PREFACE. xiii 



about by a mob howling that no one dared to buy the 

 oats. I beg those Englishmen who are so tender over 

 constitutional rights in Ireland to consider what these 

 facts mean. On the morning of the llth the Land 

 League sent threatening notices by post to all my men 

 to try to frighten them away, which they will probably 

 succeed in doing. The Government of England 

 surely never in civilised times so abandoned its 

 peaceable subjects to lawlessness and misrule. It is 

 a scandal and wrong such as was never known among 

 us in the worst times. I told the tenants on the 

 rent -day that I meant to shut up my house and 

 place, put all the land into grass, and give no more 

 employment. The land will pay much better at 

 present in grass, and the saving in wages and outlay 

 will leave me much more money to spend than I have 

 ever had. The loss of wages to the labourers would 

 be very great, as they sensibly feel, and they begin to 

 ask, Who will pay us our wages ? The good wages 

 that I pay are of course a help, and I have let them 

 know that if they will stand by me they need have 

 no fear that I shall not stand by them. What will 

 be the result of course I cannot tell. I have got 

 some police brought near to encourage them, but I 

 fear the reign of terror is too strong for them. 



Father O'Leary said in his speech, which I have 



