ous of disloyalty, and undesignedly bearing the imaginary badge. Various other violent acts were committed, so far as to cut away pieces of men's ears, even sometimes the whole ear, or a part of the nose nor could the staunchest loyalist be certain always of exemption from insult by being clear of all imaginary marks of disloyalty; for on the arrival of a detachment of the army in any part of the country, where the inhabitants were known to the officers and soldiers, which was almost always the case, private malice was apt to convey in whispers false intelligence, marking individuals, perhaps the best members of society, as proper ob jects of military outrage, and they suffered accordingly.

By the system of secret accusation and espionage, perhaps rightly adopted with other extraordinary measures, in this dangerous crisis, government unavoidably made ample room for the exertions of private malice. Magistrates and military officers were empowered to receive informations, to keep the names of the informers profoundly secret, and proceed against the accused according to discretion. It should not be supposed that any magistrate could have pretended to receive information, which he had not received, for the indulgence of his private spite against an individual; but some of the gentlemen invested with these new powers were led into grievous errors by false informers, whose names notwithstanding have never been divulged. One particular instance gave cause to a debate in parliament. Thomas Fitzgerald, high sheriff of Tipperary, seized at Clonmel, a gentleman of the name of Wright, against whom no grounds of suspicion could be conjectured by his neighbours, caused five hundred lashes to be inflicted on him in the severest manner, and confined him several days without permitting his wounds to be dressed, so that his recovery from such a state of torture and laceration could hardly be expected. In a trial at law, after the rebellion, on an action of damages brought by Wright against this magistrate, the innocence of the plaintiff appeared so manifest, even at a time when prejudices ran amazingly high against persons accused of disloyalty, that the defendant was condemned to pay five hundred pounds to his prosecutor. Many other actions of damages on similar grounds would have been commenced, if the parliament had not put a stop to such proceedings by an act of indemnity, for all errors committed by magistrates from supposed zeal for the public service. A letter written in the French language, found in the pocket of Wright, was hastily considered a proof of guilt, though the letter were of a perfectly innocent nature.

As the conspiracy gained ground and notoriety, several leading gentlemen of the Roman Catholic persuasion, thought it requisite that some act of the body should go forth to the public, ex

pressive of their abhorrence and detestation of such traitorous principles, and with an endeavour to recal such of that persuasion as had unfortunately been seduced to join in the rebellion or conspiracy against the government. Accordingly, on the 6th of May, lords Fingall, Gormanstown, Southwell, Kenmare, sir Edward Bellew, and 41 gentlemen and professors of divinity, and the president of the college of Maynooth, published a declaration* under their signatures, with a view of rescuing their body from the imputation of abetting and favouring rebellion and trea

son.

About the 10th of May, captain Armstrong, who had been introduced to the Messrs. Sheares, with the view and intent of

* Such is the form of that declaration.

"Dublin, May 6, 1798. "To such of the deluded people now in rebellion against his majesty's govern ment, in this kingdom, as profess the Roman Catholic religion. "THE undersigned Roman Catholics of Ireland feel them"selves earnestly called on to remonstrate with such of the deluded people of "that persuasion as are now engaged in open rebellion against his majesty's government, on the wicked tendency and consequences of the conduct which "they have embraced: they apprehend with equal horror and concern, that "such deluded men, in addition to the crime committed against the allegiance "which they owe to his majesty, have in some instances attempted to give to "their designs a colour of zeal for the religion which they profess. The un"dersigned profess equally with them the Roman Catholic religion: some "of them are bishops of that persuasion, others are heads of the leading "families of that religion; and others are men of the same persuasion, who, "by an honourable industry, have, under the constitution now sought to be "subverted, raised themselves to a situation, which affords them in the most "extensive sense, all the comforts of life. The undersigned of each descrip*tion concur in intreating such of the deluded,, who have taken up arms against "the established government, or entered into engagements tending to that ef "fect, to return to their allegiance: and by relinquishing the treasonable plans "in which they are engaged, to entitle themselves to that mercy, which their "lawful governors anxiously wish to extend to them; a contrary conduct will "inevitably subject them to loss of life and property, and expose their families "to ignominy and beggary; whilst at the same time it will throw on their "religion, of which they profess to be the advocates, the most indeliable stain: "on this point, the unfortunately deluded will do well to consider whether the "true interests and honour of the Roman Catholic religion are likely to be "most considered by the bishops of that persuasion: by the ancient families "who profess that religion, and who have resisted every temptation to relin"quish it; by men, who at once professing it, and submitting to the present "constitution, have arrived at a state of affluence which gratifies every wish; "or by a set of desperate and profligate men, availing themselves of the want "of education and experience in those whom they seek to use as instruments "for gratifying their own wicked and interested views. At all events, the undersigned feel themselves bound to rescue their names, and as far as in them "lies, the religion which they profess, from the ignominy which each would "incur, from an appearance of acquiescence in such criminal and irreligious "conduct: and they hesitate not to declare, that the accomplishment of the views of the deluded of their persuasion, if effected, must be effected by the downfal of the clergy, of the ancient families and respectable commercial men of the Roman Catholic religion, the undersigned individuals of each of

