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In the Young Irish disorders, in Ireland in 1848 the following nine men were captured, tried, and
convicted of treason against Her Majesty, the Queen, and were sentenced to death:
John Mitchell,
Morris Lyene, Pat Donahue, Thomas McGee, Charles Duffy, Thomas Meagher, Richard O'Gorman,
Terrence McManus, Michael Ireland.
Before passing sentence, the judge asked if there was anything that anyone wished to say. Meagher,
speaking for all, said:
"My lord, this is our first offense but not our last. If you will be easy with us this once, we promise, on
our word as gentlemen, to try to do better next time. And next time - sure we won't be fools to get
caught."
Thereupon the indignant judge sentenced them all to be hanged by the neck until dead and drawn and
quartered. Passionate protest from all the world forced Queen Victoria to commute the sentence to
transportation for life to far wild Australia.
In 1874, word reached the astounded Queen Victoria that the Sir Charles Duffy who had been elected
Prime Minister of Australia was the same Charles Duffy who had been transported 25 years before. On
the Queen's demand, the records of the rest of the transported men were revealed and this is what was
uncovered:
THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER, Governor of Montana
TERRENCE MCMANUS, Brigadier General, United States Army
PATRICK DONAHUE, Brigadier General, United States Army
RICHARD O'GORMAN, Governor General of Newfoundland
MORRIS LYENE, Attorney General of Australia, in which office
MICHAEL IRELAND succeeded him
THOMAS D'ARCY MCGEE, Member of Parliament, Montreal, Minister of
Agriculture and President of Council Dominion of Canada
JOHN MITCHELL, prominent New York politician. This man was the father of John
Purroy Mitchell, Mayor of New York, at the outbreak of World War I
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