Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
REDPATH’S ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY.
PATRICK J. MEAN.
Petiee J. MEEHAN, editor of the Irish American, the
ed
FH
ser
en the men who reviled
nim = either stultify them-
selves or acknowledge how
auch they had wronged him;
oldest distinctively Irish paper in the United S.ates.
may be styled the Nestor of the Irish American journalistic
fraternity as he has been in continuous service as an edit
for over thirty years,
Mr. Meeban was born in the eity of Limerick, Ireland, or
hile those generous an
faithful friends who were
e i nowing now
Angust 17, 1831, of an old and respectable family, the
sentatives of whose branches occupied high rank in the busi.
his nati
ness, agricultural and clerical walks of life in
ount
Tipperary.
ry and the adjoining sections of Clare and Tipp
and were the friends and associates of the leaders of the popu-
lar cause in Munster.
lone of the foremost in genius
land patriotism of the sons of
he Old
His School days, up to his seventeenth year, were p
in one of the old time classical schools for which the “‘ City of
the Violated Treaty” was famous and where he laid the foun.
dation of astore of knowledge which afterwards expanded|
and incr y private study has made him one of the most
successfal journalists of the present generation. . His mother,
dying while he was quite young, was married a second time;
to the late Patrick Lynch, the founder and first editor of the
Irish American.
After the death of O'Connell and the gloom and disaster of.
248, Mr. Lynch, like so many others who had been prominent
jn the political movement of that era, left Ireland and came to
New York|where, after a short connection with the daily press
he established the Irish American, the first number appearing
on August 12th, 1849,
His family, seven in number, of which Mr. Meehan was
one. then emigrated and settled in New York and after in
Brooklyn, =
‘Mr, ateehan’s inclinations leading him to adopt journalisu:
me attached to the Scientific American,
where he remained but a short time, leaving it to associate
himself with Mr. Lynch in the conduct of the Irish American.
Under their care the paper rapidly grew in circulation and infla-
ence, and was soon looked up to as a guide and able champion
by the Irish Awericans not only of New York, but all over
the country who found that their friends were then few and
their foes many and powerful.
On the death of Mr. Lynch in May 1857, Mr. Meehan suc-
ceeded to the chief editorial chair of the Irish American, a
position which he has since retained. . For the past two or
three years, however, he has resigned most of the manage-
ment of his paper to his eldest son, Mr. Thomas F. Meehan,
who shows that the experience and training of his father are
not wasted on a worthy scion of the old stock.
Mr. Meehan has been a resident of Jersey City for the past
where, surrounded by a numerous family, he
has a comfortable mansion built on one of the most pictur-
esque sites on the Heights overlooking New York and its en-
yirons.
‘As a leading journalist Mr. Meehan has naturally been
prominently connected with Irish-American politics. The tone
of his paper has been always conservative and consistent to
the fixed principles of Irish nationality and as such its opinions
and teachings have enjoyed the steady confidence and respect
of the best elements of the Irish race in erica, who have
Jooked up to it, not only as a reflex of the situation ‘‘at home”
but asa safe and sure pilot pointing out the right path. It is,
of course, an unflinching opponent of English rule in Ireland
and has done at least as much as any other publication to keep
alive the spirit of Irish nationality in the United States during
the long years its senior editor has been at the helm. He
naturally gave every Irish-American movement for the regen-
eration of Ireland or the amelioration of her condition the
fall assistance of his able pen and personal exertion.
‘When the late civil war broke ont, and there was question as
to how Irish-Ampricans should stand in the subject of seces-
s.on Mr. Meehan strongly espoused the cause of the Union and
as prominently identified in enrolling the i
regiments of Irish soldiers who so gallantly conducted them-
and articles helped in no small degree to keep his countrymen
on the sie of constitutional liberty and freedom,
When, at the close of the war, the Fenian Brotherhood began
to develop, Mr. Meehan took stand among its leaders, as his
tHe was elected a member of the Senate of the organization
and in Jmly, 1865, in company with P. W. Dunne of Ilinois,
another member of the Senate, he was sent to Ireland to in-
vestigate the workings of the organization there. He narrowly
escaped arrest on the other side, and on his return to the
United States in September of the same year, his report to the
Philadelphia convention, and the follies of the men by whom
John O’Mahoney had surrounded himself in the Moffatt Man-
sion was followed the dissensions which split the great
Fenian organization into two sections, the followers of O'Ma-
hony and those who sided with President Roberts and the
Senate. With the latter Mr. Meeban identified himself and
‘became the master mind of the organization. its business
he gave almost his whole time and filled with entire eatisfac-
tion the most important positions of trust.
