THE 



MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 



Vol. VIII.] AUGUST, 1829. [No. 44. 



IRELAND, THE ORAXGEMEN, AND THE PAPISTS. 



Some weeks since, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, as 

 Grand INIaster of the Orange Lodges of Ireland, addressed a letter to the 

 Earl of Enniskillen, strenuously recommending that, on the approaching 

 anniversary of the battle of Aghrim, the 12th of July, the usual Orange 

 processions should not be made. The Royal Duke suggested this 

 measure as the best means of avoiding the collisions and disturbances 

 ■which the enemies of the Constitution would be so eager to turn to its 

 disadvantage ; but expressed his desire that this forbearance shoidd not 

 be understood as any departure from the spirit of the Orange Lodges : 

 on the contrary, he additionally recommended their steady adherence 

 to their original principles of conformation as a body. This document 

 was immediately acted upon by the Grand Lodge assembled in Dublin, 

 and a letter was sent to the several Lodges throughout the kingdom, 

 cautioning them against provoking any quarrel or tumult on the occa- 

 sion. 



The 12th falling on Sunday, the Lodges in general deferred their 

 meetings till the following day. In the south of Ireland, the distur- 

 bances seem to have been few and trifling ; for there popery could find 

 no food for quarrel ; — but in the north, where the parties are more equally 

 balanced, the disturbances have been considerable. The Orange Lodges 

 conceiving that they had as much right to meet and march in procession 

 to their churches in the year 182'.), as they have had for the last twenty 

 years, assembled as usual, and, in several instances, were attacked, and 

 had to fight their way against papist mobs. Lives were lost, and many 

 persons wounded. The first version of those unlucky rencontres arriv- 

 ing from the Papists, the whole criminality was of course thrown upon 

 the Orangemen : they were charged with having first provoked the 

 insults, and then avenged them, setting the Government at defiance, 

 and taking the country by storm. Later versions, however, have 

 arrived, which describe the attacks as having been made in every 

 instance by the Papists, who assembled for the express purpose of insult- 

 ing and slaying the Protestants, and who, with the perfect knowledge 

 that not an Orange shot would have been fired from morn till night, if 

 the Lodges were not attacked, came armed with scythes, muskets, and 

 every other weapon which they could procure for the purpose of blood- 

 shed. This is the true state of the case ; and if the assailants have suf- 

 fered, they have to thank only their own rashness and violence. 



The principles of our journal are too well known for us to feel any 

 necessity for explaining, when we say that we most unequivocally 

 M.M. New Scries.— Vou.Vlll. No. 44. S 



