Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Memoir And Trial Of The Celebrated Theobald Wolfe Tone,
advert to any thing that was not already to be found in the reports of the legislature of the country . P RESIDENT— 'Perhaps the paper may contain matter improper for the Court to hear . ' Mr . TONE— ' The Court will , no doubt , reserve to . itself the power of stopping me , if that should be the case ; but I repeat , that I have taken care to be as moderate as possible in my expressionsand if anv shall be fount !
, too strong , notwithstanding my caution , t will not hesitate to adopt such as shall be more consonant to the feelings of my auditors . ' J UDGE ADVOCATE— ' D O you mean , Mr . Tone , that the paper should go before his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant , along with the decision of the tiourt ?' Mr . TONE— ' I have no objection ; let the Court in that respect : be directed by its own discretion . '
A MEMBER . ( Col . Daly)—' You don ' t intend , "I suppose , by the paper which you want to read , to deny the charge made against you ? You plead Guilty of acting traitorously against your King- and Country >' PRISONER— ' { have admitted the facts , which certainly is an admission of the charge wjnch you have technically described . ' After some short and whispered conversation between the members per mission being given , Mr . Tone read the paper , to the contents of which the following report by no means renders adequate justice :
' Mr . President , and Gentlemen of the Court , it is not my intention to give you any trouble respefting proof of what has been advanced against me ruy admission of the charge pre . ents a prolongation of those forms which could not possibly prove more irksome to you than they would to me ' What I have done has been from principle , and a convict on of its rectitude f seek not mercy ; I hope I am not an object of pity ; I antici pate the consequence of my capture , and am prepared for the event . The gre-i' - object of lite has been the independence of
my my country , and to that obieft I have made every sacrifice . Placed in honourable poverty , the love of liberty was imp anted by nature and by education m my heart ; no seduction , no terror could banish it rrcm thence ( and seduction and terror have not been spaied against me ) ; and to impart the inestimable blessing- to the land of my birth , 1 braved difficulties , bondage , and death . After an honour tble com bat , in which I strove to emulate the bravery of gallant comrades
my , I was made captive , and dragged in irons through the country , not so much to my disgrace , as that of the persons b y whom such ungenerous and unmanly orders were given . What I have written and said on the state of Ireland I here reiterate . The conneaion with England I have ever considered the b-Mie of Ireland , and have done every thing m my power to break it , s-id to raise ' three millions ot my countrymen to the rank of Citizens . '
PRESIDENT— ' The Court cannot listen to this . ' A MEMBER- ' To me it appears as if this paper was read for the purpose of sending abroad impressions of a dangerous nature , through the means of persons who may be attending here for the purpose . ' ^ PRESIDENT- ' I think there cannot be any persons of that description PRISONER — ' I too think there cannot "
. J UDG E ADVOCATE - ' If what is to follow be of a similar nature with that Sjudke " ' ' Mr" T ° ' , e ' dlaf k must ° P « ate to your tV r- \?? ' 7 ~ ' ^' 1 " , ™ « 1 . iate | y ¥ \ ows "">• be deemed exceptionable by "i- Court , but , I think should not 5 it is but the expression of my thanks to
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Memoir And Trial Of The Celebrated Theobald Wolfe Tone,
advert to any thing that was not already to be found in the reports of the legislature of the country . P RESIDENT— 'Perhaps the paper may contain matter improper for the Court to hear . ' Mr . TONE— ' The Court will , no doubt , reserve to . itself the power of stopping me , if that should be the case ; but I repeat , that I have taken care to be as moderate as possible in my expressionsand if anv shall be fount !
, too strong , notwithstanding my caution , t will not hesitate to adopt such as shall be more consonant to the feelings of my auditors . ' J UDGE ADVOCATE— ' D O you mean , Mr . Tone , that the paper should go before his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant , along with the decision of the tiourt ?' Mr . TONE— ' I have no objection ; let the Court in that respect : be directed by its own discretion . '
A MEMBER . ( Col . Daly)—' You don ' t intend , "I suppose , by the paper which you want to read , to deny the charge made against you ? You plead Guilty of acting traitorously against your King- and Country >' PRISONER— ' { have admitted the facts , which certainly is an admission of the charge wjnch you have technically described . ' After some short and whispered conversation between the members per mission being given , Mr . Tone read the paper , to the contents of which the following report by no means renders adequate justice :
' Mr . President , and Gentlemen of the Court , it is not my intention to give you any trouble respefting proof of what has been advanced against me ruy admission of the charge pre . ents a prolongation of those forms which could not possibly prove more irksome to you than they would to me ' What I have done has been from principle , and a convict on of its rectitude f seek not mercy ; I hope I am not an object of pity ; I antici pate the consequence of my capture , and am prepared for the event . The gre-i' - object of lite has been the independence of
my my country , and to that obieft I have made every sacrifice . Placed in honourable poverty , the love of liberty was imp anted by nature and by education m my heart ; no seduction , no terror could banish it rrcm thence ( and seduction and terror have not been spaied against me ) ; and to impart the inestimable blessing- to the land of my birth , 1 braved difficulties , bondage , and death . After an honour tble com bat , in which I strove to emulate the bravery of gallant comrades
my , I was made captive , and dragged in irons through the country , not so much to my disgrace , as that of the persons b y whom such ungenerous and unmanly orders were given . What I have written and said on the state of Ireland I here reiterate . The conneaion with England I have ever considered the b-Mie of Ireland , and have done every thing m my power to break it , s-id to raise ' three millions ot my countrymen to the rank of Citizens . '
PRESIDENT— ' The Court cannot listen to this . ' A MEMBER- ' To me it appears as if this paper was read for the purpose of sending abroad impressions of a dangerous nature , through the means of persons who may be attending here for the purpose . ' ^ PRESIDENT- ' I think there cannot be any persons of that description PRISONER — ' I too think there cannot "
. J UDG E ADVOCATE - ' If what is to follow be of a similar nature with that Sjudke " ' ' Mr" T ° ' , e ' dlaf k must ° P « ate to your tV r- \?? ' 7 ~ ' ^' 1 " , ™ « 1 . iate | y ¥ \ ows "">• be deemed exceptionable by "i- Court , but , I think should not 5 it is but the expression of my thanks to