“I will not believe that Irishmen are so degraded and utterly lost as this.  The Earth is awakening from sleep; a flash of electric fire is passing through the dumb millions.  Democracy is girding himself once more like a strong man to run a race; and slumbering nations are arising in their might, and ‘shaking their invincible locks.’  Oh! my countrymen, look up, look up!  Arise from the death-dust where you have long been lying, and let this light visit your eyes also, and touch your souls.  Let your ears drink in the blessed words, ’Liberty!  Fraternity!  Equality!’ which are soon to ring from pole to pole!  Clear steel will, ere long, dawn upon you in your desolate darkness; and the rolling thunder of the People’s cannon will drive before it many a heavy cloud that has long hidden from you the face of heaven.  Pray for that day; and preserve life and health that you may worthily meet it.  Above all, let the man amongst you who has no gun sell his garment and buy one.”

So Mr. Mitchel went on for some weeks, preaching in earnest and exciting language the necessity of preparation for an immediate grapple with “the enemy.”  In the midst of his labours came the startling news of another revolution in France, Louis Philippe in full flight, and the proclamation of a Republic.  Yet a few days more and the Berliners had risen and triumphed, only stopping short of chasing their king away because he conceded all they were pleased to require of him; then came insurrection in Sicily, insurrection in Lombardy, insurrection in Milan, insurrection in Hungary—­in short, the revolutionary movement became general throughout Europe, and thrones and principalities were tumbling and tottering in all directions.  Loud was the complaint in the United Irishman because Dublin was remaining tranquil.  It was evident, however, that the people and their leaders were feeling the revolutionary impulse, and that matters were fast hurrying towards an outbreak.  John Mitchel knew that a crisis was at hand, and devoted all his energies to making the best use of the short time that his newspaper had to live.  His writing became fiercer, more condensed, and more powerful than ever.  Lord Clarendon was now addressed as “Her Majesty’s Executioner General and General Butcher of Ireland,” and instructions for street warfare and all sorts of operations suitable for an insurgent populace occupied a larger space than ever in his paper.  But the government were now resolved to close with their bold and clever enemy.  On Tuesday, the 21st of March, 1848, Messrs. O’Brien, Meagher, and Mitchel were arrested, the former for seditious speeches, uttered at a meeting of the Confederation held on the 15th of that month, the latter for three seditious articles published in the United Irishman.  All were released on bail, and when the trials came on, in the month of May, disagreements of the jury took place in the cases of O’Brien and Meagher.  But before the trial of Mr. Mitchel could be proceeded