CHAPTER XII.

Father O'Leary Pensioned by the Government-Was it "Hushmoney "?-Plowden's Opinion on the Subject-The Question examined-England's Account of it-What was the Secret Condition? -Brought to light at last-Pitt's Part in the Transaction.

DURING the latter years of Father O'Leary's life, he enjoyed a pension from the Irish government; and as the conditions on which this pension was supposed to have been awarded have formed a subject of controversy, seriously involving the integrity of Father O'Leary's character, it becomes the duty of his biographer to set the case fairly and candidly before the public, that, by a strict investigation of the truth, he may receive the praise or blame to which he is entitled.

It has been said that the pension was granted on the secret condition, that O'Leary should live for the rest of his life in London, and abstain from any political writing that might reflect on the conduct of the government in their management of Irish affairs. If this be true, it is a very serious imputation indeed, and forms another sad illustration of the influence of the auri sacra fames; it adds to the black catalogue another victim of seductive pelf, principally British. Mr. Francis Plowden, O'Leary's particular friend, speaks very plainly on the subject, in the Introduction to his "History of Ireland." He tells us that O'Leary's writings were so successful in establishing concord amongst all classes of Irishmen, that his silence was purchased by the govern'ment, who, for the furtherance of their malign policy, deprecated concord amongst Irishmen above all things.

But let Mr. Plowden speak for himself. "His (O'Leary's) writings became popular even with Protestants, and produced so much toleration and cordiality between them and the Catholics, that created a serious alarm in those who studied to perpetuate their division and consequent weakness. With much art, they endeavoured to stop the progress of this terrifying liberality and harmony amongst Irishmen of different religious professions. The Rev. Arthur O'Leary was thanked by the British minister for the services he had rendered to the State, by frightening away the bugbear of Jacobitism, and securing the allegiance of the whole Catholic body to the illustrious House of Hanover. A pension of £200 was granted to him for his life in the name of a trustee; but upon the secret conditions that he should for the future withhold his pen, and reside no more in Ireland: in such dread was holden an evangelizer of tolerance and brotherhood in the country. Two or three payments of this hush-money were made. Afterwards an arbitrary refusal for many years threw the reverend pensioner upon the voluntary support of his friends for subsistence. After a lapse of many years, by importunity and solicitation, and repeated proofs of his having complied with the secret conditions, he received a large arrear; and in order to make himself independent for the rest of his days, he purchased with it an annuity for his life from a public office, and died before the first quarter became due."

Now, from what we have already seen of Father O'Leary's character, it is highly improbable that he bartered for gold his talents and his patriotism, as here described. We have seen how, at an earlier period of his career, when overtures of the same kind were made to him in Ireland, after the publication of his celebrated papers on Loyalty and Toleration, he spurned with indignation the attempt to win him to taciturnity

or to gain him over to the ranks of the pro-government party. We recall with admiration his reply-" I shall never be silent whilst my exertions can be of the least service to my country or my religion." The leopard does not so easily change its spots, and O'Leary at sixty was not likely to think differently from O'Leary at fifty. Again, he was not an avaricious man; on the contrary, as has been shown, benevolence, charity, philanthropy, hospitality, were synonymous with the name of O'Leary. The pension he no doubt received, and few men deserved it better; but we cannot believe that his acceptance of it was hampered with conditions involving a sacrifice of those great principles to the upholding of which his life and labors were devoted. But let us see. Mr. England, the first biographer of O'Leary, who lived nearer to his time, who must have spoken with many of his contemporaries, and thus acquired accurate knowledge on the remarkable events of his life, gives the following history of the pension:

"Soon after he (O'Leary) had fixed his residence permanently in London, one day whilst dining with his attached and valuable friend, Mr. Keating, the bookseller, he was informed that Lord Sydney's secretary was in the adjoining parlour, and had a communication to make to him. He immediately left the table; and when, in a short time, he returned he related the substance of the interview. The secretary stated to him that government had observed with much satisfaction. the good effects which Mr. O'Leary's writings had produced in Ireland-peace, good order, and unanimity, amongst all classes of his countrymen, had been promoted and advanced by his exertions; and that, in consideration of the services thus rendered to the empire, it was determined to manifest the approbation of such conduct by offering him a pension suitable to his circumstances, and worthy of his acceptance-that, with

determine on

The secretary which at the

a delicacy arising from the ignorance of his means of subsistence, they had as yet hesitated fixing on any specific sum, choosing rather to learn from himself what would answer his expectations, than to what might be insufficient for his claims. took the liberty of asking a question to same time he did not insist on receiving an answer: whether in the event of any popular commotion in Ireland, as it was dreaded would be the case from the diffusion of American republican notions, O'Leary would advocate, as formerly, principles of loyalty and allegiance? To this latter question an unhesitating reply was given, confirmatory of the known inflexibility of O'Leary's political conduct; with regard to the pension, he never had sought for one, though, at a former period of his life, something of the kind had been hinted to him; in the present instance he was grateful to the government for the recollection of him, and suggested that the utmost of his claims would be answered by £100 a year. He was afterwards officially informed, that his presence in Ireland was necessary for the purpose of having the pension placed on the list of that country. He repaired thither, and, after the necessary formalities were gone through, he became entitled to £200 per annum. It has been stated that a secret condition was annexed to this grant, binding O'Leary to reside in England, and preventing him from further interference in the political concerns of the empire. The fact, however, is that O'Leary had made previous arrangements for a permanent residence in London, not only as being more favorable to his health, which generally suffered by his visits to Dublin, but from a rational conviction that the great seat of influence and power was the proper sphere of his benevolent exertions; and so far was he from resigning any right to his freedom of opinion as an author, that one of the last

subjects which employed his care before his death-sickness, was a general refutation, which he intended to publish, of all the calumnies against his religion and country which grew out of the political distractions of the year 1798. True it is, that for some unexplained cause, his pension was, after one or two years, arbitrarily withheld; and it was only shortly before his death that, by the kind interference of his friend, Mr. Francis Plowden, the arrear was paid to him: then, in order to make himself independent for the rest of his days, he purchased with it an annuity for his life, from a public office; but he died before the first quarter became due."

So far Mr. England. From the panegyric pronounced over the remains of Father O'Leary, to which we have already referred,* it will be seen, on the authority of the preacher, one of the great man's most attached friends, that while O'Leary was in Dublin proceeding through the form which was necessary for the obtainment of the pension, a large additional annuity was offered to him, if he would become the supporter of an important newspaper, then and long after, probably still, published in Dublin, which was the "foul vehicle of misrepresentation, slander, and calumny, on the Irish people." He rejected the proposal with indignation and contempt, though certain by the refusal to incur the displeasure of the so-called "great," and to apprehend a discontinuance of his pension. This was not the conduct of a man who would sell his honor for gold.

But was there a secret condition? There was; and the reader must judge how far the acceptance of it was prejudicial or favorable to the good name of Father O'Leary. What that condition was I shall for the first time produce before the public. I procured the information from a gentleman of great respectability resi

* See Appendix.