o'connell: his diary from 1792 to 1802, and letters. now for the first time published. part...

Irish Jesuit Province

O'Connell: His Diary from 1792 to 1802, and Letters. Now for the First Time Published. PartVII. More of His LettersAuthor(s): Daniel O'Connell and Mary O'ConnellSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 10, No. 113 (Nov., 1882), pp. 717-721Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20496863 .

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( 717 )

O'CONNELL:

-II DIARY FROM 1792 TO I802, AND LETTE:RS.

NOW FOR THIE FIRST TIRE rUBLISEED.

PART VII.

MrORX0F SBIS LETTERS.

AFTER the famous Clare Election, O'Connell, before taking his seat in

Parliament, used unsparingly his parliamentary privilege of franking letters. Here is one of his first as a Member of Parliament.

" Ennis, 5th July, 1828. "MY DEAR FRIEND,

" The cover of this will announce to you a cheering fact. It is that there is

in Parliament a man, one of whose greatest consolations in life is that he can truly

call himself

"Your attached and sincere friend, "DANIEL O'CONNEU

"[Franked.] "No. 1. Ennis, 5th July, 1828.

"CORNELIUS MAc LOGOLEN, Esq., " Merchant, Dublin.

"DANIEL O'CONNELL."

The following passage refers to the same epoch. Mark O'Connell's prudence in forbidding a Catholic illumination.

"It is rumoured that the Catholics of Dublin intend a grand illumination. Exert

yourself to prevent any demonstration of that kind or anything that could possibly

degenerate into a riot. The Bill is to get the Royal Assent at four o'clock on Mondaiy. You will go to bed that night a free man; the term Protestant ascendancy is now only a

name. Blessed be the great God! you cannot think how my heart swells at the thought.

Let me repeat the caution not to illuminate; it would only give an excuse to a bygone

faction to stain Emancipation with blood. I am sure the report of an intended ilu

mination is unfounded; it would be so unwise to provoke an attack by the desperate

and defeated Orange faction."

Without interposing even the thinnest layer of commentary we may

give in order the following letters from the faithful wife at home to

the new M.P., after one from the Member himself.

"BATT's HOTEL, DOVER-STREET, "

10th February, 1829.

"M B DARLING LOvE, " Here I am after a long and in some instances a troublesome journey. We

sM ome selfish persons of our party who were very particular in taking care of thej>

aes. This, of course, was not pleasant, but that is all over; and here we are, quits vei and merry. I am happy to tell you that prospects seem more favourable than

weepeoted. I saw Sir Henry Parnell, who kindly called on me the moment we



7s8 O'Connell.

arrived. His name is not to get into the newspapers, but he tells me that there is to

be no Veto; nor any attack or interference with the discipline of the Catholic Church. This, darling, is important if true, as the Americans say. I have my hopes that it is so.

" With respect to taking my seat, I have not as yet determined upon the time of

taking it; thatVmust be determined to-morrow or the day after by my professional friends, and the advice of the persons who in Parliament shall be found honest enough to

support me. I shall, however, write to you every day, and give you, sweetest, full details. You will not state the names of the persons who may give me information,

because the newspapers are so ready to catch up any and everything, that it is not

safe to mention names to anybody. I know, sweetest, your caution, and I have only

to tell you the reason of anything and it is not necessary for me afterwards to give

you any advice.

"Darling, whatever becomes of my claims, or of those of my country, you are

my consolation and my solace. Your state of health is my great and foremost source

of anxiety. Take care of yourself for me, my love-my early love-my only love.

Embrace for me our darling children-my Kate, whom I shall call the tenderness of

my heart-my own loved Betsy, my darling John, and my boy, our pride. my Dan.

It is honey to my heart to think of each of them individually. "Ever, sweetest,

"Your fondest and most faithful, "DANIEL O'CONNELL."'

"9th March, 1829.

"MY OWN DARLING LoVy,

"We have been discussing a Petition all day. I have only time to tell you

that I got three letters from you this day, so that I scolded you for nothing yesterday.

I don't lknow in what post-office the blame may attach-no matter. I am quite well,

and very merry. Maurice is equally so. I have not, and will not, now abandon the

Forty-Shilling V'reeholders. "A thousand and a thousand loves to our children.

"Believe me always, sweetest love, "Yours most tenderly,

" DANIEL O'CONNELL."'

