260

WOLFE TONE IN FRANCE. [CHAP. IX.

Executive Directory,-Carnot, the minister, and Clarke, the head of the war department,-and urged them to invade his country; representing the people as willing to join the French,-grounding his chief and first reliance on the Dissenters of the North, on account of their republican principles; next, on the Catholic peasantry, on account of their ill treatment by Government; last and least, on the Catholic clergy, whose neutrality he told General Hoche, might be secured if they avoided shocking their prejudices. He strove to substantiate the accuracy of his statements and opinions by referring to the acts of the Irish Government, the debates in the Irish Parliament, and the speeches of Lord Clare; and when doubts were thrown upon his assertions, as to the feelings and disposition of the Irish, he quoted them as evidence of his veracity; adding that they were most likely to be true, as coming from an enemy who would have concealed the facts if he was able, being admissions of the weakness and dangers of the country. Tone thus convinced the Directory that they would have the Presbyterians; and Lord Clare's speeches convinced them that they would have the Catholics; so that the Lord Chancellor, by his violent acts, and extravagant charges against the people, was mainly instrumental in aiding the enemy in the invasion of his country.

It was not till late in the year that the plan was arranged, nor until the 15th of December that the expedition sailed from Brest; so that its destination was well known. It was under the command of General Hoche, and consisted of seventeen sail of the line, thirteen frigates, and seven corvettes, making, with transports, forty-three sail, having on board 15,975 soldiers, 41,160 stand of arms, twenty pieces of artillery, nine

CHAP. IX.]

FRENCH INVASION.

261

pieces for siege, 61,200 barrels of powder, 7,000,000 of ball cartridges, and 700,000 flints.

Tone had urged very strongly that they should land in the North; but the orders were to proceed to the South; if separated to cruize off Mizen Head for five days, then go to the Shannon for three more, and if dispersed to return to Brest. On the 22nd they came off Bantry Bay, with twenty-five sail; on the 23rd they separated in a violent storm;-sixteen remained in Bantry Bay, twenty were driven to sea; the Seduisant, with 550 soldiers, was lost the first night after leaving Brest. Hoche, who was on board the Fraternité, was separated from the fleet, and never appeared. Tone, who had got a commission in the French service, was in the Indomptable, of eighty guns: he urged Grouchy, the second in command, to land. A council of war was held on the 27th, when it appeared that their force was reduced to 4,168 men, two fourpounders, 1,500,000 cartridges, 500 rounds for the artillery, and 500 pounds of powder,-without a guinea, a tent, or a horse,—and the province in which they were to land was the only one of the four which had testified no disposition to revolt!Such is the account that Tone gave. The council naturally decided against landing; and on the 29th, the remains of the fleet returned to Brest. Thus was Ireland (whose security the Minister had neglected) saved by Providence from a most sanguinary war; and here for the present terminated the efforts of Wolfe Tone's intrigues with

*The Generals were Hoche, Grouchy, Harty, Simon, Humbert, Chaseloup, Cherin. It is singular that on two occasions Grouchy should have had almost in his hand the destinies of England, and providentially not to have turned them against her; in the present instance, when he waited for his commander who did not arrive, and he declined to land; and at Waterloo, where his commander waited for him, and he did not appear.

262 NOTICE OF WOLFE TONE; AND [CHAP. IX. France, and the effects of Lord Clare's invectives against Ireland.

Mr. Tone's work on this, and other subjects, is amusing, lively, and spirited. He writes unfriendly to the Whigs and Mr. Grattan,-probably because Mr. Ponsonby had refused to trust him, and Mr. Grattan to recommend him when Lord Fitzwilliam was Viceroy. His diary affords a useful lesson to unquiet and discontented minds, and teaches man to adopt every alternative rather than take up arms against his country. He frequently exclaimed, in the bitterness of anguish, despair, and regret,-" I wish our Revolution were ended, and I quietly set down in the bosom of my family." On one occasion, when he began to suspect the fidelity of the individual with whom he was negotiating, he breaks out-" Have I risked my life, ruined my prospects, left my family, and deserted my country to be baffled by a scoundrel?" On returning to Brest, after the failure of the expedition, he gives way to the keenest emotions:-"I am now a Frenchman, and must regulate my future plans accordingly. I hope the Directory will not dismiss me the service for this unhappy failure-in which, certainly, I have personally nothing to reproach myself with; and in that case I shall be rich enough to live as a peasant. If God Almighty sends me my dearest love and my darling babies in safety, I will buy or rent a spot, and have done with the world for ever. I shall never be great, or famous, or powerful, but I may be happy!!"

