MS letter from J.P. Leonard, John Patrick Leonard (b1814 Cork - d1889) Irish Nationalist figure resident in France, Courseulles Sur Mer, Calvados, France, to 'My Dear Ronayne'. [Joseph Philip Ronayne (b1822–d1876), civil engineer and a Cork City Home Rule MP].
TitleMS letter from J.P. Leonard, John Patrick Leonard (b1814 Cork - d1889) Irish Nationalist figure resident in France, Courseulles Sur Mer, Calvados, France, to 'My Dear Ronayne'. [Joseph Philip Ronayne (b1822–d1876), civil engineer and a Cork City Home Rule MP].
ReferencePR119/A/13
Date
nd [1871-1876]
Production date 1871 - 1876
Scope and ContentTRANSCRIPT (verbatim with some added punctuation)
[p1]
[9 Sep]
Courseulles Sur Mer
Calvados
France
My Dear Ronayne
I cannot write to you as I do to half the people I correspond with in Ireland for the simple reason that I always have something useful to say, some reality and not mere talk and scribbling- that is why I write so rarely - now to things and not words. When I dined with Thiers** I made Ireland felt. He addressed himself to me when he made a little speech [and] had his hand on my arm when speaking. I translate[d] his words for a few [Irishmen] and answered him in their name and in the name of the country in [fear] but they all say most [lifting] words. McMahon*** was standing quite close to me - I saw [the] believer in the existence of France as a great nation as we believed in the universality of the soul and in his resurrection as we did in that of our own lord. //[p2]
I speak of the people who tore down the true or false Prussian victories and I threw out about that to assent in the resurrection we would give more that our little means [and] our blood. I thanked him on the part of the only country which did not abandon France and who clings to her still more in the hour of peril. I hear all this in French with my best manner and Thiers had a tear in his eye - there was at one moment a quiver in his voice most effective..they say in fact I spoke from the heart and spoke well.. Thiers pressed both my hands.. [Dr Flanguy] came to see me I gave him notes for his speeches but said nothing as the people whom I know would kidnap him- Had I gone over I would have smashed the clique to atoms and well they knew it. The people were grand admirable truthful and honest [It's] a pity that they had no...real representatives at their head. What the blazes did old Martin & his // [p3]
wife want to clap themselves on the backs of the foreigners. What did Cork want of Sullivan and his wife to escort the distinguished strangers- It was vulgar [confidence] and spoiled the whole affair except as regards the people whom nothing could spoil. In one [part] you were [murlineged]....Sullivans... and Capelales as I saw me a note to John Daly. The whole set in Dublin are of such a calibre as would lose a dozen countries if they had any thing to to with [them] - [Blathersund] Kite flummery, bosh, puff and [hoax] made into an omlette would give you the exact ingredients with which they make offer their political food, they offer their bewildered... countrymen....// [p4]
I left a whole lot of beautiful things in Cork for a bazaar. I sent duly more and among other things a splendid pistol of McMahon. He writes to say there is no chance of a bazaar and asks if he is to send the things back. I write no, send them to Mrs Donovan- when they are all there you must get them and try Queenstown with Dr. Rice or with the...committee. I'll not be beaten in this by the Holy [Fathers] in Cork- Just see your way a little with Rice, tell him the bazaar is for orphans of the war and to be sent to Mm. la Marechale or MacMahon. I mean the proceeds - These are lively things- Duly promised.... to do the thing but back out of it - I'll not be beaten- You will get the things and keep // [p5]
them.. Madden will give you help- keep my...name out of it. Bide your time no hurry. Mrs Ronayne will do the needful I repeat no hurry at all- Queenstown was always generous- The [Chrisby master] send me £5 a month ago.. I sent Crosbie**** a letter of thanks from the mayor of Clichy, he did not give it the [prelitive] of the concerts... & I answered him in my best // [p6]
style.. you might find him out I think Willis is his name. I am here with Mossy- Bib. sings tomorrow for Mrs Thiers at St Cloud in the church for the poor. I shot a dozen partridges a few quail & hares since I came here. I needed rest.. the worst of the year was the last three months when I had the mission of the Versailles committee*****.
Your sincere friend
JP Leonard.
[ends]
[Note: Pages 7 and 8 appear to be rough notes in a different hand and are largely illegible]
**Appears to refer to Adolphe Thiers (b1797 – d1877), French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic.
***May refer to Patrice Maurice de MacMahon (b1808 – d1893), a French general and politician who served as President of France from 1873 to 1879. MacMahon led the main French army in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. He was elevated to Marshal of France by Napoleon III.
