The Kellys and the OKellys

The Kellys and the O'Kellys

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Title: The Kellys and the O'Kellys
Author: Anthony Trollope
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THE KELLYS AND THE O'KELLYS
I THE TRIAL
During the first two months of the year 1844, the greatest possible
excitement existed in Dublin respecting the State Trials, in which Mr
O'Connell, his son, the Editors of three different repeal newspapers,
Tom Steele, the Rev. Mr Tierney a priest who had taken a somewhat
prominent part in the Repeal Movement and Mr Ray, the Secretary to
the Repeal Association, were indicted for conspiracy. Those who only
read of the proceedings in papers, which gave them as a mere portion
of the news of the day, or learned what was going on in Dublin by
chance conversation, can have no idea of the absorbing interest which
the whole affair created in Ireland, but more especially in the
metropolis. Every one felt strongly, on one side or on the other. Every
one had brought the matter home to his own bosom, and looked to the
result of the trial with individual interest and suspense.
Even at this short interval Irishmen can now see how completely they
put judgment aside, and allowed feeling and passion to predominate in
the matter. Many of the hottest protestants, of the staunchest foes to
O'Connell, now believe that his absolute imprisonment was not to be
desired, and that whether he were acquitted or convicted, the
Government would have sufficiently shown, by instituting his trial, its
determination to put down proceedings of which they did not approve.
On the other hand, that class of men who then styled themselves
Repealers are now aware that the continued imprisonment of their
leader the persecution, as they believed it to be, of "the Liberator"

would have been the one thing most certain to have sustained his
influence, and to have given fresh force to their agitation. Nothing ever
so strengthened the love of the Irish for, and the obedience of the Irish
to O'Connell, as his imprisonment; nothing ever so weakened his power
over them as his unexpected enfranchisement. The country shouted for
joy when he was set free, and expended all its enthusiasm in the effort.
At the time, however, to which I am now referring, each party felt the
most intense interest in the struggle, and the most eager desire for
success. Every Repealer, and every Anti-Repealer in Dublin felt that it
was a contest, in which he himself was, to a certain extent, individually
engaged. All the tactics of the opposed armies, down to the minutest
legal details, were eagerly and passionately canvassed in every circle.
Ladies, who had before probably never heard of "panels" in forensic
phraseology, now spoke enthusiastically on the subject; and those on
one side expressed themselves indignant at the fraudulent omission of
certain names from the lists of jurors; while those on the other were
capable of proving the legality of choosing the jury from the names
which were given, and stated most positively that the omissions were
accidental.
"The traversers" were in everybody's mouth a term heretofore confined
to law courts, and lawyers' rooms. The Attorney-General, the
Commander-in- Chief of the Government forces, was most virulently
assailed; every legal step which he took was scrutinised and abused;
every measure which he used was base enough of itself to hand down
his name to everlasting infamy. Such were the tenets of the Repealers.
And O'Connell and his counsel, their base artifices, falsehoods, delays,
and unprofessional proceedings, were declared by the Saxon party