TREASONOUS DOINGS IN IRELAND. [From Bell's Weekly Messenger, July 22.] THE FELON NEWSPAPER.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 351, 13 December 1848, Page 4

TREASONOUS DOINGS IN IRELAND. [From Bell's Weekly Messenger, July 22.] THE FELON NEWSPAPER.

. The newsvenders of Dublin having had the fear of the police before their eyes, declined to sell the Felon in the early part of Satqrday — ;but the demand for that journal having be-, come unceasing, and the tenders of money .for ,'ijt most liberal, the bounds of discretion.jwere passed towards evening, and great was the sale thereof. Several of the delinquents were arrested, held to bail, brought before the bench of justice,, admonished and discharged. The consequence of this is, " any money for the Felon of Saturday," and plenty of sellers.

REBEL MEETING AT SLIEVENAMON. After Mr. Doheny was bailed out, at Nenagh gaol, on Saturday evening, Ke announced his intention of attending a repeal .meeting at Slievenamon, next day. The proceedings are thus described by the Limerick Reporter :r— "About half past twelve o'clock,, an, im-, rnense cavalcade set cut for the mountain of' .Slievenamon, next day. Besides a long line of cars, there were a great number of horse,- 1 men, and the roads and, fields were black with 1 pedestrians, such as could only be met with in Tipperary, fellows who could keep running the entire way before the cars such a broiling da,y. A splendid band, handsomely dressed, found a place in the procession. Mr. Doheny was mounted on a charger, and wore the uniform of the '82 Clubv, At every village and hamlet he was cheered and congratulated. Mr. Meagher, -who -was distinguished by a beautiful green "cap, and was also mounted, shared the cheers of the peasantry. On reaching Fethard, an ancient castellated and walled town, the procession was augmented by large reinforcements. It is just half a century since a' meeting was' held on that mountain — in the year 1798. < " About five o'clock the chair waS taken by' James O'Donnell, Esq., Ballybdo. The" chair was a huge rock, on which were accommodated also the ladies and the members of the press. Beside it was another rock, the tribune from whidi "the orators addressed the meeting. Among thpse conspicuous at th'ei meeting, were the officers and committee of the John Mitchell Club, of Clonmel, who wore tri-colour rosettes in their coats. The Car-rick-on-Suir Clubs were also represented. Though the numbers were greatly diminished by the fact of the rumour that the meeting was put off having gained ground, there could be not less than 10.000 or 12,000 fighting men there. It was stated that the Rev. Dr. Burke, of Clonmel, advised the people against going to the meeting, when (a father unusual thing, but significant of the times) one of the -congregation replied that ' he ought to be heading the people there.' On the ojher hand, the Rev. Dr.- Baldwin told the people, to go there, and gave them -his blessing. Immediately after the chair was taken. " Mr. John Bailey read an address to Mr. Meagher and . Mr. Doheny. Mr. Wright read an address from the Foig-a-Balagh Club of Mullinahone. This address stated that it was work, not words, the people wanted now, and that they would support Mr. Meagher and Mr. Doheny to the death (here there were thiee lusty cheers given for a republic)., " Mr. Nash, of Cahir, read an address frorn 1 the Lord Edward Fitzgerald Club. of that town ; and Mr. Hannegan read an address from the Invincible Club of Kilcash. - " Mr. Doheny then mounted the rock, and was greeted with enthusiastic cheering. He said he was in gaol at that hour last night, 70 miles from the spot on which he now stood. They saw that he was there now thank God. That was no holiday meeting like '43 (cries of'hear, hear). The men who toiled' up that hill would go to the cannon's mouth' (cheers). , -When he saw the glorious scene before him and breathed the air of heaven 'neath the sun, and saw around him so many with whom he spent his schoolboy days on those hills, and when he thought of the happy scenes of his boyhood and youth — when he saw a people around him to whom God had given the land to possess it, but man had denied them the gift of heaven — he was ready to shed the last -drop of his blood in their "noble cause. But . there would be no blood shed. The English were not such' fdols as to attack the men he saw there to-day. He had travelled a few days ago 70 miles at the expense of her Majesty the Queen, and wa& accompanied all the >

