1830.] on Affairs in General 701 



of his own holy patriots to echo him ; or in taverns when the human in- 

 tellect is invigorated by the third bottle. But in St. Stephen's he "will 

 not do ;" that is the verdict of the sagacious in those matters. They can 

 endure a good deal of brawling, but he overdoes all their sufferance : they 

 can listen to a certain number of gross exaggerations, or saucy taunts, or 

 dashing defiances, but they cannot listen to a man who gives them no- 

 thing else. In short O'Connell is undone, so far as St. Stephen's is con- 

 cerned ; a lost patriot, an extravasated man of the " gem of the sea." 

 His exhibition on the Doherty case a few nights ago was the winding 

 up of his parliamentary career. Doherty threw down the gauntlet in 

 the style of one who knew the temper of the house " He/' (O'Connell) 

 said Doherty, " has unsparingly brought charges against me in taverns, 

 in the street, before the rabble before those amongst whom I go, not 

 as a volunteer, but as the delegate of the Lord Lieutenant, with import- 

 ant and sacred duties to perform, which I trust I do perform faithfully, 

 fearlessly, and, notwithstanding the assertion of the learned gentleman, 

 mercifully. (Cheers.} I trust that, whenever the learned gentleman 

 shall find courage to bring forward his motion, I shall be able to prove 

 the utter falsehood of his daily and ordinary slanders /" (Loud cheers.} 



O'Connell, in reply, talked ore rotunda about the necessity of discharg- 

 ing what he deemed his duty. " I will not be deterred from doing my 

 duty fearlessly by any man, however he may be supported. In saying 

 fearlessly, I allude not to that species of courage which is recognized in 

 a court of honour, and of which I know nothing. There is blood upon 

 this hand I regret it deeply and he knows it. He knows that I have 

 a vow in heaven, else he would not have ventured to address me in such 

 language, or to presume that insolence should go unpunished. [Loud 

 cries of" Oh !" " Order !" and laughter.'] He knows it ; and there is 

 not one man in the circle of our acquaintance but know r s it also, and 

 knows, at the same time, that but for that vow he dares not address me 

 as he has done. [Very loud cries of" Order" from all parts of the House.^ 

 I retract." 



Fine employment this for the " collective !" Valuable occupation of the 

 time and talents of that gifted race whom we have sent " to bear the 

 weight of Monarchies," and talk Wisdom for us and our posterity ! But 

 a speech in the style of O'Connell's must be considered by any man of 

 even half his shrewdness as the last dying speech of his oratorical glo- 

 ries, in any house short of the Corn Exchange itself. The " blood on the 

 hand," the " vow in heaven," that voluntary vow, which suffers every 

 thing to go forth that the man's mind can prompt and his tongue utter, 

 while it secures him from fear of re-action are fine figures of speech, but 

 they are not well received in English society ; and the general opinion 

 is, that an orator who will not run the natural risk of this nourishing 

 style should not indulge in the luxury of delivering his opinions so 

 much at his ease. He does not start fair with the world. He tells his 

 story without any notion of being called to account for it ; and in English 

 society " the counsellor's" latitude of tongue, we once more say, " will 

 not do !" He had better go home again, and figure in the Corn Ex- 

 change. 



It would seem that the allusion made in his late speech, by Mr. 

 Brougham, to his having refused office, relates not to the office of Lord 



