and Getty; also the Hypocrite thinks Macabe and him the two men in Belfast most to be depended upon. Set off for Hillsborough, accompanied by the Jacobin. Write to Lord Downshire, and request permission to wait upon him; he asks us to dinner, which we decline; he then appoints seven o'clock in the evening, when we wait on him and Lord Hillsborough. Very long conversation on the subject of our mission. Lord Downshire's faculties quite gone. Lord Hillsborough's sharp enough; a high Aristocrat. Angry at the committee's interference. No notion of any mode of settling the disturbances but by a strong hand. Talks of more regiments of light-horse, and calls the committee and the Defenders Dublin Papists, and country Papists;" says our going down has done great mischief, though our motives may be good; abuses the men who formed the meeting at Rathfriland on the 18th July; says there are four thousand stand of arms in the hands of the Defenders, and, if they will pile them up in one place, he will ensure their protection; inveighs bitterly against the communications between the Catholics through the country, and against seditious publications, which he explains to signify Payne; says the laws have been equally administered, for that six Protestants have been hanged for Peep-of-day-boy practices, and two of them on the spot where the burglary was committed. (This a lie.) In short, that he will see the laws execute themselves, without our interference. On the whole, his Lordship was just civil, and no more.-Fine fencing between his Lordship and Mr. Hutton, who defends the Catholics with great address and ability; hits his Lordship several times on the riposte. The ambassadors both bluff and respectful. State their case, and that they did not come until called upon; make a cut or two at the Protestant ascendency about Rathfriland. Admit the 4,000 stand of arms, but state that they have, in no one instance, been used offensively. Strike a little at the new corps; to the raising of which, and the spirit of the officers, we insinuate almost the whole of the present alarm may be attributed. Pin his Lordship to the confession that the Catholics have never, in any case, begun the attack: As to their meeting in bodies, admit it is improper, but state that they have always dispersed without doing mischief. Finally, declare our convictions that, if the Catholics could see that they had equal protection with the Protestants, peace would be

immediately restored. Part from their Lordships, neither of us much pleased with the other. Set off, and arrive at Ballinahinch late. Introduced to M Clokey, a proper man. That neighborhood almost totally converted, though very bad some little time back. A new corps raised there on Peep-of-day-boy principles, converted by M'Clokey, who, in return, is chosen their lieutenant. All well. The Catholics and they are now on such good terms that the Catholics lend them their arms to learn their exercise, and walk to see them parade, and both parties now in high affection with each other, who were before ready to cut each other's throats. All this done in about two months, or less, and by the exertions of one obscure man. What might not be done by the Aristocrats of the county Down, if they were actuated by the same spirit? Damn them! Mug a quantity of mulled wine. Generally drunk. Union of Irishmen with three times three, &c. Bed late.

17th. Rise as sick as a dog. Walk out to Montalto and meet Lord Moira. Breakfast with his lordship, the Abbé Berwick,* and Williamson, of Lisburn. Apprize them of our expedition, and ask leave to introduce Gog, which he grants with much civility; his Lordship well disposed, and the more so as Lords Hillsborough and Annesley are adverse. He abuses Lord Annesley, who is by all accounts a mere brute, and has a trick of knocking down the Catholics on the roads, or wherever he meets them for his amusement; scoundrel! Why do they not knock him down again and be hanged? Bring Gog up and introduce him; invited to dinner with his Lordship, and promise accordingly. Walk off with Gog, the Abbé, and Williamson, to see Mr. Sharman; find him at the Spa, and state our case generally. Mr. Sharman extremely friendly, and condemns the conduct of the Aristocrats and their dependants. He approves extremely of the address to the Defenders, which we show him; all this very well; great laughing with the Abbé on our return. The Abbé has "a species of something like rationality." Williamson a sharp dog; has been tampering with the Union regiment to get addresses counter to the Belfast proceedings on the 14th July. Tried three different companies, and failed in every one; obliged to give it up, yet he prates about liberality and justice. Mr. Hutton half angry with him, but

*The Rev. Mr. Berwick, Chaplain to his Lordship.

does not let him know it; flatters him between jest and earnest, but it won't do; the fellow is not to be depended upon. Dinner spoiled by the unexpected arrival of General Patterson and Colonel Marsh, on their way to England; stupid as the devil; the Abbé quite out of spirits. Mr. Hutton and Gog rise early and depart; leave Ballinahinch and travel in the dark to Banbridge; unpleasant enough; bad road; sleep at Banbridge.

