John Mitchel tried to enlist when he was 20 years old, but the Army wouldn’t take him without his parents’ consent.
He brought the papers home, had his father sign them and returned to the recruiting office. He was denied entry again because his mother didn’t sign them.
kAmqJ E96 E:>6 96 C6EFC?65 9@>6[ 9:D 5C27E 42C5 H2D :? E96 >2:=] %9:D A@D65 2 AC@3=6> 3642FD6 9:D 3C@E96C 925 2=C625J 6?=:DE65] %92E DF>>6C E96 3@JD 925 =2:5 @FE gd 24C6D @7 4@C?] w:D 3C@E96C =67E @? pF8] `_[ `hca]k^Am
kAm“x 2D<65 7@C 5676C>6?E =@?8 6?@F89 E@ 86E E96 4@C? @FE] qFE E96 5C27E 3@2C5 C6A=:65[ ‘%96 8@G6C?>6?E H2?ED J@F :?] %96J 5@?’E 8:G6 2 52>? 23@FE 4@C?[’ ” 96 D2:5] “$@[ x H6?E @FE E96 5@@C 2?5 H6?E 9@>6 2?5 H6?E E@ D9F4<:?8 4@C?] x 925 ed 24C6D @7 4@C? D9F4<65 3J E96 E:>6 x 2?DH6C65 5C27E 42==]”k^Am
kAmw6 DE2CE65 D9F4<:?8 4@C? 2C@F?5 $6AE] `_ 2?5 H2D DH@C? :? ~4E] d] w6 H2D E@=5 E92E 2?J@?6 H9@ 925 F?7:?:D965 3FD:?6DD E@ E2<6 42C6 @7 925 `d 52JD E@ 86E :E 5@?6] |:E496= C6EFC?65 9@>6 2?5 D9F4<65 4@C? F?E:= ~4E] `h]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D D6?E E@ r@CG2==:D[ ~C6][ 7@C 32D:4 EC2:?:?8] w6 H2D EC2:?65 E@ 36 2 962GJ >249:?6 8F? 8F??6C] %96 ]d_\42=:36C >249:?6 8F? 2?5 EC:A@5 H6:8965 23@FE `__ A@F?5D] xE 3C@<6 5@H? :?E@ EH@ A2CED] %96 8F??6C 2?5 2DD:DE2?E 8F??6C 6249 42CC:65 2 D64E:@?] %96? E96C6 H6C6 7:G6 2>>F?:E:@? 362C6CD] xE E@@< 23@FE 2 >:?FE6 2?5 2 92=7 E@ AFE E96 8F? E@86E96C[ 3FE D@>6E:>6D E92E H2D?’E 72DE 6?@F89] p44@C5:?8 E@ |:E496=[ E96 8F? D9@E 23@FE ad_ C@F?5D @7 2>>F?:E:@? :? 23@FE E9C66 >:?FE6D]k^Am
kAm|:E496= D2:5 E96 A=246 96 H2D D6?E — {6JE6 :? E96 !9:=:AA:?6D — H2D “AFC6 96==]” w6 H2D A2CE @7 E96 heE9 x?72?ECJ s:G:D:@?[ ?:4<?2>65 E96 s6256J6D 3642FD6 @7 E96:C 6I46AE:@?2= >2C<D>6?]k^Am
kAm“(96? |24pCE9FC H6?E 324< :?E@ E96 !9:=:AA:?6D 2?5 D2:5 ‘x 92G6 C6EFC?65[’ x H2D :? E96C6 6:89E 9@FCD 29625 @7 9:>] q66? ?:46 :7 x 4@F=5 92G6 D2:5 x H2D :? E96C6 C@==:?8 @FE E96 C65 42CA6E 7@C 9:>] xE H2D?’E BF:E6 =:<6 E92E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 DA6?E `bc 52JD @? E96 7C@?E =:?6D] “x 8F6DD J@F ;FDE D2J[ J@F 7:?2==J 8@E ?F>3 E@ :E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 H6?E 2== E96 H2J E9C@F89 E96 {6JE6 42>A2:8? H:E9 @?6 8F?] (96? E96J 8@E 5@?6[ E96 32CC6= H2D 3FC?65 FA 2?5 H2CA65]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F’C6 D9@@E:?8 E92E >F49 2>>F?:E:@? 2?5 E92E 72DE[ J@FC 8F? H@F=5?’E =2DE G6CJ =@?8[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D DFCAC:D65 E@ D66 :E A2DD65 :?DA64E:@? 2?5 H2D E@=5 E@ E2<6 :E @? E@ ~<:?2H2] w6 H2D E@=5 :E H@F=5 36 C6A=2465 H96? 96 C62==J ?66565 :E] w6 H2D 2>@?8 E96 7:CDE d_ p>6C:42?D E@ D6E 7@@E @? E96 :D=2?5 E96 >@C?:?8 @7 pAC:= `[ `hcd] %9:D H2D?’E @?=J pAC:= u@@=’D[ 3FE 2=D@ t2DE6C $F?52J] w6 H2D :? E96 7:CDE H2G6 @7 :?72?ECJ 2?5 E96 =625\@77 >2? 7@C 9:D D>2== 3@2E] xE H2D 2? @A6?\E@A E2?< @FE7:E]k^Am
