Madam, - While Thomas Russell may be disappointed (August 7th) with the arguments of his adversaries, he would have been better off informing himself from the historical record of the Duke of Wellington's career, and visiting some other monuments in Ireland.
Mr Russell continually harps that Wellington "did nothing for Ireland". But look at the monument to Commodore John Barry, the "Father of the American Navy", in Wexford. What did Barry do for Ireland? Should the Barry monument be removed from Wexford, along with Wellington from Trim? Other allegations by Mr Russell are worth a response. One is that Wellington opposed Catholic Emancipation, conceding it for the sake of his own political survival. The fact is that George IV conceded Catholic Emancipation only when Wellington made it abundantly clear he would resign if it was not granted. The reason Wellington did this, as he stated publicly, was because he had seen too much of the horrors of war to countenance bloodshed. Nowadays Wellington's great concession is called a "peace process".
Wellington is also castigated for not conceding Irish sovereignty. During his political career, the great Irish leader was Daniel O'Connell, who did not seek Irish sovereignty either. Wellington was not a saint or a revolutionary, but he was still a figure of European stature, as was O'Connell himself, and more than worthy of commemoration in his Irish home town.
Mr Russell also is sure that "19th-century Irish peasants would have taken their chances with Bonaparte". Strange, then, that many thousands of Irish peasants took up arms against Bonaparte, and took their chances under Wellington in the British army! It is also worth noting that Bonaparte's armies lived off the land, stripping the country wherever they went. Wellington always insisted on proper logistical support for his army, and paid for his supplies. When he invaded France in 1813, the French peasants preferred Wellington's army to their own, which plundered them unmercifully.
Mr Russell does not understand "19th-century Irish peasants", or modern Ireland, as well as he thinks. - Yours, etc.,
TOBY JOYCE, Navan, Co Meath.