"
The taunt went home to the hearts of his accusers, and, writhing under
the lash thus boldly applied, Judge Blackburne hastened, to intervene.
Unable to stay, on _legal grounds_, the torrent of scathing invective
by which O'Brien was driving the blood from the cheeks of his British
listeners, the judge resorted to a device which Mr. Justice Keogh
had practised very adroitly, and with much success, at various of the
State trials in Ireland. He appealed to the prisoner, "entirely for
his own sake," to cease his remarks. "The only possible effect of your
observations." he said, "must be to tell against you with those who
have to consider the sentence. I advise you to say nothing more of
that sort. I do so entirely for your own sake." But O'Brien was not
the man to be cowed into submission by this artful representation.
Possibly he discerned the motive of the interruption, and estimated at
its true value the disinterestedness of Judge Blackburne's "advice."
Mr. Ernest Jones in vain used his influence to accomplish the
judge's object. O'Brien spurned the treacherous bait, and resolutely
proceeded:--
"They cannot find words to express their horror of the
cruelties of the King of Dahomey because he sacrificed 2,000
human beings yearly, but why don't those persons who pretend
such virtuous indignation at the misgovernment of other
countries look at home, and see if greater crimes than those
they charge against other governments are not committed by
themselves or by their sanction.
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