‘The history of the movement is so recent that it is unneces-
take up space in goiug over its details, suffice it to say
sar,
that Mr. Mechan’s conservatism and strict regard for honesty.
men whose
and improper ends.
more vilely than perhaps any other man in public life, and not
content with moral, his opponents sought to add physical as-
sassination to their unhallowed record.
On the night of February 28, 1870, as Mr. Meehan and a
party of other Senators were leaving the Fonian headquarters,
in West Fourth street, a man named James Keenan, whom
Mr. Meehan had befriended, but who then sided with his op-
ponents, came up behind him, and in the most cowardly man-
ner shot him in the neck, the bullet entering just behind the
ight ear, where it has since remained. r. Meehan lay in a
critical condition for a long time, but finally regained his
health, though he bas never wholly recovered from the shock
the wound gave his system.
This tragic event proved the death blow to the organiza-
tion; for, disheartened by the course its m: ment hi
taken, the good men who had supplied its vitality shrank from
contact with the unfitting leaders who had usurped their
away in a few months without even a remnant to lay super-
finous on the stage of Irish politics. Conscious of the recti-
tnde of his position, Mr. Meehan bore the venomous attacks
made upon him with surprising patience and manly dignity.
He has lived to prove the wisdom of his course, and to have
Land.
Since the close of the J
Fenian movement Mr. Mee- “ey
ticly in Irish-American po-
lities ; but at the inception of
@ movement
he instantly grasped the frnit-
ful idea contained in its pler,
and gave it his cordial tnp-
rt. He has since continu-
ously given the able edvocacy
of his pen to Mr, Parnell and
the platform laid down by
the Dublin Convention, which
he believes to be the winert
course to be pursued at pre-
sent by the Irish race, and a
long step in advance to the
ultimate goal of national in-
dependence.
Mr. Meehan is a copious
and vigorous writer, and: his
style is caustic and logical.
He is
e
®
like to personal conflicts have
often been the cause of much
remonstrance on the part of
his friends who did
with his equanimity the slan-
ders that were heaped on him
the men whoss nefarious
designs he exposed. :
In his view the cause of Irish nationality was too sacred to
be tarnished by the perpetuation of personal bickering and
recrimination, and he thus bore in silence the contumely of
his foes, knowing full well how time would vindicate him.
In culture and refinement, in brave, generons heartiness of
nature, in depth and vigor of intellect, Mr. Meehan has hi
but few peers among the men of his race in the United States
during the present le. ie was eminently fitt to be,
and constitutionally was, a leader among men. What he felt
he felt intensely; but his feelings were never for a moment
left to the guidance of a blind impulse, but were uniformly in
accordance with the dictates of right reason and sound judg-
ment
Of cotemporaneous Irish history he has an intimate famil-
jarity that is, perhaps, unexcelled, and his d'ctum is accepte
as an authority on the events of the past thirty years in many
of the busy scenes of which he was an active participant, an
the leaders and men, of which were his personal friends and
associates,
He has probably many years of activity yet before him, in
none of which is it likely that the cause of his native lan:
will ever fail to receive the aid of bis wise head and brilliant
n.
Pour. Meehan has often appeared on the platform, where, as
a public speaker, his success was no less marked than it was
i i He has also lectured several times in
aid of charitable institutions.
‘ Besides his journalistic work he has edited tnd prepared
for the press & number of volnmes of the ‘ Irish-American
Library,” notably Father Burke’s sermons and lectures and
the replies which both the eloquent Dominican and John
Mitchel made to Froude’s sophistries. These he. enriched
with copious historical notes and references. He has also
compiled for many years the ‘Irish-American Almanac,” a
valuable year book; and has published the Gaelic class books
without whose aid the movement here for the recuscitation of
the Irish language would have been inoperative.
He is thoroughly familiar with all the mechanical science of
journalism, which, united with a quick perception and ready
low of thought, expressed in the most pleasing and ornate
style, makes him one of the journalistic leaders of the day.
‘His success is practically evidenced by the present flourish-
ing condition of the Irish-American, which during the thirty-
four years it has been published, bas seen 60 many promising
rivals come up and disappear into oblivion after brief and
fitful careers, .