18th. Arrive at Newry about 8. Meet O'Hanlon and some others; tell them of our journey; all agree that we should publish the address to the Defenders. Write to Lord Downshire, Lord Moira, Col. Sharman, Bishop McMullen, Bishop Lennon, and inclose copies of the address. Pat. O'Hanlon engages to distribute the address through Mourne, and all other parts where the disturbances are, in the county Down. Propose to set off for Dublin; prevailed upon to stay and endeavor to reconcile the Catholics of Newry, who have been bickering; agree accordingly. Meet the contending parties in the evening at the Inn. Gog makes a very lucid statement of the Catholic affairs; never heard him half so well; preaches up peace and union, and advises them to direct their animosities against the common enemy, the monopolists of the country. The whole company agree to bury all past feuds in oblivion; rise and shake hands mutually. The chairman, by order of the meeting, invites Gog and Mr. Hutton, who has played Ripieno all the evening, to dine with the Catholics of Newry next day, to commemorate the restoration of harmony, which they agree to, though it breaks in on their system. Sit late, all with magnanimity and benevolence;" Beaujour! Good thing to have restored peace to the town. Gog proposes, and the Catholics agree to form a society for the advancement of Catholic affairs; Gog and Mr. Hutton admitted original members; all present, sign a paper, signifying their resolution to form a club, &c. Gog and Mr. Hutton "flourish their hands in a most graceful manner, and depart." Mr. Hutton entre deux vins, proposes a society of United Irishmen. The proposal much relished; all this very good.

19th. Sunday. Go to mass; foolish enough; too much trumpery. The king of France dethroned!! Very glad of it, for now the people have fair play. What will the army do! God send they may stand by the nation. Every thing depends upon the line they take. Our success depends on things which some

of us are such fools as not to see. Ride to Rosstrevor; more and more in love with it; dinner; thirty people, many of them Protestants, invited on the occasion. Dr. Moody, the Dissenting minister, says grace; bravo! all very good; toasts excellent. United Irishmen mentioned again, and the idea meets universal approbation; hope it may do; wonderful to see how rapidly the Catholic mind is rising, even in this tory town, which is one of the worst spots in Ireland; sit till nine; set off for Dundalk, and arrive about 12.

20th. Off very early, and breakfast in Drogheda; get the people together, and put them up to every thing; all stout. Set off for Dublin, and arrive at six in the evening; a good deal fatigued. This has been, on the whole, a most excellent journey, and has done infinite good. We have put our adversaries in the North completely in the wrong, and of course ourselves in the right. We have materially contributed to restore peace in the county Down; we have created a spirit in Newry, which never existed there before; we have reconciled their differences; we have generally encouraged our friends, disheartened our enemies, and puzzled Lord Hillsborough. All very good.

Hic finis longa chartæque viæque.-Hor.

Here our long journey and my paper ends.-Francis.

Dublin, 23d August, 1792. Sub-committee. Letter from Dr. Esmonde, of Kildare. Mr. Conolly friendly in a great degree, and entirely condemns the Derry resolutions. Write an X. Y. containing an impartial account of our late journey, and reception in the North; send it to Joy, for his paper, and write to Neilson to copy it, by which means we have the advantage of a double circulation. Will Joy be honest enough to print it?

24th. Write a letter to O'Hanlon, in Newry, desiring him to collect facts relative to the disturbances in county Down; and hints about the Catholic Society and United Irish, of Newrygood letter. Write a flourishing manifesto, on the part of the General Committee, in reply to a set of resolutions from the county Limerick; certainly prepared by the Chancellor: the resolutions very pert and saucy, and the manifesto not much behind them; all the Catholics approve of it, and particularly the Vintner, who has recovered his spirits and is quite stout, which is partly owing to his being marked by name in the Chancellor's VOL. I-23

resolutions. Agreed that Gog and Mr. Hutton shall wait upon Grattan, and shew him the manifesto, and also state to him the transactions in the North.

25th. Drive down to find Grattan; Devereux, of county Wexford, accompanying me, Gog being hipped. Grattan not at home; find him at last at Broome's, of Killmacud, and settle to call on him next day.

27th. Sunday. Tinnehinch. Read the manifesto to Grattan and Hardy; Grattan thinks it too controversial and recommends moderation in language, and firmness in action. The manifesto taken to pieces, and at least three-fourths struck out; many passages supplied by Grattan himself, Mr. Hutton taking them down from his dictation: no man bears criticism half so well as Mr. Hutton. The manifesto, as amended, not to be published until all the grand juries have spoken out. Grattan desires Mr. Hutton to take great pains in incorporating the new with the original matter, so that the joining may not be perceived. Consultation, as to the conduct of the Catholic committee, on the subject of their petition. Mr. Hutton throws out the idea of the committee adjourning before the meeting of Parliament, which is eagerly adopted by the two members. Some months ago Mr. Hutton had mentioned it to Col. Hutchinson, who, in the true spirit of a soldier, rejected it; gallant, but scarcely wise, though Hutchinson is a very clever man. The reasons which determine the question now, are: 1st, It will make the new committee-men stout, when they find themselves out of danger. 2d, When the petition, &c. is prepared, they can be of more use in the country, than in town, as mediums of information to the people. 3d, It will remove the Chancellor's imputation of a Popish Congress sitting in the capital to overawe Parliament, and so put the friends to the cause in the House of Commons on strong ground, and of course cripple their adversaries. All very reasonable. Grattan takes Mr. Hutton aside, and tells him that, as the season for action is now approaching, it is the wish of himself and his friends, that all communication between them and the Catholics should be through him, Mr. Hutton; as, if they were to hold personal communication, Government would say they were agitators, inflaming the public mind, and that, instead of their being the organ of the Catholics sentiments, the Catholics were only instruments in their hands; that the grievances of the Catholics would thereby be said not to be felt, but suggested by Grattan and his friends,