way by the soldiery. He saw what they could do. There were lads there not sixteen years s of age who had travelled twenty-five miles to; go to that meeting. The troops that escortedhim could not walk seven miles on ths level road without fainting. They could not mount this mountain (loud cheers). It has been said that Cromwell was on this summit, He never came so high. He only came as far as Killavalla. They had come to the top, and what did they see ? Fertility 'teeming for miles beyond miles where the'eyd cannot reach, and that glorious sun of heaven ripening it into food for man. God had said in the voice of the silent dew — ' That land is for Sou.' England said it was not. Whether would they obey England or God (hear, hear). For his own part he had no hesitation in saying that he did not come there for repeal. - " A voice. — We must have a republic. " Mr. Doheny did not want to talk of a republic or any other form of government. He came there to carry out God's command, that the people in the sweat of their brow should eat bread and not starve. Enough had perished. They must never allow the people to starve again (loud cheers). If they had human hearts and human sympathies, they must shed their blood rather than that such another" year' should come. He would have to stand his trial on the 2nd of August. Mr. Meagher had a longer day. The time was at hand when the harvest would be ripe for the sickle. If they were men they should know how to defend it. ' "A voice. — Three cheers for John Mitchell (here followed a scene of enthusiasm" .that baffles description). ■• ":Mr. Doheny. — The sun has a prophetic light for him, and this very evening, as he lies upon his pillow beyond the wave, it will soothe' bis spirit by telling him that there* are men, in Ireland yet, and that on a lofty mountain they are paying homage to their creator, and swear to him that his blessings will not be bestowed in vain, I have said before that the time for speech-making is past, and the time for action come. Let us swear to God -that this year will not go by till Ireland is a free nation. Raise up your hands. (Here every hand of the vast assembly was raised up). Mr. Doheny then concluded amidst {.rotracted and vehement cheering. Mr. Meagher next ascended the tribune, wearing his green cap with band of gold, and a tri-color sash ; he was received with unbounded enthusiasm. When the applause subsided, he said — ' You have heard a true son of Irish soil, whose rugged virtues partake of- the character of the country. You have Jheard him say that I am to stand my -trial next assizes, which will be the day after the fair (laughter). If there is any one to communicate the proceedings of this meeting to the government, I trust that they will find out that they made a great mistake in arresting me (loud cheers, and 'You never shall follow Mitchell). I am here not only to repent of nothing, but to dare them to something worse (loud cheers). When I threw myself into this movement, when I was scarely yet of age, I felt that I lived in the land of slavery, and that if God gave me intellect, it ought to be employed for the country. It was with this feeling I joined the cause of Ireland at a moment when every nation wished to see her flag unfurled on these hills. > Forty- three passed away, but its vows have not passed away. I wish I had the eloquence of him who then stirred up the country. O'Connell, like all great men, had his faults, but he had his virtues, and he had his victories. This I ,will say, that he preached a cause that we are bound to see out. He used to say ' I may not see what I have laboured for. lam an old man — my arm is withered ; no epitaph of victory may mark my grave : but I see a young generation with redder blood in their -veins, and they will do the work' (vehement cheering). Therefore it is that lam ambitious to .decorate those hills with the flag of my country (hear). Nor is it alone because I feel this obligation. A scourge came from God, which ought to have stirred you up into greater action . The po tato was smitten ; but our fields waved with golden grain. It was not for you. To your lips it was forbidden fruit. The ships came and bore it away, and when the prices rose, it came back, but not for the victims whose lip grew pale and quivered, and opened no more (sensation.) Did I say they opened -no more 1 Yes, they did open in Heaven to accuse our rulers. Those lips, beautiful and fresh with the light of God, (sensation) supplicated his throne, and he has blessed our cause (cheers.) This fact is plain, that this land, which is your's by nature, and by God's gift, is not your's by the law of the land. There were bayonets, therefore, between the people and their rightful God. Are you content that the harvest of this land, which you see, and to which your labour has imparted fruitfulness, should again be reaped for the stranger ? (loud cries of * No, no, and 'We never shall?) Walking in this glorious scenery Cromwell said, 'Is not this. a land worth fighting for ? (cries of * We would fight and

