A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EDMUND BURKE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 52, 25 April 1874, Page 12

A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EDMUND BURKE.

I/EOTTTEB OJ BICBABD O'OOBMAN, 1 Mtj . " Wbix, they sent Edmund Burke to school ; and it iB to be hoped— although history says nothing about it— that he received a fair amount of flagellation, because that was a long time ago you know, and small boys had no rights which pedagogues were bound to respeot. (Laughter.) Punishments then were " short, sharp, and decisive ;" but now, of course, we have changed all that j we live in a progressive age, and the benefits of liberty will soon be given to babes, and Bucklings. (Laughter.) And the " ingenious youth " of the future will be taught to acknowledge and obey the restraints of the law, when he comes into manhood, by having no restraints at all when he was a child. That is all very well : and we will see what will come of it. Well, Edmund Burke got through school, and went to Trinity College. He made no mark there of any kind ; he simply, in a word, did not distinguish himself. He did not do anything very good, and he did not do anything very bad ; unlike a fellow student of his, who was all the time getting into manifold difficulties — as unfortunate a little creature as ever was known — the son of a Protestant Minister of Ballymahon ; and this unfortunate fellow's name was Oliver Goldsmith. (Applause.) The next step of Burkes was to go to London and enter his name in the Inns of Court. His father, a wise man, who was an attorney in Dublin, as I mentioned before, insisted that he should be a lawyer j so he became a member of the Inner Temple and found himself on the highway to the Woolsack ; but the journey to the Woolsack is a long and wearisome journey, and Edmund Burke did not go very far uponit. London, at that time, was in a very unsettled condition. The Stewarts had just fought out their last fight, in Scotland, for the throne of England and had been signally defeated. The Highlanders, with the immemorial gallantry of their race, had followed their chieftans into the jaws of death. The claymore agoinst musketry often had done wonders ; but it failed. Culloden was lost. ; and the heads of «ome of the Jacobite gentlemen that were taken prisoners, affixed on spikes above Temple Bar, grinned a sort of admonition to all who might wish to set up the exiled dynasty. Old women with spy-glasses used to let the spy-glasses out at " a penny a look," to any loyal citizen who might desire a better view of that highly exhilarating spectacle. The wars in France, too, were over, and they disgorged upon England a number of gentlemen of the profession of arms, who, finding no congenial occupation for them iv England, " took to the road," as the saying is — became highwaymen and levied contributions on his Majesty's subjects, with such punctuality and dispatch, that a saunter up Piccadilly became as dangerous and expensive as a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (laughter). Men used to make their wills and load their blunderbusses before getting into his Majesty's mail coach for Highgate (renewed laughter). As to America, there were few men who knew anything at all about, it. They knew that there was an unknown region, of vast extent of Bwamps and forests, and things of that kind, away beyond the Atlautic, where tobacco was raised, and Red Indians were perpetually tomahawing and scalping each other (laughter). Then there were in London riots of all kinds ; and the people thought they could be saved by one man ; and his name was John VVilkes. So they went about in large numbers, " for VVilkes and Liberty;" and got drunk and smashed windows, and did damage. " Wilkea and Liberty " became so much the talk of the day, that a respectable inerch<iut, writing to a correspondent, about some matter of hides and tallow, says — " Sii I take the Wiikes and Libeny to inform jon ;" — he could not get on without dragging j H the name of Wiikes (laughter) The lecturer then gave v rapid sketch of the career of the. young Temple student, thrown mto this scene of confusion. He did uot like the study of the lav,, in spite oi the expostulation of his father, and he resolved to live by his pen. His ess.iy on " the Sublime and Beauti nil, guined him at one. admission into the confraternity of the quill. Short h alter Ihis an lmpoituut event happened. Burke fel 1 . ill and. was reioiuuieiidrd t o \wn .Bristol, and drink the inineial waters. Here he made the acquaintance of an eminent physician, Dr. Nugent, an Irishman, who*.; daughter ili.rke roarritd. Burkes father became somewhat mollified,- and sent the young couple £100 to .