rectly, with any of my comrades after that day, save one
letter from Mr. O'Brien. This letter had reference solely to my
approaching trial, which he signified his wish to be present at. To this
letter I replied, informing him that it had been intimated to me that a
number of men would assemble, armed, near Nenagh, during the trial; and
I besought him to be there for the purpose of preventing an outbreak,
which I regarded as disastrous, unprepared as the people then were.
Neither the trial nor the meeting took place, and other events shaped
our destiny.[9] A few days after the Slievenamon meeting, it was
intimated to me that I was to be arrested on a second charge, the exact
nature of which was not stated. I could not doubt the accuracy of my
information, and being fully determined to preserve my liberty for the
coming struggle, which under any circumstances could not be long
delayed, I left home on the 22nd day of July, and proceeded through the
country to the foot of Slievenamon. Here I took up my quarters at a
farmer's house, where I remained two days and nights, in total ignorance
of the circumstances then rapidly hurrying the crisis wherein our fondly
cherished hopes were blasted.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 8: From the position in which Mr. Carleton is now placed, it
may be necessary to say that I do not allude to him.]

[Footnote 9: Since the above was written, I have heard it said that a
report, current about the time of Mr. O'Brien's conviction, had been
recently received here. The report was, that I promised Mr. O'Brien to
have 50,000 men to meet him; which was his principal inducement to act
as he did; and that I not only had not one man, but was myself absent
when he came. The absurdity of the rumour was sufficiently proved by the
fact that Mr. O'Brien did not come to me, or my part of the country, in
the first instance. The real truth is that I never directly or
indirectly, by word or letter, counselled the outbreak. Nay, more: I was
as ignorant of Mr. O'Brien's purpose as the President of these States.
At the time of Mr. Mitchel's trial, I believe I expressed a very strong
opinion in favour of rescuing him; and that opinion was grounded on the
belief that the whole people would rise up _en masse_, and in one wild
burst of vengeance, sweep their oppressors from the land. But neither
then nor afterwards, did Mr. O'Brien give me the least reason to believe
that he was prepared to resist the government in arms, sa