Old Belfast : Its Origin and Progress. 49 



Hearts of Steel in 1770. The disturbance was of agrarian origin, 

 and more immediately due to the arrest of David Douglas, a farmer 

 of Templepatrick, by Waddell Cunningham, a leading citizen, 

 on a charge of houghing some cattle belonging to Mr. Gregg. 

 The insurgents wrecked Mr. Gregg's house, and threatened to 

 burn the town, when through the meditation of Dr. Halliday, 

 the prisoner was given up to them, and they retired in triumph. 

 We now come to one of the most interesting epochs in Belfast 

 history, the Volunteer movement, which had its origin here, 

 and which exercised such a widespread influence upon our 

 country. As the centre of this movement there was a review 

 held annually, usually with the Earl of Charlemont, the 

 Commander-in-Chief of the Volunteers, as reviewing general. 

 The Volunteers flourished for a few years, and achieved many 

 political reforms, after which a Republican spirit crept into 

 their ranks and coloured their actions, which naturally caused 

 them to be looked upon with disfavour by the authorities, and 

 their former services were forgotten. By this time they had 

 reached the parting of the ways, the more moderate amongst 

 them taking the side of the Government, which only served to 

 strengthen the sentiment of others in favour of a Republic. 

 The consequence of this was that the Volunteers were gradually 

 merged in the United Irishmen, which society was inaugurated 

 in Belfast in 1791, having for its object the complete 

 reform of Parliament and political freedom for all Irishmen 

 without respect to their religion, and for the advocacy of these 

 opinions the famous " Northern Star" newspaper was founded. 

 Amongst the principal leaders of the movement in Belfast were 

 Henry Joy M'Cracken, Samuel Nelson, Thomas Russell, and 

 the brothers Simms, while Wolfe Tone was a frequent visitor 

 to the town to help on the movement. Republican ideas gained 

 ground rapidly in Belfast, with the result that in 1793, the 

 Government issued a proclamation dissolving the Volunteers, 

 and strengthening the garrison with a large number of troops, 

 the whole under the command of General Lake. This vigorous 

 action on the part of the executive had the effect of driving an 



