that the southern capital contributed to that movement men—­chiefly belonging to the mercantile and commercial classes—­who, in personal worth and standing, as well as in courage, intelligence, and patriotism, were the flower of the organization.  Finally, it must be said, that it was Cork city by its funeral demonstration of the 1st December, that struck the first great blow at the Manchester verdict, and set all Ireland in motion. [Footnote:  It may be truly said set the Irish race all over the world in motion.  There is probably no parallel in history for the singular circumstance of these funeral processions being held by the dispersed Irish in lands remote, apart, as pole from pole—­in the old hemisphere and in the new—­in Europe, in America, in Australia; prosecutions being set on foot by the English government to punish them at both ends of the world—­in Ireland and in New Zealand!  In Hokatika the Irish settlers—­most patriotic of Ireland’s exiles—­organized a highly impressive funeral demonstration.  The government seized and prosecuted its leaders, the Rev. Father Larkin, a Catholic clergyman, and Mr. Wm. Manning, editor of the Hokatika Celt.  A jury, terrified by Fenian panic, brought them in “guilty,” and the patriot priest and journalist were consigned to a dungeon for the crime of mourning for the dead and protesting against judicial murder.]

Meanwhile the Irish capital had moved, and was organizing a demonstration destined to surpass all that had yet been witnessed.  Early in the second week of December, a committee was formed for the purpose of organizing a funeral procession in Dublin, worthy of the national metropolis.  Dublin would have come forward sooner, but the question of the legality of the processions that were announced to come off the previous week in Cork and other places, had been the subject of fierce discussion in the government press; and the national leaders were determined to avoid the slightest infringement of the law or the least inroad on the public peace.  It was only when, on the 3rd of December, Lord Derby, the Prime Minister, replying in the House of Lords to Lord Dufferin, declared the opinion of the crown that the projected processions were not illegal, that the national party in Dublin decided to form a committee and organize a procession.  The following were Lord Derby’s words:—­

“He could assure the noble lord that the government would continue to carry out the law with firmness and impartiality.  The Party Processions Act, however, did not meet the case of the funeral processions, the parties engaged in them having, by not displaying banners or other emblems, kept within the law as far as his information went.”

Still more strong assurance was contained in the reply of the Irish Chief Secretary, Lord Mayo, to a question put by Sir P. O’Brien in the House of Commons.  Lord Mayo publicly announced and promised that if any new opinion as to the legality of the processions should be arrived at—­that is, should the crown see in them anything of illegality—­due and timely notice would be given by proclamation, so that no one might offend through ignorance.  Here are his words:—­