. I now feel
that I was riglit, and that they were wrong; and I
shall evcrmore oppose and condemn any measure of
the kind for the muster of undisciplined masses.
\Vith experienced and disciplined oflicers to super-
intend it and carry it through, in all its parts, the
case might be quite different. However, notwith-
standing my preseiitimcnts, I had then the misfor-
tune to be swayed by other influences.

Nevertheless, events were then close at hand,

which had I waited for them, might have given to my
movement that external impulse, which it needed,
and for which I‘ longed. These were the State
Trials at Cloninel. These trials were so likely to
rivet the attention of all that remained hopeful and
true of the-National party upon the above-named
town, that any movement, made by my party upon
it at that crisis, would have been almost certain of
wide support. VVhile, if, as was most probable, an
attempt at rescuing the prisoners should be made
by parties from elsewhere, my force would have
been near to second and to complete it. Such were
my thoughts. They were, perhaps, the thoughts of
the enemy likewise. My presence almost in their
midst, and the large number of my friends, must
have caused them great embarrassment and alarm.
They were entirely ignorant of the extent of my
power to attack them. All they knewgwas that
they could not find me, and that in whatever locality
I chanced to spend a day or night, there was always
found, on the very spot, an improvised band of some
fifty or a hundred men to watch over my safety
and to guard me, if need be, while I staid with
them. They were also ignorant of my designs and
plans.

In this predicament, their obvious plan was to
cause me to display my full strength openly, so
that they might be able to crush it, before the State
Prisoners should be brought to Clonmcl—at least, I
now think, that such was their intent. Having seen
my hand, they could more easily defeat my plans.
But no open force, that they could employ, was
able to effect this end——I laughed at their force.
How, then, was I to be forced to expose my resources
to them. I verily believe that they effected that
object, by getting persons to act covertly upon the im-
patient and ardent tempers of many of the very truest
and most earnest of my supporters. The latter were
insensibly impelled to a headlong course by the
spreading abroad of false rumors of risings, now
here, now there, which had existence nowhere.
One day a report reached us that the inhabitants of
some town or district of Kilkenny was up in arms,
and marching to join us. Another day, the rising
was said to be in some part of VVaterfo_rd, Cork or
Limerick. At other times, men came running to
tell me that, some barrack or other could be taken
with some small number of men. It was reported
to me more than once that a certain number of the
soldiery, in one or other of the neighboring garri-
sons, were ready to turn over to us on our first
onset. I still steadily refused to take the open
field, and soon found that those rumors were, for the
most part, unfounded.

But the agents of our tyrants were not to bp so
readily defeated in their schemes. They seemed
but to continue working still more incessantly up—
on the impatience of my adherents.

At last those adherents were, as I have reason to
think, urged by those concealed agents, or, at least,
by rumors disseminated by them, to ask me seri-
ously——“Did I mean to let Mr. O’Brien and his fel-
low-prisoners be hanged before my face, without
striking a blow for their deliverance?” To meet my
excuse that, “these gentlemen had not been as yet
sent down from Dublin to stand their trial,” it was
confidently reported that 6000 British soldiers were
ordered to march upon Clonmel, and to form an en
campment in the immediate vicinity of that town,
and thus render abortive, or impossible, any move-
ment of mine. To this, also, I might have paid little
heed, had not the rumor been spread at the same time
that, my only object in keeping up the excitement
was for the purpose of effecting my own escape
under its cover. "I was openly taunted with this
even by some well-meaning folk, that should have
known me better.

My feelings were irritated at so ungenerous a
charge, and, in an evil hour, I yielded to the wishes
of my companions, and named a time for a general
rising ofthat part ofthe country. To state the exact
plan, on which I meant to conduct it, is foreign to my
present purpose, which is but to remind you of past
follies, so that you may be warned against their re-
currence.

Having thus made up my mind for bringing mat-
ters to a final issue, I visited in person each locali-
ty within my reach, during the short interval left to
me. I assigned special leaders and special duties
to the men ofeach place, and pointed certain works
to be done by them on the first night of the rising.
Trusty messengers were despatclicd to such quar-
ters as were too distant or too out of the way for a
personal visit. These matters being arranged, and
fortified by promises, everyirhere received, I pro-
ceeded in due time to the point where I resolved
to take up my own position.