"BURa-STrEET,

"18th A4ril, 1829. "MY OWN DAELING MARY,

"In the first place, are you not glad that the Lent is over ? I am quite sure

that I am, although I have not suffered at anl from it; on the contrary, I am grown

quite corpulent. In the next place, darling, I have still no news, but my next letter

will, I hope, contain some of importance. My Parliamentary fate must be decided

by that day one way or the other; I think favourably, but at all events I will know

distinctly before I write to you on Monday.

" Tell my sweet Kate that I got her darling letter with yours, and that I thank

her for it with all the fondness of the fondest father's heart for the sweetest and

dearest child that ever a father was blessed with. She little knows how I doat on her.

I am glad youi have got my poor Danny back at the whist-table; believe me, love, it

is much to be apprehended that the late hours he keeps affect his constitution and

make himn more liable to disease than he would naturally be. Speak to him on this

subject, and get him to go to bed earlier.

"What a state of tranquillity we are arrived at after so long and so violent a contest. I wish, darling, I was at home with my family; it is only with my family that



O'Connell. 719

I know anything of the happiness of human life-my own darling Mary and her

children, and sweet, sweet little Mazy-what a darling she is: give them all my

kinidest love. Is Maurice doing anything? I wrote to John as you wished. I hope

God may be pleased to give him the grace to attend to w]at I have written to him.

"Good-bye, sweetest-may God bless you.

"Ever yours most fondly, " DANIEL O'CONNELL."

"MERRTON-SQUARE, "Wednesday morning, 10 o'clock.

(Post-mark, 17th March, 1830.) "*MY DEAREST LOVE,

" I fancy that I am looking at you just going out to Mass, with the largest

shamrock that could be had in London, looking as independent as if you were already

Prime Minister of England. I wish I could think our dear Maurice was well enough

to accompany you to fulfil the solemn duty which you never forget. Darling, you

have brought a blessing upon yourself and your family, and your example has done

more for the Catholic Church than ever was done by a layman at any period. May

the great God preserve you to me and spare our children to us.

"' I write to you before I leave my room, to have my letter ready to close and take

with me on my way to Mass. I hope before I go out to hear from you. You may

easily judge, darling, how anxiously impatient I must be to get your letter of Mornday

last. Yesterday was one of the most anxious and nervous days I ever passed. I am,

however, thank God, in the best health, and our children very well. The girls,

Morgan, Fitzsimon, and Ellen go to the Patrick's Ball this evening. The weather is

most cruelly severe. It is well I have the good sense not to go to the Castle. Going

out by day and going out by night are very different to those who are apt to take cold

as I am. I don't like, heart, you should venture over in any of the Holyhead

packets; they are, I hear, very unsafe. Why not come by Liverpool?

" Your darling little Mary is quite well; so is O'Connell; but I don't think he

will ever be as interesting a child as Mary-probably I may be too partial to her. " I must close and seal my letter, as it is time to be off for Mas. No English

Post as yet. With fond love from your children,

"Believe me ever yours,

"MARY O'CONNELL.

"P.S.-Give my kindest love to our dear Maurice. Good-bye, sweetest, dearest love. "To DANIEL O'CONNELL, Esq., M.P.,

"5 Maddox-street, "Regent-street, London."

"BREWSTERFIELD, " July the 24th.

(Post-mark, 27th July, 1830.) "MY DARLING Lowz,

", This is the eight-and-twentieth anniversary of our wedding day-the day of

the week, too-which to me was the commencement of a happiness that through

your fault was, and never will be decreased. I have been the happiest of women

since I first knew you; and I feel that if you don't love me more, you do not now, in

my old age, love me less. And, oh, darling, how dear, how very dear are you to my

fond and grateful heart! May God bless and protect you, and send us a happy

meeting. I am, thank God, much better; but they will not let me leave here unti

Monday next.

" Your girls and Morgan are quite well. I have not heard from any of my other

VoL. x. No. 113. 45



720 O'Connell.

boys since I came here. I heard from Maurice. I hope to hear from you this post.

I write in great haste, as the Post-boy is waiting. With fond love from your children,

believe me, darling ever yours truly,

"MARY O'CONNELL.

"DANIEL O'CONNELL, M.P.,

" Waterford."

It has always been well known that the highest prizes at the dis posal of the Government might have been O'Connell's if he had con sented to give up the popular cause. Here is the way in which his domestic counsellors sustained him in rejecting one of these tempta tions

"MERRION-SQUARE, " Wednesday.