-ct them up in housekeeping- bubst-quently Burke returned to London Just then Lord Halifax, who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, selected us Secretary a Member of Parliament named WiJlmm Uerard Hamilton. li eland was then iv a very contused condiuori*and as (accoiding to the English theory), the population uas too large,— although it was only two millions and a half,— emigration was suggested as the proper remedy lot- the national tnubL-b ; and (he land. 4ordsniade up their minds :o till no more land, but keep it lor sheep and cattle. The Irish people .lid not, want to emigrate, for they are not on emigrutin. people. The lush would rather nave their little hut, with a iuw m-ies oi land about it, than all the prairies m America (Appmuse) 'J he} could not be gol to understand this theory o" griizmgj and die diecu sion was conducted in this way :— The laud' loius vuth the Jnnus and Lories and ploughs, and the people had only ihur s.iong arms: t n, the kilter used to get up at m-h', put the Ijoi-.hs to the plough*, and plough the land as inallv as possible bdoie mon.h.g. A,,d, i.om the habit ot « M nu- tluir shirts outbiue their clothing, for i lie purpose of t.u- m~e° tl ey wei- c.lled " WlnteLojs." (Applause) As the Lord an SJeoetHM, Ham>lton, could not understand tin*, Ihoy effered t .ko, who was an Irishman, v poui'un us fccciot.irv 'ut threo cci poiu ds a year; which he accepted; and he murred to ■ud us a kind of quasi member of the Governm. m, and wnslet all (he secrets of the Castle. He saw the ss V tun oKiespoti.in a rl.-.orc er kn-nvn as the Penul Lavs, and he determi,,, d-,i!i hough -ot a Catholic— to lulp to relieve his Jdlovv eitueio. I .'i lC r a ) itie «.ul oi iidnund Burke was too grand and too noble \m er to have „ > .eeiing but that of reverence for .he Catholic Chinch. (Cheers.) Ihe fir, b,l introduced into the Irish Parliament to relieve the Imh Lathohc. of their disabling, v,u 3 by the hand of

Edmund Burke, (Renewed cheen.) Shortly after he threw up hi* position in disgust,, left -Ireland, and through the friendship of Lord Rocking ham, was made member of Parliament for Wendover, in England. The Stamp, Act was then talked of for America. The Americans did, not liken it .{ but, t*b » general thing their, leading men advised obedience. But at length a Virginian took the ground that taxation .without representation was in direct violation of the British Constitution, and in direct violation, of .all the principles of law and justice. He said the the colony of Virginia would not obey any laws that were not made by itself, and that the man that would say differently was a traitor to Virginia. (Cheen ) That man's name was Patrick Henry. (Loud cheers.) Then it was that Edmund Burke stood up in the English House of Commons, in defence of the American colonies, saying that the petition of the Confederate Colonies should be received and treated with respect. He argued nobly and eloquently in behalf of America ; he was followed by Pitt, who took the same ground, and took the occasion to compliment the men; her for Wendorer on the great speech he had made. (Applause) And it is the pride of Burkes countrymen, ever since, that the first time his voice was ever beard in public, was in defence of American legislative independence. (Loud cheers.) Public opinion «as against him, but publio opinion was— as it often is— in the wrong ; and before the Rockinghara Ministry resigned, Burke succeeded in repealing the American Stamp Act. (Loud cheers.) The moment the news got <o America, the people gob in a fever of loyalty ; and they erected an equestrian s f atue of his Majesty George 111. in Bowling-green, New York. But somebody, more wise than the others, tussested that instead of marble they should build it of lead ; and you wijl find out that shortly afterwards his observation turned out to be useful. (Laughter and applause.) But the colonies mistook England's meaning altogether. The American's did'nt understand the British lion, — they thought he would continue in good temper, and they made a mistake. One fine morning they got news that an act was passed imposing duty upou various articles*, and, amongst the rest, on tea. Americans did not like thut ; they liked tea ; but they did'nt like the