acquiring and communicating to government full knowledge of the designs and measures of the United Irishmen, had apprized lord Castlereagh, that a general rising, as it was termed by them, of the people, must immediately take place. The whole of the United Irishmen throughout the kingdom, or at least throughout the province of Leinster, were to act at once in concert; and it was their intention to seize the camp of Loughlinstown, the artillery of Chapel-izod, and the castle of Dublin, in one night, the 23d of May. One hour was to be allowed between seizing the camp of Loughlinstown, and the artillery at Chapel-izod; and one hour and a half between seizing the artillery and surprising the castle; and the parties who executed both of the external plans, were to enter the city of Dublin at the same moment. The stopping of the mail coaches was to be the signal for the insurgents every where to commence their operations. It was also planned, that a great insurrection should take place at Cork at the same time. The united men were, however, at that period, not exactly agreed as to the nature of the insurrection. Mr. Samuel Neilson, with some other of the leaders, were bent upon attacking first the county gaol of Kilmainham, and the gaol of Newgate, in order to set their comrades at liberty; and the project for attacking the latter was also fixed for the 23d of May, the night of the general insurrection. The Sheares, however, and others, were of a contrary opinion, and they wished to defer the attack of the gaols till after the general insurrection had taken place; and even threatened to give notice to government of the plot, if Neilson and his friends did not immediately desist.

Although the government had been long in possession, through the communications of Reynolds, Armstrong, and other informers, of all the particulars of the conspiracy, they had hitherto permitted or encourage its progress, in order, as it has been alleged that the suppression of it might be effected with more eclat and terror. As the expected explosion however now drew so near, it was found to be necessary to arrest several of the principal conspirators, who might give directions, energy, and effect to the insurrection. Lord Edward Fitzgerald had absconded

"which description hereby publicly declare their determination to stand or fall "with the present existing constitution.

since the 12th of March; and on the 18th of May, major Sirr having received information that he would pass through Watlingstreet that night, and be preceded by a chosen band of traitors, as an advanced guard, and that he would be accompanied by another, repaired thither, attended by captain Ryan, Mr. Emerson, of the attorney's corps, and a few soldiers in coloured clothes. They met the party which preceded him, and had a skirmish with them on the quay at the end of Watling-street, in which some shots were exchanged; and they took prisoner one of them, who called himself at one time Jameson, at another time Brand.

The arrest of lord Edward Fitzgerald, which was effected next day, the 19th of May, in the following manner, tended very much to defeat the malignant designs of the conspirators, as he was the chief projector of the intended insurrection, and they entertained the highest opinion of his courage and military abilities.

Government having received information that he had arrived in Dublin, and was lodged in the house of one Murphy, a featherman in Thomas-street, sent major Sirr to arrest him. He, attended by captain Swan, of the revenue corps, and captain Ryan, of the Sepulchre's, and eight soldiers disguised, about five o'clock in the evening repaired in coaches to Murphy's house. While they were posting the soldiers in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of an escape, captain Swan perceiving a woman run hastily up stairs, for the purpose, as he supposed, of alarming lord Edward, followed her with the utmost speed; and, on entering an apartment, found lord Edward lying on a bed, in his dressing jacket. He approached the bed, and informed his lordship that he had a warrant against him, and that resistance would be vain; assuring him at the same time that he would treat him with the utmost respect.

