Page:Brigadier-General Thomas Francis Meagher- his political and military career; (IA brigadiergeneral00lyon 0).pdf/19

Rh staked and lost all,—whose chairs are vacant by the fireside at home, -whose family ties are disserered,—and the sun of whose fortunes is overclouded, count by hundreds. Though their names may not be found in the honoured roll of patriot martyrs, their sacrifices are none tue less.

It was at this period that John Mitchel first made the acquaintance of the “ Young Tribune," as people afterwards learned to call him. They inet in Dublin, after Meagher's return from his English college, at the time when the marvellous effect of Thomas Davis' genius was awakening the laud to a consciousness of the innate power of the people, and recalling to mind the traditions, the valorous deeds, and the civilization of ancient Ireland, in trenchant prose and musical verse. When and where Meagher and Mitchel mot, John Mitchel tells in the columns of his Irish Citizen, thus:—

"It is difficult now, for those who did not know Davis, to understand and appreciate the influence which that most puissant and imperial character exerted upon the young Irishmen of his day. Meagher had never known him personally, but had been inspired, possessed by him. speaking of Davis, his Lancashire accent seemed to snbside ; and I could perceive, under the factitious intonatious of Cockaigne, the genuine roll of the melodious lluuster tongue. We became friends that erening.

“Next day he came to me at the Nation office, in D'Olier Street: we walked ont together, towards my house iu Upper Leeson Street; through College Green, Grafton Street, Harcourt Street; and out almost into the country, near Donnybrook. What talk! What eloquence of talk was his! how fresli, and clear, and strong! What wealth of imagination, and princely geserosity of feeling! To me it was the revelation of a new and great nature, and I rcvellod in it, plunged into it, as into a crystal lake. He talked no "politics, no patriotism; indeed he seldom interlarded his discourse with those topics; but had much to say concerning women and all that eternal trouble, also about Stoneyhurst and his college days. Te arrived at my hoine, and he stayed to dinner. Before he left he was a favourite with all our household, and so remained until the last.

“Soon after, bound by his allegiance to the memory of Davis, Le fairly committed himself to the party nicknamed 'Young Ireland;' and that cost him, what wo all know.