(Post-mark, 3rd December, 1830.)

"MY DEAREST LOVE,

" Thank God you have acted like yourself, and your wife and children have

more reason to be prouder of you now than they ever were. Had you acted differ.

ently from what you bave done it wouild have broken my heart. You cannot abandor.

the people who have always stood by you, and for whom you have sacrificed so mueb.

You will, darling, be rewarded for all, and you will have the prayers and the blessings

of your country to cheer and console you for what you have given up. Had you

been betrayed into an acceptance of the terms offered by Government, you would dlie

of a broken heart before six months expired. You now stand firmly on the affections

and on the love of your countrymen, and when that cotuntry is aware of the splendid

sacr-ifice you bave made for them, depend upon it they will strain every nerve to

reward you. I shall bold up my head higher than ever 1 did. I shan't be afraid to

look at the people, as I certainly should if you were a titled pensioner of the Gover n

ment. For your children I shan't say a word, as they give you their sentiments

with their respective signatures attacbed. I never saw anytbing like the pleasuire

that danced in their eyes when assured of youir refusal. May God bless you, my own love ! Words are inadequate to tell you bow I love and respect yotu for this

late act, so like and so worthy of yourself; my heart ovorflows with gratitude and

pride for being the wife of such a man, and the nmother of such grateful children.

"The report through towvn yesterday and this day is that you are to be the new

Master of the Rolls. You miay rely on our discretion, though we long to have the

great news public. What a welcome you will get from the peop)le of Ireland ! May

God bless and protect you. You will carry the Repea.l of the Union without blood

shed, as you did the Emancipation. I put my trust in that God who sees and knows

the purity of your beart. I can't write more here, there are so many in and out.

With love from youir children, believe me always with truth your fondest and most

grateful

"MARY O'CONNSELL. "To DANIEL O'CONNELL, M.P.,

"14 Manchester Buildings, " Westminster, London."

"MERRION-SQUARE, " Sunday.

(Post-mark, 8th December, 1830.)

"Mr DEAREST Lv0E, "I It is now half-past eleven o'clock, and I sit down to answer your letter of

Friday, wbich I found in my napkin when I came to breakfast this morning. Mau



O'Connell. 721

rice placed it there to give me an agreeable surprise All our children quiz me not a

little upon the regularity of your letters: I suppose they are surprised you should

think so much of a little old woman as to write to her every post. It is a doubt to

me, however, if even Shiel, who has got so much by his lovely wife, is as much

attached to her as my darling old man is to his fond and grateful old woman.

I judged your children's letters would give you great comfort; accordingly, when

they wished me to give you their sentiments, I suggested to them the plan,

which they with great cheerfulness adopted. Maurice, without waiting to discuss

the subject, went at once to bis study and wrote the letter which you so mtuch,

and I think so justly, appreciate. Rely on it, love, your secret is safe with us;

not to your sister did I breathe it. I hope it will be public; if it should not how can

the people be aware of the sacrifice you have so nobly made for them ? I trust I

may look forward to the certainty of seeing you at Christmas, they will be all so

anxious to spend the Christmas with their family that both Houses will probably close before that period. Are we to have Lord Anglesey? I hope not, if he comes

to continue his opposition to the Repeal of the Union. Dwyer will, I suppose, give

you an account of the reception given by the Lord Mayor to the Deputation yesterday; his speech was most impertinent, and he deserves to be well humbled. fow glad I

am I did not visit the Lady Mayoress. I waited to know how he would act after his

return from London. His head has been turned by the compliments there paid to

him, and he forgets that he was once one of the people, and glad to have their

support.

"Nothing new in Dublin. We are all quite well. As Tuesday will be a blank,

I have promised to go to Clongowes on that day.

"With love from all your children, believe me, my dearest Dan,

"Your's most truly, "MARY O'CONNELL.

"To DANIEL O'CONNELL, M.P.,

14 Al anchester Buiildings, " Westminster, London."

In these letters Mrs. O'Connell says the rumour was that O'Connell was to be Master of the Rolls. As she fears the " splendid sacrifice" will not be appreciated if secrecy is observed, the offer must have been higher. Had it been proposed to confer on O'Connell a distinction which was, in reality, to be reserved for Lord O'lagan, and which at that time would have seemed a more extraordinar,y honour ? To what extent would the subsequent course of Ireland's political history have been modified if O'Connell had become her first Catholic Lord

Chancellor?



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