256 



I R E L A N,D. 





iholics. 



History, also renounced all claims to the estates of their ances- 

 1 tors, which had been forfeited ; and disavowed all de- 



-mcntion s 'g ns ^ subverting the religious establishment of Ire- 



A. D. 1792. knd. 



The United Irishmen and the Catholics, both look- 

 ing forward to a change in the laws, were naturally 

 well disposed to each other ; but from other quarters 

 the claims of the Catholics were most violently oppo- 

 sed. The government seemed to think, that the safest 

 conduct for them to pursue was to avoid both ex- 



Coflecssions tremes ; they were not disposed to grant all the Ca- 

 " tholics wished, nor to withhold everything. In con- 

 formity with this determination, in 1793, the legisla- 

 ture admitted the Catholics to the practice of the law 

 to intermarry with Protestants and to an unrestrained 

 education. The legislature, during this session of par- 

 liament, also passed a law to prevent the election, or 

 other appointment, of conventions^ or other unlawful 

 assemblies, tinder pretence of preparing or presenting 

 public petitions, or other addresses, to his majesty or 

 parliament. This act was directly aimed at a proposed 

 meeting of a national convention of the United Irish at 

 Athlone, which was prevented. A report of a Secret 

 Committee of the House of Lords threw much light on 

 the views and proceedings of the United Irishmen, as 

 well as on those of a description of insurgents called 

 Defenders. The latter were Catholics in Armagh, Louth, 

 Meath, and the adjacent counties, who, having first as- 

 sociated to defend themselves against the ill treatment 

 inflicted on them by gangs of Presbyterians, called 

 Peep-of-day Boys, became afterwards the assailants. 



From this description of the state of Ireland at this 

 period, it will be evident that there was much discon- 

 tent and dissatisfaction among the great mass of the 

 people; and this discontent was much augmented by 

 an act of parliament for raising a militia, on the plan of 

 that of England, which caused some serious disturb- 

 ances, besides a good deal of misery, among those who 

 could not serve themselves, and were not able to pay 

 for substitutes. 



We have already mentioned, that Archibald Hamil- 

 ton Rowan was secretary to the United Irishmen at the 

 time their manifesto was published'; he was on that 

 account arrested, and in 179* brought to trial. It 

 was suspected at the time of his trial, that the views of 

 the United Irishmen went farther than they avowed, 

 and that the utter subversion of the constitution, and 

 the separation of Ireland from England, was in their 

 contemplation, and the object of their meetings and 

 schemes. This was afterwards proved on the trial of 

 an English clergyman of the name of Jackson, for 

 a treasonable correspondence with the agents of the 

 French government ; for Rowan, who had been con- 

 demned to a fine, and imprisonment for two years, con- 

 trived to escape out of prison, and fled out of the coun- 

 try, conscious that, on the trial of Jackson, evidence of 

 his real designs would be brought to light. Jackson 

 was condemned, but he took puison, and expired be- 

 fore he was removed from court. Two others, who 

 were leading men among the violent democratic party, 

 Napper Tandy and Theobald Wofe Tone, the princi- 

 pal framer of the United Irishmen, also fled from their 

 country. Indeed, there was now too much reason to 

 believe, that the United Irishmen not only aimed at 

 a separation from Britain, but aimed at this object by 

 means of the co-operation of France, a method at once 

 most dangerous to that liberty which they professed 

 themselves so anxious to secure, and utterly at variance 

 with real patriotism or enlightened views. 



There seemed two modes by which, at this time, Ire- History, 

 land could be restored to a state of comparative satis- ^ "-y-^^- 

 faction and quiet, either Jjy giving way .to the more 

 open views of the United Irishmen, by conceding par- 

 liamentary reform, or by separating the Catholics from 

 them, by granting Catholic emancipation. The people 

 of Ireland believed that the British ministry had cho- 

 sen' the latter method, when Earl Fitzwilliam arrived Earl Fitz- 

 among them as viceroy ; for he had been intimately con- William 

 nected with the Whig party, though he had differed viceroy.^ 

 from them respecting the French revolution, and he * D> 1T9fc 

 had succeeded to the estates, and it was believed inhe- 

 rited the virtues and principles of the Marquis of Rock- 

 ingham. According to his own statement, the truth of 

 which rests on his character, and on the. circumstance 

 that it was not proved to be false by ministers, no re- 

 strictions had been imposed upon him when he accepted 

 the government of Ireland, but he was left completely 

 at liberty to take 'such measures to restore tranquillity 

 and loyalty to the country, as he deemed necessary and 

 expedient. His first measure shewed that he was in 

 earnest ; for he began by displacing those people in 

 power, who had opposed the system he meant to pur- 

 sue. Soon afterwards, petitions were prescribed from 

 the Catholics, praying for the repeal of all their remain- 

 ing disqualifications, and leave was given, almost una- 

 nimously, to bring in a bill agreeably to these petitions. 

 In the mean time, those who had been removed from 

 office had not been idle, especially one of the Beresford 

 family, who had been removed from a situation of con- 

 siderable emolument. A rumour was spread that Lord 

 Fitzwilliam would be immediately recalled. The Ca- 

 tholics took the alarm, and petitioned the King against 

 his removal. To this no answer was given ; and on the 

 25th of March Lord Fitzwilliam left Ireland. The bill 

 introduced into the Commons for the relief of the Ca- 

 tholics was still before them ; but, on the second read- 

 ing, the same House of Commons who had before al- 

 most unanimously supported the bill, threw it out ! 

 The Catholics, however, were permitted to send their 

 sons to study in the university of Dublin ; and a col- 

 lege, endowed by government, was established for them 

 at Maynooth. 



The conduct of the British government was by no 

 means calculated to pacify the Catholics. Disturbances 

 prevailed through the country. A mob in Dublin, at- 

 tacked and wounded the Lord Chancellor, Fitzgibbon, 

 a man who was peculiarly obnoxious : and defender- 

 ism increased. The Catholics, however, were not near- 

 ly so dangerous as those who aimed at political chan- 

 ges. The United Irishmen now began to direct their 

 views and plans with less scruple, though with more 

 secrecy, to the most treasonable designs. Secret asso- 

 ciations Were formed, of which no person was admitted 

 a member, till he had solemnly sworn that neither 

 hopes, fears, rewards, or punishments, should ever in- 

 duce him, directly or indirectly, to inform on, or give 

 evidence against, any member or members of that or 

 similar societies, for any act or expression of theirs done 

 or made collectively or individually, in or out of the so- 

 ciety, in pursuance of the spirit of the obligation by 

 which they were distinguished and bound. 



In public as well as in private transactions, extreme 

 violence on one side is too apt to beget extreme violence 

 on the other. The government deemed it absolutely 

 necessary to deprive the subject of the protection of 

 those wholesome and just laws, by which, in times of in- 

 ternal tranquillity and universal loyalty, his life and pro- 

 perty as well as his liberty were protected. They deem- 



