'^  I  had  another  idea  about  the  '82  Club,  that  it  might  be
turned  into  a  National  Convention — the  method  in  which  the
men  were  admitted  at  the  first  ballot  puts  this  out  of  the  question.
It  waa  very  injudicious  to  have  such  a  flourish  of  trumpets  at  its
foundation,  and  such  trivial  rules  coming  inmiediately  after.
[Rules  as  to  uniform,  entrance  fee,  &c.]  There  was  a  good  deal
of  the  old  Irish  fanfaronade  about  it  which  I  hoped  was  dying
out  amongst  us.  In  Cork  the  people  in  general  have  a  great
hatred  of  uniforms;  the  town  Councillors  and  Aldermen  here
could  not  be  got  to  wear  robes.  This  I  think  principally  arises
from  the  morbidly  keen  sense  of  the  ludicrous  which  Cork  men
generally  possess.     Tom  Steele  could  not  live  a  week  in  Cork.''

Searching  criticism  like  this  from  observant  friends
generally  came  to  temper  whatever  project  the  party
undertook.  The  attempt  to  nationalise  art  had  been
only  moderately  successful.  From  the-  beginning  some
of  us  held  that  all  we  could  accomplish  was  to  replace

*  In  the  original  letter  names  not  symbols  are  employed.
662  YOVNG  IBELAND.
the  rude  and  sometimes  indecent  daubs  which  were  to
be  found  in  the  humblest  lodging  and  in  the  poorest
cabin,  by  lithographs  and  wood  engravings  carefuUy
drawn  and  presenting  scenes  of  historic  or  traditional
interest.*  Davis  had  hoped  for  much  more,  but  one
of  his  personal  friends,  the  most  gifted  of  the  resident
artists  in  Ireland,  who  loved  the  man  more  than  he
shared  his  opinions,  dissipated  this  hope.