It is an evidenco, also, that consistant adhesion to fixed
principles and strict jastice, pays better in the long run than
the short-lived and illusionary success followicg the support
of the expediencies. and will o’ the wisp theories of the
mountebaoks and visionaries, who have done so much in the
past, and are yet at their ill-stared work, to mislead the gen-
eronsand confiding natures for which the Irish people are
proverbial,
If Josh Billings was to write a ‘‘Comick Almanick” for the
Irish-American citizens of the United States
THE e would probably insert uuder ‘‘ Proba-
“‘rnisH voTE”. bilities”.at this date, ‘*Here look out for
AG. nev.” . The elections are coming!
Ne i
will offer pledges and shower praises b,
our friends will remember when they hear these utterances
the words of the song: ,‘‘ Heed him not; he’s fooling thee!”
The triumph of Arthur will be an endorsement of Lowell.
Arthur could have removed Lowell and be keeps him in au-
thority. Let the Irish Republicans now punish him, and let
the Irish Democrats refuse to support any Democratic candi-
date whose election would aid the administration.
I bave always regarded it as a great misfortune to the Irish
cause in America that the vast majority of the Irish-Americans
shoud mbers of the same political party. 1f, in-
stead of having adhered, as a class, to the Democratic
arty as a reward for its splendid service to them
during the Know-Nothing excitement, the Irish-American ele.
ment had acted in every case as selfishly as the German popu-
iC
ALEXANDER M. SULLIVAN, LATE M. P., FOR WESTMEATH.
lation bas done, loth parties, uncertain of their vote, would
i our Irish citizens would have been
protected abroad, as our German citizens were protected.
But to sustain the Administration at the next election is to
thank an Orangeman for a kick.
Better let Democrats stay in their own party and prevent it
from becoming a free trade organization!
This is the most effective way of hurting England.
BAD NEWS FROM EUYPY,
THE PAWNBROKERS’ ARMY VICTORIOUS,
'HURSDAY A. M., Sept. 16.
n accident which destroyed two plates, (among them a
a portrait of Mr. Meehan) has delayed the publication of
this number nearly a day.
It enables us to announce the sad news of the defeat of
Arabi Pasha.
The London Jews Pawnbrokers’ chief agent, Gen. Wolse-
ley, sends this report :— .
GENERAL WOLSELEY’S REPORT.
Lonpon, Sept. 13.—The War Office bas received the follow-
ing special dispatch from General Wolseley, giving his report
of the battle at Tel-el-Kebir :
“We struck camp at Kassasin Lock list evening and bivo-
nacked on a high ridge above the camp until 1:30 this morning.
We then advanced npon a very extensive and very strongly
fortified position held by Arabi Pasha, with 20,000 regulare,
of whom 2,500 enty gunk, and 6.000 Be-
000 sabres and sixty guus.
position by daylight, with the troops I could place in
the field, would have entailed very great loss. I resolved,
therefore, to atta efore daybreak, marching the
six miles that intervened between my camp and the
evemy’s position’ in the darkness. The cavalry and
two batteries of horse artillery on the right had
orders to sweep round the enemy’s line at daybreak.
The first division—the Second Brigade under Generat Gra-
bam, supported by the Foot Guards under the Duke of Con.
naught and seven batteries of artillery, numbering forty-two
guos, with a supporting brigade—advanced; then the second
division advanced—the Highland Brigade leading the Indian
contingent; these on the south side of the canal, with the Na-
val Brigade on the railway and in the interval.
‘Great emulation was evinced by the regiments to be the
first in the enemy’s works. All went at them straight, the
Royal Irish particularly distinguishing itself by ils dash’ eua
the manner in which it closed with the enemy.
‘All the enemy’s works and camps are now in our posses-
sion, I do not yet know exactly the number of guns cap-
tured, but it is considerable. Several trains, with immense
quantities of supplies, were captured. © enemy ran AWAY
in thousands, throwing away their arms when overtaken by
our cavalry. Their loss is very great.” .
General Willis is very slightly and Colonel Richardson se-
verely wonnded. Major Colville and Lientenants Midwood
and Somerville, of the Highland Light Infantry, were killed.
Of the “Black Watch,” Lieutenant McNeil was killed and
Captains Cumberland and Fox we unded, Gener i
01
2,
a
ral Alli-
. renadier Guards, was
wounded in the leg; and the color sergeant was killed.
The cavalry is now on its march to Belbays and the Indian
contingent is ‘on its way to Zagazig, to be followed this
Brigade. ‘Three lieutenants of the
‘he canal is cut insome
has been discovered that
gagement of last Saturday.
By this victory, John Bull has spoiled our friend's Pat’s
cartoon on page 16, as well as our friend Arabi’s planus!
Mr, Meehan’s portrait will appear next week,