die for it.') There always appeared to me a cloud on its brightest scenery, because it did not "belong toits inhabitants — because our flag I nas not here. The flag of England waves over all your institutions. The famine came, and then their coercion laws (hear, bear.) Then the gallant man, young and brave, with a young wife and young children, who, if they were made of less heroic clay, would have caught him to their breast before he went forth to preach' the glorious gospel, that the life of a peasant is worth the live of a lord (loud and continued cheers.) That gospel went through the country, and you said it was the true one (cries of 'So it is.) Because he preached this they took him, threw him into a prison, and banished him from his native land (cries of We'll bring him back.) There is a stain on the nation while he remains in Bermuda. He does not sleep, his feverish chafed spirit knows no rest. He is listening day by day to the sound of the waves, thinking that in these sounds will come his liberty and yours (much applause.) Because he does not rest, you ought not to rest (hear.) He stood up before his Judges, and he said you have done your duty, I havedonelnine.' Like the Roman youth who, standing before the tyrant, put his hand into the fire till it was burned, and said * There are 300 to follow my example. I will promise for one, two, three — aye, for three hundred !' He uttered that prophecy, and he is not deceived. Others have stepped into the breach, and Newgate will, hereafter, be dedicated in our history as the Temple of Liberty. Will you permit the country to be deprived of these men ? (loud cries of ' never.) I stand here upou the lofty summit of a country which, if we do not win for ourselves, we must win for those who shall come after us. You will mount higher than this, and face a burning sun (crirs of * Aye to the top of the cannon.) No man came here to-day that is not determined to brave the worst that fee can do. I have not come here to-day for the purpose of speech-making, but to teach you the duties you owe yourselves and the prisoners. Hear the verses of a young and gallant patriot, whose grave ought not to be forgotten amidst the dazzling lustre of the living. Of 'the men of Tipperary,' Le said :—: — " 'You 're free to share his scanty meal, His plighted word he '11 never vary — In vain they tried with gold and steel To shake the faith of Tipperary ! ' (great cheering). You have given that word — you have plighted your faith. Then hear the other verse — " ' Let Britain brag her motley rag, i We lift the green more proud and airy; j Be mine the lot to bear that flag, And head the men of Tipperary.' (Here a scene of cheers and enthusiasm followed, of which it would be impossible to give any adequate idea — hats waved, shillelaghs flourished, and a true Tipperary cheer echoed for several minutes from hill to valley). "A splendid tri-colour was here unfurled — orange, green, and white. It belonged to the Wolfe Tone Club of Waterford. "Mr. Doheny seized it, and, waving it in triumph, amidst vehement cheering, said — 'When that flag is raised in the last struggle you will keep it free, nor ever allow it again to lie in the dust,' (enthusiastic cheering, and cries of ' Why don't you mount a pike on it?'). " The meeting was then addressed by Mr. Wright, who eulogised Messrs. Doheny and Meagher ; after which, it being then seven o'clock, the vast assemblage separated. " Mr. Meagher proceeded with some friends to Carrick-on-Suir, where the people had been expecting him all the day, and where the men of Waterford were to meet him." The Nenah Guardian gives a report of another speech delivered by Mr. Doheny, in which he told his auditors to get ready to meet the English foe on their Irish soil, ere | the produce of, the present harvest should be drafted out of the country. !