James Napper Tandy

James Napper Tandy (* 1740 in Dublin, † August 24 1803 in Bordeaux) was a well known as Napper Tandy Irish politician and revolutionary.

Life

Previously, patriotism and the founding of the Society of United Irishman

The son of a Hardware Handler worked as a merchant in his father's business small, but dedicated soon as a politician in the representation of Dublin. He acquired great reputation for his criticism of corruption in the city and by his proposal to impose a boycott on British goods in Ireland, so as to repay the obligations imposed by the British government restrictions on the Irish economy. In April 1780, he was expelled from the Dublin Volunteers, as he had proposed the expulsion of the Duke of Leinster, whose moderate stance was criticized by the extremists.

Napper Tandy was one of the most prominent personalities from the group of merchants in the small revolutionary party and founded in June 1784 a permanent committee for the agitation he represents reform policy. In October 1784, he called a meeting of delegates from all parts of Ireland in Dublin in 1785 and convinced the representatives thereof to condemn initiated by the Prime Minister William Pitt economic regulations. After he was first a member of the company founded by Henry Grattan Whig clubs he belonged in October 1791 alongside Theobald Wolfe Tone, Thomas Russell ( 1767-1803 ) and Archibald Hamilton Rowan of the founders of the Society of United Irishmen and became its first secretary.

The violence of his views, which were heavily influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution, soon led to the fact that he was under surveillance by the British government. During this time, the sympathy grew for the French Revolution in Ireland rapidly, so that in July 1791 a meeting of six thousand people in Belfast sent a congratulatory address to the French nation. After insulted him, the then Attorney-General for Ireland John Toler, 1st Earl of Norbury in February 1792 in a debate because of its unfavorable appearance, Tandy sent him a challenge to a duel. However, this was rejected by the House of Commons as a breach of privilege, was then requested by the House speaker an arrest warrant against him. He succeeded, however, until the expiry of the validity of the arrest warrant hiding. Tandy tried then the Vice Governor (Lord Lieutenant) is a method to his arrest and although this failed, the action increased his popularity, the Society of United Irishmen took over the costs.

In 1792, he played a leading role in building a new military organization in Ireland, following the example of the French Garde Nationale. This laid an oath on republican principles and wore a uniform with a cap with the Celtic harp. Tandy, who is also a union of various groups such as the United Irishman hoped, took the oath of Defenders, another a Roman Catholic society whose violence in agriculture and politics rise a few years earlier.

Exile in the United States and return to Ireland

Because of this step as well as for slander was brought against him, and he fled to the United States and lived there until early 1798. In February 1798 Napper Tandy went to Paris, where, at the time a large number of Irish refugees lived, as well as Wolfe Tone. These groups met for one to begin with the help of a French invasion of Ireland a revolution. On the other hand, came the different groups again and again in dispute, with the very vain and usually drunken Tandy was particularly quarrelsome and was particularly offended his vanity by the fact that Wolfe Tone enjoyed greater influence within the rebel groups. This described him during a meeting with Charles -Maurice de Talleyrand -Périgord as " a respectable old man whose patriotism is known for thirty years " (, a respectable old man Whose patriotism HAS BEEN known for thirty years' ).

Tandy, who were led to believe the French, that he was a wealthy man, whose influence in Ireland had access 30,000 men to arms, accepted the provision of the Corvette Anacreon with some men and a significant number of weapons and ammunition from Dunkirk to the Aran Islands to sail, on which he landed on 16 September 1798. However, the islanders had no reason to welcome Napper Tandy's troops. Tandy, who was largely drunk during the crossing, took the village of Rutland one, there hoisted the flag of Ireland and prepared a comprehensive proclamation. However, he realized that there was no rebellion in Connacht, but remained calm. After this failure he suffered alcohol poisoning and was taken on a detour to avoid an encounter with the Royal Navy along the coast of northern Scotland on the Anacreon to Bergen. From there he came with some of his men to Hamburg, where he was handed over to the British request, and despite the risk of retaliation French to the English.

Tandy remained until April 1801 in custody, pleaded in subsequent court proceedings to guilty and was sentenced to death. He was, however, pardoned him and it was allowed to go into exile in France. In France, his release was seen as a diplomatic success of the concluded contract of Napoleon Bonaparte to the Peace of Amiens, he received as a respected figure. After his death, his funeral with military honors and a large number of civilians took place.

Napper Tandy enjoys a great fame in Ireland as early representative of the rebels, which can be seen for example in the ballad The Wearing of the Green. It reads: