to_ Mr. AUSTEN MACKAY, _Kilshanny_, _County Clare_.

"We, the Nationalists and friends of Mr. Austen Mackay, at a meeting
held in March 1887, agreed and resolved on presenting the long-tried and
trusted friend--the persecuted widow's son--with a testimonial worthy of
the fearless hero who on several occasions had to hide his head in the
caves and caverns of the mountains, with a price set on his body. First,
for firing at and wounding a spy in his neighbourhood, as was alleged
in '65, for which he had to stand his trial at Clare Assizes. Again, for
firing at and wounding his mother's agent and under-strapper while in
the act of evicting his widowed mother in the broad daylight of Heaven,
thus saved his mother's home from being wrecked by the robber agent, the
shock of which saved other hearths from being quenched; but the noble
widow's son was chased to the mountains, where he had to seek shelter
from a thousand bloodhounds.

"The same true widow's son nobly guarded his mother's homestead and that
of others from the foul hands of the exterminators. This is the same
widow's son who bravely reinstated the evicted, and helped to rebuild
the levelled houses of many; for this he was persecuted and convicted at
Cork Assizes, and flung into prison to sleep on the cold plank beds of
Cork and Limerick gaols. Many other manly and noble services did he
which cannot be made known to the public. At that meeting you were
appointed collector with other Nationalists of Clare at home and abroad.
This is the widow's son, Austen Mackay, whom we, the Committee to this
testimonial, hope and trust every Irishman in Clare will cheerfully
subscribe, that he may be enabled in his present state of health to get
into some business under the protection of the Stars and Stripes, where
he is a citizen of."

"Subscriptions to be sent to Henry Higgins, Ennis.

"Treasurers: Daniel O'Loghlen, Lisdoonvarna; James Kennedy, Ennistymon."

Then follow, with the name of the Society, the names of the committee.

In behalf of the Stars and Stripes, "where he is a citizen of," I thanked
Colonel Turner for this interesting contribution to the possible future
history of my country, there being nothing to prevent the election of
any heir of this illustrious "widow's son," born to him in America, to
the Presidency of the Republic. The use of this phrase, the "widow's
son," by the way, gives a semi-masonic character to this curious
circular.

One officer says