Carlow 10th July 1841

CARLOW.—Mr. O’Connell arrived here on Friday about two o’clock, accompanied by Mr. Barrett, of the Pilot, and very shortly after the following address was forwarded to the people of this and the adjoining counties :—

“Carlow Town, 10th July, 1841.

“MEN OF CARLOW COUNTY AND THE ADJACENT COUNTIES,

I have, my beloved friends, the pleasure to inform you that a decided majority of the electors of the county of Carlow have declared in favour of Yates and Daniel O’Connell, jun.  [Daniel O’Connell, junior (1816 – 1897) was the youngest of the four sons of Daniel O’Connell. He was unsuccessful in this election, but became M.P. for Dundalk for a year, Waterford City for a year, and Tralee for ten years. All three of his brothers were also at one time M.P’s] 

All we want for success is, that the people should NOT commit any kind of riot, assault, or violence.

Remember, my dear friends, that whoever commits a crime strengthens the enemy. There is a large force of police in the county; they will protect the people as long as the people are peaceable, quiet, and orderly. Respect the police, my friends, and aid them to keep the peace.  There is a large force of her Majesty’s troops—of the troops of our beloved and revered Queen—in the county. These troops belong to the bravest army in the world.

The young and gallant gentleman who commands these troops, and the soldiers themselves’ are the friends of the people. They will protect the people from the Orangemen, so long as the people obey the law, and commit no violence on anybody.

Confide in the bravery, the good temper, and discipline of her Majesty’s soldiers. The military are your friends so long as you do not assault or injure any man. Depend on it that the military will protect you from the Orangemen, and will scatter the Orangemen if they commence any attack on the people. Do you not, my friends—do you not commence any attack on anybody. If you are attacked, the police and the military will give you instant assistance. No man is a friend of mine who commits any riot, or assault, or injury to any man. No man is a friend of mine who commits any crime, or breaks the law.

PEACE—ORDER—REGULARITY.

Keep the peace every one of you—stop any of the people who maybe disposed to break the peace. Keep the peace, and we shall certainly succeed at this election. Keep the peace, and we shall certainly beat Bruen and his colleague. “The Orangemen are anxious that the peace should be broken— the Orangemen are desirous of riot and tumult, that they may injure and spoil the election. Disappoint the Orangemen, and let there be no riot or tumult.

Be peaceable—be orderly—be regular ; give no offence to any one. Canvass peaceably but firmly, and the day of triumph is ours. ” Hurrah for the Queen and Old Ireland I “ I offer you the most friendly and anxious advice. Take my advice, and success is certain. 

I am, my loved friends, your ever faithful servant,

DANIEL O’CONNELL.

The above text was found on p.6, 17th July 1841 in “The Tablet: The International Catholic News Weekly.” Reproduced with kind permission of the Publisher. The Tablet can be found at http://www.thetablet.co.uk .

The text below is taken from the Spectator also on 17th July 1841. Both papers took a strongly anti-Tory stance.

CARLOW COUNTY. The nomination of Colonel Bruen and Mr. Banbury, Tories, and Mr. Daniel O’Connell junior and Mr. Ashton Yates, Liberals, passed off more quietly than might have been expected. Mr. Yates was seconded by a “Father,” and Mr. Daniel O’Connell was proposed by another of the fraternity. Both parties agreed that there should be no speaking, in order to save the chance of a riot. Mr. O’Connell, the man himself, was present, and did his best to keep the people quiet. He issued an order that all sticks should be delivered up by the peasantry who crowded into the town : it ran thus—” No sticks. Daniel O’Connell.” In less than twenty minutes great numbers were deposited in Honton’s Hotel, where Mr. O’Connell was staying, or in the committee-room of the Liberals. One party of peasantry, some hundreds strong, flung theirs away into the fields the moment they heard the order ; and a shower of sticks flying through the air attested, by a strange phenomenon, the power of O’Connell. The town was lined with military ; artillery was stationed in the streets, and the place wore the air of a town in a state of civil war ; but the day passed without a disturbance of any moment. The Whig accounts complain that Mr. Doyne, Colonel Bruen’s agent, attended at the polling-booth, and ostentatiously took down the names of those who voted for the Liberals.