****May refer to Thomas Crosbie (b?1817-d1899), editor and proprietor of the Cork Examiner.
*****In the 1870s, the "Versailles committee" likely refers to the National Assembly of France that convened at Versailles, first to sign a peace treaty with Prussia in 1871, and then as the seat of the Third Republic from 1871 to 1879, following the Paris Commune.
[p1]
[9 Sep]
Courseulles Sur Mer
Calvados
France
My Dear Ronayne
I cannot write to you as I do to half the people I correspond with in Ireland for the simple reason that I always have something useful to say, some reality and not mere talk and scribbling- that is why I write so rarely - now to things and not words. When I dined with Thiers** I made Ireland felt. He addressed himself to me when he made a little speech [and] had his hand on my arm when speaking. I translate[d] his words for a few [Irishmen] and answered him in their name and in the name of the country in [fear] but they all say most [lifting] words. McMahon*** was standing quite close to me - I saw [the] believer in the existence of France as a great nation as we believed in the universality of the soul and in his resurrection as we did in that of our own lord. //[p2]
I speak of the people who tore down the true or false Prussian victories and I threw out about that to assent in the resurrection we would give more that our little means [and] our blood. I thanked him on the part of the only country which did not abandon France and who clings to her still more in the hour of peril. I hear all this in French with my best manner and Thiers had a tear in his eye - there was at one moment a quiver in his voice most effective..they say in fact I spoke from the heart and spoke well.. Thiers pressed both my hands.. [Dr Flanguy] came to see me I gave him notes for his speeches but said nothing as the people whom I know would kidnap him- Had I gone over I would have smashed the clique to atoms and well they knew it. The people were grand admirable truthful and honest [It's] a pity that they had no...real representatives at their head. What the blazes did old Martin & his // [p3]
wife want to clap themselves on the backs of the foreigners. What did Cork want of Sullivan and his wife to escort the distinguished strangers- It was vulgar [confidence] and spoiled the whole affair except as regards the people whom nothing could spoil. In one [part] you were [murlineged]....Sullivans... and Capelales as I saw me a note to John Daly. The whole set in Dublin are of such a calibre as would lose a dozen countries if they had any thing to to with [them] - [Blathersund] Kite flummery, bosh, puff and [hoax] made into an omlette would give you the exact ingredients with which they make offer their political food, they offer their bewildered... countrymen....// [p4]
I left a whole lot of beautiful things in Cork for a bazaar. I sent duly more and among other things a splendid pistol of McMahon. He writes to say there is no chance of a bazaar and asks if he is to send the things back. I write no, send them to Mrs Donovan- when they are all there you must get them and try Queenstown with Dr. Rice or with the...committee. I'll not be beaten in this by the Holy [Fathers] in Cork- Just see your way a little with Rice, tell him the bazaar is for orphans of the war and to be sent to Mm. la Marechale or MacMahon. I mean the proceeds - These are lively things- Duly promised.... to do the thing but back out of it - I'll not be beaten- You will get the things and keep // [p5]
them.. Madden will give you help- keep my...name out of it. Bide your time no hurry. Mrs Ronayne will do the needful I repeat no hurry at all- Queenstown was always generous- The [Chrisby master] send me £5 a month ago.. I sent Crosbie**** a letter of thanks from the mayor of Clichy, he did not give it the [prelitive] of the concerts... & I answered him in my best // [p6]
style.. you might find him out I think Willis is his name. I am here with Mossy- Bib. sings tomorrow for Mrs Thiers at St Cloud in the church for the poor. I shot a dozen partridges a few quail & hares since I came here. I needed rest.. the worst of the year was the last three months when I had the mission of the Versailles committee*****.
Your sincere friend
JP Leonard.
[ends]
[Note: Pages 7 and 8 appear to be rough notes in a different hand and are largely illegible]
**Appears to refer to Adolphe Thiers (b1797 – d1877), French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic.
***May refer to Patrice Maurice de MacMahon (b1808 – d1893), a French general and politician who served as President of France from 1873 to 1879. MacMahon led the main French army in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. He was elevated to Marshal of France by Napoleon III.
****May refer to Thomas Crosbie (b?1817-d1899), editor and proprietor of the Cork Examiner.
*****In the 1870s, the "Versailles committee" likely refers to the National Assembly of France that convened at Versailles, first to sign a peace treaty with Prussia in 1871, and then as the seat of the Third Republic from 1871 to 1879, following the Paris Commune.
Extent6pp letter and 2pp fragment
Persons keywordVersailles Committee, France, 1870s, MacMahon, Patrice Maurice de (b1808 – d1893), a French general and politician, Thiers, Adolphe (b1797 – d1877), French statesman and historian, Ronayne, Joseph Philip (b1822–d1876), civil engineer and a Cork City Home Rule MP, Leonard, John Patrick (b1814 Cork - d1889) Irish Nationalist figure, resident in France,
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