DANIEL O'CONNELL'S ATTACK ON BENJAMIN DISRAELI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 205, 27 September 1878, Page 4

DANIEL O'CONNELL'S ATTACK ON BENJAMIN DISRAELI.

The Freeman's Weekly Journal some time since reproduced Daniel O'Connell's attack on Benjamin Disraeliv As a specimen of the great D-rn's style of oratory, it may be read with equal interest and amazement : — " Yet, sir, the ' No- Popery ' cry is again raised in England, and every enemy to Ireland in that country does me the honor of directing the arrows of his malevolence against me. But I have risen to a magnitude I never thought I would attain by the quantity of slander poured out upon me through the medium of the English press. They make me a bugbear of the first magnitude, though any bug of my size would be humbug — but, literally, nothing is more ludicrous than the importance they attach to my humble name. I am not accustomed to feel much surprised at their resorting to me ' for lack of argument,' but I must confess there is one of the attacks on me which excites in my mind a good deal of astonishment. It ia this — the attack lately made at Taunton by Mr Disraeli. In the annuals of political turpitude there is not anything deserving the apellation of ' blackguardism ' to equal that attack upon me. What is my acquaintance with this man ? Just this. In '31, or the beginning of '32, the borough of Wickham became vacant ; I then knew him, but not personally. I knew him as the author of one or two novels. He got an introduction to me, and wrote me a letter stating that as I was a Radical and was going to stand upon the Eadical Eeformer, and as he was also a Radical interest for the borough ot Wickham, where he said there were many persons of that way of thinking who would be influenced by my opinion, he would feel obliged by receiving a letter from me recommendatory of him as a Eadical. His letter to me was so distinct upon the subject that I immediately complied wiih the request, and composed as good an epistle as I could on his behalf. I am in the habit of letter-writing, sir, and Mr Disraeli thought this letter so valuable that he not only took the autograph, but had it printed and placarded. It was, in fact, the only ground upon which he canvassed the borough. He was, however, defeated, but that was not my fault. I did not demand anyfgratitude from him ; but I think if he had any feelings of his own he would conceive I had done him at least a civility, if not a service, which cunht not to be repaid by atrocity of the foulest deascriptioo. The next thing I heard of him was that he started upon the Radical interest for Marylebooe, bat was again defeated. Having: been twice defeated on the Radical interest, hewaajußtthe fellow for the Conservatives, and accordingly he joined a Conservative club, and started (or two or three places on the Conservative interest. How is he now engaged ? Why, in abusing the Radicals and eulogising the King and the Church, like a true Conservative. At Taunton tins miscreant had the audacity to style me an incendiary. Why, I waß a greater incendiary in 1831 lhau I am at present, if ever I was one- — and if I am he ia doubly sofor having employad me. Then he calls me traitor. My answer to that ib — he is a liar. He is a liar in action and in words. Hie life is a living lie. He is a disgrace to the species. What state of society must that be that could tolerate such a creature, having the audacity to come forward with one set of priciples at one time, and obtain political assistance by reaeoo of those principles — and at another, to profess diametrically the reverse ? His life, I say again, is a living lie. He is the moat degraded of his species and kind; and England is degraded in tolerating, or having upon the foce of her society, a miscreant of his abominable, foul, and atrocious nature. My language is harsh, and I owe an apoligy for it; but I will tell you why 1 owe that apoolgy. It is for this reason ,f that if there be harsher terms in the British language I should use them; because it is the I hardest of &11 terms that would be de-

rinriptive of a wretch of his species. He is just the fellow for the Conservative Club. I suppose, if -Sir Robert Peel had been out of the way when he was called upon to tako office, this fellow would have undertaken to supply his place. He had falsehood enough, deprivlty enough, and selfishnias enough to become the fitting leader of the Conservatives. He is Conservatism personified. His nime shows he is by descent a Jew. Hia father becomes a convert. He ia the better for that in this world; and I hopp, of cour?e, ho will be the better for it in the next. I have thf> happiness to be nrquinted with eome Jewish families in London, and amongst them more accomplished ladies, or more humane, cordial, hi^hminded or better educated gentlemen, I hava never met. It will cot be supposed, llnrefore, that when I speak of Disraeli as the decendant of a Jew Mint I menu to tarniah him on thai account. They were once the chosen people of God. There were miscreants amongst them, however, also, and it must hnvo certainly been from one of those that Disraeli descended. He possesses just the qualities of the in> penitent thief who died upon the cross; whose name I verily believe must have been Disraeli. For aught I kuow the present Disraeli is descended from him, and with tha impression that he ie, I now forgive the heir-at-law of the blasphemous thief who died upon the cross."