Arthur certainly knew what Disraeli was talking about.
In short, during the July election Disraeli had made some rather vague statements, which were later exploited by certain newspapers, leading Ireland Radical Party leader Daniel O'Connell to mistakenly believe that Disraeli had slandered him.
As everyone knows, O'Connell, nicknamed "the Liberator," has a fiery temper. This sixty‑two‑year‑old who had played a key role in both the Catholic Emancipation Act and the Parliamentary Reform Act had, in his younger days, nearly fought a duel with Peel, then Chief Secretary for Ireland, over Irish affairs.
After he mistakenly thought Disraeli had slandered him, he immediately published an article in the press attacking Disraeli, calling him "a reptile."