kAmw6 DA6?E gb 52JD :? ~<:?2H2] p7E6C `_ 52JD[ 9:D 8F? H2D D9@@E:?8 >@C6 =:<6 2? @=5 D9@E8F?] w6 4@F=5?’E 25;FDE E96 8F? 7:C6 @? :E] w6 H2D 2D<65 E@ 5@ D@>6 AC64:D:@? 7:C:?8]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5[ “}@H =@@<[ x’> ?@E C67FD:?8 E@ 5@ E96 7:C:?8] qFE x’> C67FD:?8 E@ FD6 E92E 8F?]”k^Am
kAmw6 E@=5 E96> :E H2D 3FC?65 FA 2?5 E96J :?D:DE65 @? D66:?8 :E] w6 D2E 5@H? @? E96 8C@F?5 2?5 AF==65 E96 EC:886C] %96 =625 C2? @FE 23@FE fd E@ `__ J2C5D 2?5 9:E E96 8C@F?5] w6 7:?2==J C646:G65 2 ?6H 8F?]k^Am
kAm%96 92C56DE A2CE @7 9:D D6CG:46 H2D 56E64E:?8 E96 6?6>J] x? ~<:?2H2[ E96 6?6>J D6E FA :? 2? @=5 >2?6FG6C 2C62] %96J 925 A:==3@I6D E92E H6C6 5F8 :? H:E9 EC66D E92E DE@@5 23@FE b_ 766E E2== 8C@H:?8 @FE @7 E96 E@A E96>] (96? E96 DF? 42>6 FA :? E96 >@C?:?8[ E96 EC66D D92565 E96 2A6CEFC6 @7 E96 A:==3@I] %96 p==:6D 4@F=5?’E D66 E96 D>@<6 E92E 42>6 7C@> E96 8F? 27E6C :E 7:C65] %9:D >256 AC64:D:@? 7:C:?8 5:77:4F=E]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 |:E496= H2D 72465 H:E9 ?F>6C@FD @3DE24=6D[ 96 ?6G6C =@DE 9@A6]k^Am
kAm“x 2=H2JD >2:?E2:?65 E96 :562 E92E D@>63@5J H2D 8@:?8 E@ 86E E@ 8@ 9@>6 2?5 x 9@A65 E@ 36 @?6 @7 E96> 2?5 x H2D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%@H2C5 E96 6?5 @7 9:D D6CG:46[ 32EE=6 72E:8F6 DE2CE65 E2<:?8 @G6C]k^Am
kAm“x H2D D@ H@C6 5@H? 2E E96 =2DE E92E x H2D D:EE:?8 FA :? >J 7@I9@=6D 2E ?:89E 2?5 9@==6C:?8 @FE 2E E96 >6? :? >J D=66A[” 96 D2:5] “xE E@@< >6 BF:E6 2 H9:=6 E@ C64@G6C 7C@> :E — E96 32EE=6 72E:8F6 — 3FE E92E H@C6 @77 :? 2 J62C’D E:>6 @C D@] x’G6 DA6?E E96 =2DE ed J62CD @C D@ ECJ:?8 E@ 7@C86E 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAm~?46 96 8@E ;2F?5:46 D@ 325 9:D 6J632==D H6C6 J6==@H] w6 H2D D6?E E@ 2 7:6=5 9@DA:E2= 2?5 H2D DFCAC:D65 3J E96 5@4E@C’D @C56CD] w6 H2D 8:G6? 2 82==@? @7 92C5 42?5J 2?5 H2D E@=5 E@ 62E 2== E92E 96 4@F=5] w6 2E6 42?5J 7@C 2 H66< 367@C6 36:?8 2==@H65 E@ C6EFC? E@ 9:D @FE7:E]k^Am
kAm(96? 96 8@E 5:D492C865 7C@> E96 D6CG:46[ 96 C6EFC?65 E@ 72C>:?8] w:D 3C@E96C 2=D@ 42>6 9@>6 27E6C D6CG:?8 :? }@CE9 p7C:42 2?5 tFC@A6]k^Am
kAm|:E496= ?@H =:G6D 2E E96 |:DD@FC: '6E6C2?D w@>6 :? (2CC6?D3FC8]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE 5:5 H92E x 925 E@ 5@[ 42>6 9@>6 2?5 9@A6 :E H2D D2E:D724E@CJ[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
