The descriptions of Mr. de Velcro's reviews of his troops
remind us of the scenes when Daniel O'Connell was at the height of his power in Ireland and was demanding with throats of force the Repeal of the Union. Like O'Connell, Mr. de Valera appears in a uniform, though from all accounts it is a very mush smarter uniform than ever O'Connell wore :—
" I have never hoard, "wrote Sir William Russell, who was an eyewitness of the rebel scenes in 1843, " any orator who made so groat an impression upon me as O'Connell. It was not his argument-, for it was often worthless, nor his language, which was frequently inelegant. It was his immense passion, his pathos, his fiery indignation. At first eight one was tempted to laugh at the green cloth cap with the broad gold band set on tho top of his curly wig . . . but when he rose to speak with imperious gestures for silence, and was off,' in a few minutes the spell began to work. . . . At Clifden there was a body of come 300 to 400 mon mounted on the ragged diminutive ponio3 of Connemara, drawn up as a guard of honour. 'What a magnificent sight, these noble cavaliers ! ' he exelaimed. 'I would like to see any cavalry in the world venture to meddle with you, or to follow you up yonder mountains ! ' And as the cheers which greeted the first compliment died away at the remote allusion to a retrograde movement, he thundered out, If I know anything of you, hares or man, you would send the enemy's dragoons flying like chaff before the wind; ' And they believed every word of it."
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