ow that I believe myself innocent; and he would be
a hard-hearted man, indeed, who would grudge me those few
sentences. Now, my lord, I have observed I did not belong to
the Fenian confederacy in March of this present year. I did
not belong to the Fenian confederacy anterior to the period
that Corydon and Devany allege that they saw me act as centre
and secretary to Fenian meetings; that, anterior to that
period, I never took act or part in the Fenian conspiracy up
to the period of my leaving America. Does it do me any good to
make these statements? I ask favours, as Halpin said, from
no man. I ask nothing but justice--stern justice--even-handed
justice. If I am guilty--if I have striven to overthrow the
government of this country, if I have striven to revolutionize
this country, I consider myself enough of a soldier to
bare my breast to the consequences, no matter whether that
consequence may reach me on the battle-field or in the cells
of Pentonville. I am not afraid of punishment. I have moral
courage to bear all that can be heaped upon me in Pentonville,
Portland, or Kilmainham, designated by one of us as the modern
Bastile. I cannot be worse treated, no matter where you send
me to. There never was a more infernal dungeon on God's earth
than Kilmainham. It is not much to the point, my lord. I will
not say another word about it. I believe I saw in some of the
weekly papers that it would be well to appoint a commission to
inquire--

The LORD CHIEF BARON--I cannot allow you to proceed with that
subject.

COSTELLO--I will not say another word. I will conclude now.
There is much I could say, yet a man in my position cannot
help speaking. There are a thousand and one points affecting
me here, affecting my character as a man, affecting my life
and well-being, and he would be a hard-hearted man who could
blame me for speaking in strong terms. I feel that I have
within me the seeds of a disease that will soon put me into
an early grave, and I have within my breast the seeds of a
disease which will never allow me to see the expiration of my
imprisonment. It is, my lord, a disease, and I hope you will
allow me to speak on this subject, which has resulted from
the treatment I have been subjected to. I will pass over it as
rapidly as I can, because it is a nasty subject--