idea of paying duty on tea. The duty was not much, — only three pence in «!:e pound; but there was the principle of the thing. Taxed leas did not taste »<> good ; and the women made up their minds that they would not take any tea, and, when the women made up their Quods, the men gave in at once, put the cups and saucers aside, and took to cold water instead So they gut angry about it; and, in Boston, one hundretl years ago thia very night, the people made up their minds that they would allow no tea to Liv 1 ; so they went on board the ships in the harbor, broke open the cheats, and threw it into tho river. The old fashion used to be to pour the water on the tea, but they poured the tea into the water (laughter). This is the scene thut they are now celebrating in Boston, with much music and applause (loud cheers). T"iey are having what they call a historic 1 revival; and it is right that we should wish then a pleasant night of it (applause). But it is a remarkable fact, that t icy are having now a historical revival in Congress, for they are actually going to put a tax on our tea, as I find by the papers this morning ; and tli it shows you that when a thing is to be dune, the way in whii-h we look at it depends altogether upon who does it (grpat raenincnt). The moment the news reached England about this tea affair in Boston harbor, the English lashed themselves into fury. The Kin<j sent an indignant remonstrance to the Commons, and the Commons jent an indignant reply to the King. " War meetings" were held, from eni to end of the land. Burke spoke in Parliament, and c ideavoured to stem the tide. He stood right up again-t 'public opinion, but was assailed on every side as a traitor who w inted the (iiMnembernieat of J;he Empire. War came, and you kuovv tlie result. You Lnow of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, on which is insciibed tin* legend, " Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the dwellers thereof " You know how the mandate was obeyed, when in July, 177(3, that old bull rang out that, here on this western continent, a new nation was born whose vital principle was the freedom of man (great checiing). You know how the " Liberty Boys' of 2few York took down the statue o( his Most Gracious Majesty King George, melted him down into fortytwo thousand bullets, and, in that sKipi-, »ont linn back to his lo\al friends. [At this point the most trenundois fliers interrupted the speaker for several moments]. Mr O'Gcraian then continued liis panegyric of Edmund Burke, and ivferre 1 at cv.is d< r .bie length to his career in Parliament, to the (act I hat he was oliiciallj cl.-cted to represent the Colony of New Yoik, and did rep^et-ent it till the war bi»g.m. lie also quoted his memorable speech on the deatn of Mario Antoinnctte, and Ins action on the trial of Warren Unsung-. The lecturer concluded as follows. — And so set this star that had long shone in the troubled sky English politics. It set as it rose, pot suddenly, but with a graclua^ gentle decline, lull of beauty to the last. (Loud Applause). I set 3tunes think that 1 have not done justice to this story of the life of Edmund Burke. I nave told so little of it, and so much remaius tc be told of his efforts for the liberty of the press, of his efforts forsV complete liberty of Irish commerce, of his noble liberal sentiments,) the grace and eloquence of his manner, of the charm of nil hi i character; — of this I cun pay nothing to-night. But, if there be mi} man within i each of my voice, — any young man who feels within hint a noblo aspiration to attain eminence among his fullow-m a n, — wh thinks that he will do and dare, and seek to rule the de-linies of hi& counii), and loud her to a higher position ia the woil'l, — let hi v rei J the stoiy of Edmund Burku's hie, and he will i-ami -am many useiu. lesson 3. lie (till know what the statesman i iou -1 n•,an 1 bywii.it principles ho should beguiled. lie will learn iv.it Jupinitj is not statesmanship, that cunning is not wisdom, (h it intolerance is uo\ religion, that subjugation is not union, thic lio'u-an, at least, is this best policy, (Applause). And he will Lani fin, t 'O, tint, nboro and bejond all the ordinary rewards of public li f, — ibovo wealt'i, above power, above reputation and honor and populiruy, — 'hero is this last and best reward, which the public servant i.i..y c itiUh in his hci.t ot' hearts, — that, through good report and ill ieu nt ho has etrive'i at least to do his duty. (Great applause).