parliament were competent, he declared, to obtain the other.  He soon succeeded in impressing his own belief on the minds of his countrymen, whose confidence in his wisdom and his powers was unbounded.  The whole country responded to his call, and soon “the Liberator,” as the emancipated Irish Catholics loved to call him, found himself at the head of a political organization which in its mode of action, its extent, and its ardour was “unique in the history of the world.”  Every city and great town in Ireland had its branch of the Repeal Association—­every village had its Repeal reading-room, all deriving hope and life, and taking direction from the head-quarters in Dublin, where the great Tribune himself “thundered and lightened” at the weekly meetings.  All Ireland echoed with his words.  Newspapers, attaining thereby to a circulation never before approached in Ireland, carried them from one extremity of the land to the other—­educating, cheering, and inspiring the hearts of the long downtrodden people.  Nothing like this had ever occurred before.  The eloquence of the patriot orators of the Irish parliament had not been brought home to the masses of the population; and the United Irishmen could only speak to them secretly, in whispers.  But here were addresses glowing, and bold, and tender, brimful of native humour, scathing in their sarcasms, terrible in their denunciations, ineffably beautiful in their pathos—­addresses that recalled the most glorious as well as the saddest memories of Irish history, and presented brilliant vistas of the future—­addresses that touched to its fullest and most delicious vibration every chord of the Irish heart—­here they were being sped over the land in an unfailing and ever welcome supply.  The peasant read them to his family by the fireside when his hard day’s work was done, and the fisherman, as he steered his boat homeward, reckoned as not the least of his anticipated pleasures, the reading of the last report from Conciliation Hall.  And it was not the humbler classes only who acknowledged the influence of the Repeal oratory, sympathised with the movement, and enrolled themselves in the ranks.  The priesthood almost to a man, were members of the Association and propagandists of its principles; the professional classes were largely represented in it; of merchants and traders it could count up a long roll; and many of the landed gentry, even though they held her Majesty’s Commission of the Peace, were amongst its most prominent supporters.  In short, the Repeal Association represented the Irish nation, and its voice was the voice of the people.  The “Monster Meetings” of the year 1843 put this fact beyond the region of doubt or question.  As popular demonstrations they were wonderful in their numbers, their order, and their enthusiasm.  O’Connell, elated by their success, fancied that his victory was as good as won.  He knew that things could not continue to go on as they were going—­either the government or the Repeal Association should give