On my arrival ithere, Ifound a large number of
my friends assembled together without any order or
discipline. It was useless to set subordinate oili-
cei's over them, for no one seemed willing to obey
any orders but my own, and the men appointed over

small parties of their comrades, were disobeyed and

deserted to follow myself, as soon as ever I left the
position where I had stationed them. Thus tliey
kept constantly moving to and fro, like a crowd at at
fair. But this was not all. I was disappointed in
the attendance of that particular portion of my sup-
porters, whose presence was indispensiblg to the
execution of the special enterprize laid down for
that division of our muster. At length day dawned
upon us to show that not’ one of the works, which I
had commanded to be executed previous to taking a
single step in advance, had been anywhere per-
formed—works, without which, I could not hope to
hold the field for any time—and that several at»-
tempts which I had forbidden, as destructive, had
been tried and had failed. I do not cite these cir-
camstanccs for the purpose of blaming the courage,,,
devotion, or fidelity of the men engaged with me
then. I had good reason to know, both before and
since, that not braver, or better, or more faithful
could be found anywhere. I cite them merely to
illustrate the uselcssness of these qzstalitlr-3, without‘ a»
regular organization, and without the comiiction that
all may depend upon each man’.s' perforrning his own
special task at the appointed time and place. Each pi-3.
vate must know his own sergeant beforehand, and
should stay by his side wherever he goes ; and each
sergeant should follow and obey the officer in imme-
diate command of him, without Zoolciny for orders or

rection. Nor is the day of the rising, or the week
before the rising, the time for accustoming our-
selves to this. The officer should know his imme-
diate command, and the men of that command their
immediate superior, as long as possible, before they
are called into action. The better they knew him
and the more readily they obey him, and him alone,
the more efficient will their services be in the day of
need.

But, to return from this digression. The enemy‘
soon learned our disorder and our consequent weak-
ness and perplexity. They took their measures ac-
cordingly. They intercepted the coinmunicatien
between our several gatherings——sent out persons
in peasant garb to disseminate false intelligence-—-

there, through means of their hidden emissaries, so
as to be themselves first upon the appointed ground,
to anticipate and prevent them from ever coming to
a head. “That wonder that I was forced to give up
any further persistence in my attempt after the man-
ner I had proposed. All order among my followers
was destroyed. Their very signal fires were counv
terfeitcd by night upon the hill-tops, so that many
straggling insurgents, attracted thereby, were shot
at and had to flee affrighted, finding foes where they
expected to meet none but friends. No trust could
be placed anywhere.

Now, my Brothers, this defeat could not have
been effected so easily, had I waited until the na---
tional excitement, produced by the State Trials, had
reached its height. Knowing that I had the ma»
terials for insurrection at my command in its imme-
diate neighborhood, the scattered remnants of the
Young Ireland party might have concentrated from
all quarters upon Clonmel, This would, in some de-
gree, have supplied the kind ofpersons I most want-
ed to divide and share my labors so as to utilize the
willing masses, and I would myself have ceased to
be alone. Every true heart in Ireland would have
been on the alert. Thus, the slightest coinmotion
might easily have been fanned into a revolutionary '
conflagration.

It was, therefore, all-important to the English au-
thorities, that my partizans should be scattered and"
put down and myself disposed of in some way, before»
those trials. This would leave on their hands bm.’-:
one difficulty at one time.  have reminded you
how cunningly that end was attempted and by WIHIEM
agencies.

Some amongst you must remember well the
events to which I call your attention. Yet, I regret
to understand that your present ardor and impa-
tience threaten to hurry you into playing the same
silly game over again, for the benefit and conveni-
ence of your oppressors——not for your own.

New, more than ever, Irc_land needs as a sigma?
for her uprising, some impetus I from without—-
from some embarrassment or difiiculty of her foreign
rulers, arising from some other source, besides any
that could spring from any combination of her own.
sons upon the Irish soil. Whether that iinpetus
shall be given by the event of a war between
France and England——a scarcely avoidable contin-
gency——by some action on the part of the tlree
millions of cxpatriatcd Irishmen, who dwell in these:
United States, or by some internal political agita-
tion, arising from causes independent of that to
which we are pledged, it must, ‘at all liazards, and
under all trials, be waited for patiently, but wake»-
fnlly, persistently, and untiringly.

The first duty_ of every Irishman, who mean»: to

, 101

example elsewhere; otherwise, nothing effectuai’
can ever be done towards successful insur-

incited certain villages to petty risings, one here one .

strike for liberty, in any ereiit, is, first, I[l1mOdl9.~i(3I3:“"