Alas! how many victims like him did not Mr. Pitt and Lord Clare make! How many unfortunate men did they not drive from their happy homes, and peaceful families! How great the

calamities that resulted from Lord Fitzwilliam's

CHAP. IX.] MR. BUSHE'S CHARACTER OF HIM. 263 recall, which these ministers entailed upon the country.

The allusion made to this individual by a very distinguished person, Charles Bushe* (Chief Justice of Ireland) may here be introduced. On opposing Mr. Ponsonby's motion in 1797, to repeal the Insurrection Act, he spoke of Wolfe Tone. "That unhappy man now wastes upon the desert air of an American plantation, the brightest talents that I ever knew man to be gifted with. I shall never speak or think of him with acrimony or severity. I knew him from early infancy, as the friend of my youth, and the companion of my studies; and while I bear testimony to the greatness of his abilities, I shall also say of him, that he had a heart which nothing but the accursed spirit of perverted politics could mislead or deprave; and I shall ever lament his fate with compassion for his errors, admiration for his talents, and abhorrence for his political opinions."

Nothing could exceed the spirit of the yeomanry, who, from all quarters, volunteered their services, and marched to oppose the French. The only difficulty the Government found was to restrain their ardour. With respect to the peasantry, they were zealous in support of the troops. The Colonel' of the Wicklow Militia often told me how nobly they behaved, clearing away the snow, harnessing themselves to the guns, and drawing them through the difficult passes, they supplied the soldiers with bread, beer, and provisions, at their own expense.

The following letter, from an eye witness, is inserted to show the feeling which animated them; yet these were the Catholics whom Lord Clare

* This able and talented individual has just retired from the bench, and is succeeded by Mr. Pennefather.

+ The late Colonel Howard.

264

LOYALTY OF THE CATHOLIC

[CHAP. IX.

had stated, in his place in Parliament, would never be attached to England, or loyal to a Protestant Prince :

MR. JOHN THERRY TO MR. GRATTAN.

Cork, Wednesday, 6th January, 1797. DEAR SIR,-You have no doubt heard of the alarming and critical state which the South of Ireland has been in for the last ten days; and so contradictory and unsatisfactory, though always alarming, were the reports which were constantly in circulation, that no man could rely upon anything he heard ;-for example, a letter had been received by our Committee at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, from General Coote, from Dunmanway, stating that the French fleet had sailed from Bantry Bay. At seven o'clock General Stewart writes to the Mayor that General Coote has had information, and that the French ships had not sailed. Mr. Sullivan, who first gave information of the arrival of the French fleet off our coast, arrived here this morning from Bantry, which he left at eleven o'clock yesterday, and gave the following intelligence to the Committee:

On Sunday last, from Bear Haven, he saw thirteen ships, some of them very large, lying at anchor off Bear Island, besides seven other vessels at anchor higher up the bay, near Whiddy Island. On Monday, in consequence of a signal made, he saw five of the seven ships off Whiddy set sail to join the thirteen lying off Bear Island. Yesterday morning, he ascended the high ground behind the town of Bantry, and saw but the two vessels which had been left near Whiddy. They appeared to him to be of seventy-four guns each, one without a bowsprit, the other had lost her main-topmast, and he believed they were unable to put to sea. The French who landed on Whiddy were in good health, and after walking about and shooting a few hares, for which the island is remarkable, embarked again, taking with them Mr. White's steward, who happens to be a remarkably good pilot.

Nothing can exceed the zeal and good conduct of all descriptions of people in this part of the country, and I hope it will be considered as it deserves.

I have the honour to be, dear Sir, wishing you many happy returns of the season, your most obedient humble servant, JOHN THERRY.