Daniel O'Connell's Attack on Benjamin Disraeli.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3016, 15 October 1878, Page 1

Daniel O'Connell's Attack on Benjamin Disraeli.

The Freeman's Weekly Journal, some time since reproduced Daniel O'Connell's attack on Benjamin Disraeli. As a. specimen of the great Dan's style of oratory, it may be read with equal interest and amazement :<*-" Yet, sir, the • ISo-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 rany bug of my size would be humhug— 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, resortingto me .' for lack of argument,' but I must confess there is one of the attacks on mo which excites in my mind a good deal of • astonishment. It is this—the attack lately made at Taunton by Disraeli. In the annals of political turpitude there is not anything tinder the appellation, of 'blackguardism ' equal to that attack oh me. What is my acquaintance with this man P 'Just this : In '31, or the beginning of '32, the borough of Widcham" became meant; 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 Reformer, and as he was going to stand upon the Radical interest for the borough of 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 Radical. His letter to me was so distinct upon the subject that I immediately complied with the request, and composed as good an epistle as T could on his behalf. ■ I am in the hnbit of letterwriting, 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 any gratitude 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 ought not to be repaid by atrocity of the foulest description. The next thing I heard of him was that he started upon the Badical interest for Marylebone, but Was again defeated. Having been twice defeated on the Eadical interest he was just the fellow ' for the Conservatives, and accordingly he joined a Conservative club, and started for two or three places in the Conservative interest. How is he now engaged P Why, in abusing the Radicals and eulogising the King and the Church, like a true Conservative. At Taunton this miscreant had the audacity to style me an incendiary. Why, I was a greater incendiary in 1831 than I am at present, if ever I was one— and if I am he is doubly so for haying employed me. Then. he calls me traitor. My answer To that is—he is a liar, He is a liar in action and in words. His life is a living lie. He is a disgrace to the species. What state of aociety must that be that could tolerate such a creature, having the audacity to come forward with one set of principles at one time, and obtain political assistance by reasons of those principles—and at another to profess diametritrioally the reverse ? His life, I say again, is a living lie. He is the most degraded of his species and kind; and England is degraded in tolerating, or having upon the face of her society, a miscreant of his abominable, foul, and atrocious nature. My language is harsh, and I owe an apology for it; but I will tell you why I owe that apology. It is for this reason, that if^there be harsher terms in the British language I should use them; because it is the hardest of all terms that would be descriptive of a wretch of his species. He is just the fellow for the Conservative Club. I suppose, if Sir Eobert Peel had been out of the way when he was called upon to take office, this fellow would have undertaken to supply his place. He had falsehood enough,' and selfishness enough to become the fitting leader _ of the Conservatives. He is Conservatism personified. His name shows he is by descent a Jew. His father becomes a convert. . -He is the better for that in this world;" and I hope, of course, he will bethe better for it in the next I have the happiness to be acquainted with some Jewish- families in London, and amongst* them more accomplished ladies, or more humane, cordial, highminded or better educated gentlemen, I have never met. It will not be supposed, therefore, that when I speak of Disraeli as the descendant of a Jew that I mean to tarnish him on that account. They were once the chosen people of God. There were miscreants amongst them, however, also, and it must have certainly been from one of those that Disraeli descended. HeposBesses just the qualities of the impenitent thief who died upon the cross; whose name I verily believe must have been Disraeli. JPor aught I know the present Disraeli is'descended from him, and with the impression that he is, I now forgive the heir-at-law of the blasphemous thief who died upon the cross."