IRELAND. 



T- anil the delegates of the lower and upper committees 

 *""~i~"' t -r<- rc-|>' i lively captains and colonels. There was 

 also a military committee appointed by the directory, 

 to contrive plans for the direction of the national force 

 toward-, the grand object they had in view. In 

 May 1?!J7, the number of men enrolled as members 

 of the In-li 1'niim in L'Uter alone, was nearly 100,000. 

 In the other parts of the kingdom,, except Dublin and 

 the enmities of \\V.\furd, Kildare, East Meath, West 

 :li, and King's County, their numbers were com- 

 !.v. ly few ; but they were using their utmost en- 

 deavours to extend the Union all over Ireland. 



As the attempt to reduce Ireland to order and tran- 

 quillity by means of force had now been carried on for 

 a considerable time, without producing the effect ex- 

 pected and intended, it was hoped that the British mi- 

 nistry would have adopted different measures, more 

 consonant to the spirit of the constitution, as well as 

 more satisfactory and pleasing to the friends of humani- 

 ty. Under this idea, Lord Moira and Mr Fox moved 

 in parliament, that a humble address should be pre- 

 sented to his Majesty, praying him to interpose his pa- 

 ternal interference for the allaying of the alarming dis- 

 contents thru subsisting in Ireland ; but these motions 

 were negatived, as well as one which his lordship af- 

 terwards made in the Irish House of Lords, where he 

 offered to produce proof of the most absurd as well as 

 di^v listing tyranny ever exercised in any country. In- 

 deed, it was only through the debates in parliament that 

 the real state of Ireland at this period could be learnt; 

 for the newspapers, which were in favour of the insur- 

 gents, as well as those of government, grossly misrepre- 

 sented it. The former were most licentious and mischie- 

 vous in their representations, and also in their endea- 

 vours to spread the flame of sedition and rebellion ; and, 

 in more than one instance, called down the vengeance 

 of government. As soon as the members of the Irish 

 Union found that they could not propagate their views 

 by means of newspapers, they had recourse to hand-bills, 

 which were privately printed and circulated by their 

 agents. In these, abstinence from spiritous liquors 

 was recommended, in order that the revenue might be 

 impaired ; and this recommendation, which it might 

 have been thought no motive would have induced the 

 lower classes of the Irish to follow, was obeyed so ge- 

 nerally and faithfully, that their habits were observed 

 to be decidedly more sober than usual. The members 

 were also cautioned against purchasing the quit-rents 

 of the crown, as the bargains would not be valid in case 

 of a revolution. A caution was also given against the 

 acceptance of bank notes. All these circumstances evi- 

 dently proved that the Irish Union were still in hopes 

 of accomplishing their object by a revolution ; but, as 

 they could not hope for this by their own unaided ef- 

 forts, they again had recourse to France. Assistance 

 was readily promised them ; and preparations for the 

 invasion of Ireland were made at Brest and in the Texel ; 

 but the expedition from the latter place was rendered 

 abortive, by the defeat of the Dutch fleet at tlie battle 

 of Camperdown. Still the Irish Union looked towards 

 assistance from the Brest expedition ; but the French 

 government appearing to have forgotten their promise, 

 Arthur O'Cpnnor, who was a member of the Irish di- 

 Amst of rectory, was commissioned to proceed to France ; but, 

 A.O'Con- on his passage through England for that purpose, in 

 l OT n i7 Februar y J 798, he was arrested, along with an Irish 

 8 priest of the name of Coigly, and Binns, a member of 

 the corresponding society of London. They were tried; 

 O'Connor and Binns were acquitted, but detained on 



another charge of treason ; Coigly was condemned and History, 

 executed. ^"V"*' 



The Irish Union, thus disappointed in their hopes of 

 assistance from France, resolved to trus* solely to their 

 own power. By this time, the number of men sworn 

 into the conspiracy amounted nearly to half a million, 

 and plans were formed for the simultaneous rising of 

 this body. Their object, however, was discovered by 

 a man of the name of Reynolds, who was a delegate for 

 the province of Leinster ; and from his information, 

 the members who formed the committee of this pro- 

 vince were arrested. Emmett, Macnevin, and Bond, 

 members of the directory, were also arrested. Govern- 

 ment, at the same time, by the seizure of papers, were 

 made thoroughly acquainted with all the pMans of the 

 Union, and thus were enabled to frustrate them. The 

 Union, thus deprived of their directory, proceeded to 

 elect new members, among whom were two brothers of 

 the name of Sheares ; but neither these nor the other 

 members were equal in talents to the former members ; 

 and yet greater talents were now requisite, not merely 

 on account of the discoveries made by government, but 

 also because the lower members of the Union, wearied 

 with waiting, and anxious not so much to accomplish 

 the political objects of the Union, as to gratify their own 

 private revenge, could not be managed except by men 

 of the greatest talents and influence. 



On the 30th of March, 1798, government issued a Military 



proclamation, which proved that they meant to adopt ** w P TO ~ 

 . i ^ i ' claimed 



the most vigorous measures which were in their power, 

 for the immediate suppression of the disaffection and 

 disorders in Ireland. In this it was stated, that " a 

 traitorous conspiracy, existing within the kingdom, had 

 been considerably extended, and had manifested itself 

 in acts of open rebellion ; and that in consequence there- 

 of, the most direct and positive orders had been issued 

 to the officers commanding his majesty's forces, to em- 

 ploy them with the utmost vigour and decision, for the 

 immediate suppression of this conspiracy, and for the 

 disarming of the rebels, and all disaffected persons, by 

 the most summary and effectual measures." At the same 

 time General Abercrombie, who then commanded* the 

 forces in Ireland, was directed by the lord lieutenant to 

 proceed with his army into the disturbed counties, vest. 

 ed with full powers to act as 'he should think proper. 

 His first object was to restore the discipline of the army, 

 which was in such a state, that it could not be safely 

 trusted with the execution of the orders he meant to 

 issue. Afterwards, on the 3d of April, he published a 

 manifesto, calling upon the inhabitants of Kildare, where 

 his head-quarters were fixed, to surrender their arms 

 within 10 days, and, in case of non-compliance, threat- 

 ening that large bodies of troops should live among them 

 at free quarters, promising rewards to those who would 

 give information of concealed arms or ammunition, and 

 denouncing other severities, in case the. inhabitants did 

 not return to a stale of tranquillity. 



At the expiration of the ten days, the troops were 

 quartered on those who were known or suspected to be 

 disaffected ; and their behaviour was such as in most in- 

 stances might be expected from men of their habits and 

 feelings, hitherto little accustomed to strict discipline. 



The insurgents did not seem intimidated by these 

 proceedings against them ; and as they were ignorant 

 that government were acquainted with their plans, they 

 still persevered in the determination to rise in a body 

 on a fixed day. Before that day arrived, however, go- Arrest of " 

 vernment caused Lord Edward Fitzgerald, who had Lord E. 

 contrived the plan of attack, and who was distinguish- Fitzgerald, 