Lord Edward sprang from the bed, and snapped a pistol, which missed fire, at captain Swan; he then closed with him, drew a dagger, gave him a wound in the hand, and different wounds in his body; one of them under the ribs was deep and dangerous, and bled most copiously.

At that moment captain Ryan entered, and missed fire at lord Edward with a pocket pistol; on which he made a lunge at him with a sword cane, which bent on his ribs; but affected him so much, that he threw himself on the bed, and captain Ryan having thrown himself on him, a violent scuffle ensued, during which lord Edward drew a dagger, and plunged it into his side. They then fell on the ground, where captain Ryan received many desperate wounds; one of which, in the lower part of his belly, was so large, that his bowels fell out on the floor. Major Sirr having entered the room, saw captain Swan bleeding, and lord Edward advancing towards the door, while captain Ryan weltering in

blood on the floor, was holding him by one leg, and captain Swan by the other, he therefore fired at lord Edward with a pistol, and wounded him in the shoulder, on which he cried out for mercy, and surrendered himself. His lordship was then conveyed to the castle, but was on the point of being rescued before he left Thomas-street; for Edward Ratigan, a major of the rebels, assembled a great number of them, and gave them a considerable quantity of carbines and pikes out of St. Catharine's watch-house, of which he was a director, and called on them to rescue lord Edward; which would have been effected, but that major Sirr received the assistance of the Rainsford-street guard, and the picquet guard of the castle, consisting mostly of cavalry, for which he had seasonably sent a messenger.

Samuel Neilson confessed afterwards, that he was in another quarter with five hundred pikemen, and that he would have attempted a rescue, had not the guards arrived in due time.

On the 19th and 21st of May, several other arrests were made. Amongst others, Patrick Byrne, the bookseller, and Messrs. Sheares, were committed for high treason. In the house of Messrs. Sheares, in Baggot-street, was found a proclamation, which was

• The above mentioned manifesto or proclamation was in the state of a rough copy, not yet finished for publication. It ran in the following terms, 17 Journ. Com. DCCCLXXX.— "Irishmen, your country is free, and you "are about to be avenged. That vile government, which has so long and so 66 cruelly oppressed you, is no more. Some of its most atrocious monsters "have already paid the forfeit of their lives, and the rest are in our hands. "The national flag, the sacred green, is at this moment flying over the ruins "of despotism; and that capital, which a few hours past had witnessed the debauchery, the plots, and the crimes of your tyrants, is now the citadel of "triumphant patriotism and virtue. Arise then, united sons of Ireland"arise like a great and powerful people, to live free, or die. Arm yourselves "by every means in your power, and rush like lions on your foes. Consider, "that for every enemy you disarm, you arm a friend, and thus become doubly "powerful. In the cause of liberty, inaction is cowardice, and the coward "shall forfeit the property he has not the courage to protect. Let his arms "be secured and transferred to those gallant spirits who want and will use "them. Yes, Irishmen, we swear by that eternal justice, in whose cause "you fight, that the brave patriot who survives the present glorious struggle, "and the family of him who has fallen, or hereafter shall fall in it, shall re"ceive from the hands of the grateful nation an ample recompence out of "that property, which the crimes of our enemies have forfeited into its "hands; and his name shall be inscribed on the great national record of Irish "revolution, as a glorious example to all posterity; but we likewise swear to "punish robbery with death and infamy. We also swear that we will never "sheath the sword till every being in the country is restored to those equal " rights which the God of nature has given to all men; until an order of things "shall be established in which no superiority shall be acknowledged among "the citizens of Erin but that of virtue and talents. As for those degenerate "wretches who turn their swords against their native country, the national "vengeance awaits them. Let them find no quarter, unless they shall prove "their repentance, by speedily exchanging the standard of slavery for that of "freedom, under which their former errors may be buried, and they may "share the glory and advantages that are due to the patriot bands of Ireland.