Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), Wednesday 22 May 1850, page 4


OLD AND YOUNG IRELAnND AGAIN. (From the London " Examiner.") It is no longer doubtful that a singularly large amount of mercy has been shown to those crown-up children who made the escapade from Dublin to raise the standard of Irish rebellion at Ballingarry. One of the worthies, Mr. Patrick O'Donoghue, has published an account of his deportation; and certainly a more pleasureable voyage could nothave been undertaken at the expanse of government. A roomy cabin, a capital .library, a fair dinner, with a couple of glasses of wine, and cigars upon deck, from the dietary and the entertainment of the political exiles. We hope that some one in our foreign office will enclose a copy of O'Donoghue's Diary to Marshal[Haynau and Prince Schwartzenberg; and if another copy were enclosed from Downing-street to Sir bIeury Ward, with the view to some consistency and accord between the spirit which pervades government house at Dublin and at Corfu, it would be useful. The conduct of our exiles appears as exemplary as their treatment, and what isorecorded of each is highly characteristic. The last that we hear of Smith O'Brien is his constant perusal of Plutarch, and dwelling amidst themes congenial to the schoolboy mind. Mr. Meagher's principal act during the voyage was the tacking of an O to his name, a tailoring operation so successful, that even the suture is aot visible. Lalla ]?ooi0 was Mr. O'Meagher's favourite study, Plutarch Mr. O'Brien's Piokwviock Mr..O'Donoghue's.Nothing Nothing can be more consolatory than the publication of these diaries; nothing can better exemplify the wisdom of treating even traitors leniently. A particleof grievance wouldhave left these persons heroes, a severe punishment would-have made martyrs of them. Whereas emoling cigars, and reading Byron, Putarch, and, Dickens, on board the Swift, form about as interesting a collection of circitmstances as any conspirator should avoid finding himself in.Whilst Whilst "Young Ireland" is thus enjoying " otiunm" with a self-satisfactory but not danu gerous supplement of." dignitas," the viceroy and his government are dealing with "Old Ireland," which is as frantic as heroic, and as disaffected as ever were O'Meagher. and O'Brien. Lord Roden, the hero of the present outbreak, is quite as much deified by his party as -O'Brien. The .King of Orange:Ireland as as great a hero and as great a martyr asthe monarch of Green Ireland, and as deeply wronged by the Saxons.