XLI. dispersed by the army. The plotters of democratic CHAP. revolution and political feparation fecretly rejoiced at the growing difcontents, when men of more loyal fentiments were heard to declare, that "the minifter, who determines to enslave the people, must renounce his project, or wade through their blood." CHAP. CHAP. XLII. XLII. Earl Moi 1798. Motion of Earl Moira--Newfpapers-Seditious inftructions by hand-bills-Negociation with France -Members of the Irish directory-O'Connor▬▬ Lord Edward Fitzgerald-Information of Reynolds Arreft of the Leinster delegates-Armstrong's information-Henry and John Shears--Violences of the United Irish--General proclamation—— -Abercrombie —— Military execution-Irregular. violences--The term Croppy-Miferable con fequences of efpionage-Arrest of Lord Edward Fitzgerald-Arrest of Sheares-Plan of the infurrection--Proceedings of administrationProceedings of parliament. CHAP. THE coercive system, maintained by a numerous army, and seconded by great numbers from various ra's motion. motives of intereft, fear, or fashion, was condemned as cruel, unjust, and dangerous, by many reflecting men fubftantially loyal, too timid or too weak to attempt oppofition to the torrent. With a nobility of mind, fuitable to his rank, but rare in every flation, Francis-Rawdon Haflings, earl of Moira, made repeated exertions in favour of his fuffering country. ઃઃ XLII. country. In the March and November of 1797 he CHAP. had moved in the British houfe of lords, as Charles Fox in that of the commons, "that an humble addrefs fhould be prefented to the king, praying him to interpofe his paternal interference for the allaying of the alarming 'difcontents then fubfifting in Ireland." "Before God and my country," faid this nobleman, "I speak of what I myself have seen. I have feen in Ireland the moft abfurd, as well as the most disgusting tyranny that any nation ever groaned under. I have seen troops fent full of this prejudice that every inhabitant of that kingdom is a rebel to the British government; the most wanton infults, the most grievous oppreffions, practiced upon men of all ranks and conditions in a part of the country as free from difturbance as the city of London. Thirty houfes are fometimes burned in a single night; but from prudential motives, I wifh to draw a veil over more aggravated facts, which I am willing to atteft before the privy council, or at your lordfhip's bar." Thefe motions were negatived, as was a third which he made in the fucceeding year, on the nineteenth of February, in the Irish houfe of lords, where he offered to produce full' proof of many and various acts of barbarous violence. New Deeds of this kind, performed on the fide of loyalty, were not generally known beyond the parts papers. of the country in which they feverally had place, fince the conductors of eftablished newfpapers dared not to publish any fuch, and newly inftituted prints were foon fuppreffed in which this caution was not obferved. XLII. CHAP. obferved. Thefe prints were indeed licencious, not confined, more than ministerial publications, to im partial fact, but calculated to raise odium against the existing government, at least the existing adminiftration. The proprietors of the Northern Star, a paper published in Belfast, were, by fufpenfion of the act of habeas corpus, imprifoned in Newgate; but as the publication was continued notwithstanding, the printing office and all its contents were deftroyed by a detachment of foldiers under the fanction of their general. A paper of fuperior ftyle and lefs virulence, called the Prefs, inftituted in Dublin in the latter part of 1797, was yet fo intemperate that its publisher was imprisoned, when Arthur O'Connor avowed himself, according to a new law, to be the proprietor, or perfon refponfible for its contents. By another law in the beginning of 1798 authority was given to grand juries to prefent as nuifances newspapers containing feditious matter, and to magiftrates to destroy the printing materials after fuch prefentation. This paper was in confequence fuppressed, and another, called the Harp of Erin, prevented. The liberty of publication was sufficiently circumfcribed. If it fhould be deftroyed, the liberty of the nation would inevitably expire with it. Inftructions In place of newspapers hand bills were privately Lills printed and difperfed by the agents of the Irish by hand Union. By thefe and oral modes of communication inftructions on various fubjects were conveyed from the directory through the whole body of the affociation. Abftinence from fpirituous liquors was recom mended, mended, that by diminishing the confumption of CHAP. this great object of excife, the royal revenue might XLII. fuftain a diminution. Another motive may have been the advantage of fobriety, without which neither fecrets could be fecure, nor, on a fummons to arms, co-operation regular. So well was this injunction obeyed, that a change, which benevolence would wish permanent, without motives of difloyalty, from drunken to fober habits, was quickly obferved among the generality of the common people. To prevent the raising of fupplies to government from the fale of quit rents of the crown, the public was cautioned against purchafing, as the bargains would not be valid under a new legislature in case of a revolution. From the alleged infecurity of the existing government a caution was alfo promulgated against the accepting of bank notes as a medium of exchange; but the draining of the national bank by the return of bills was prevented by a forced circulation. Its governors and company had been ordered by the privy council to difcontinue payments in fpecie: the tender of its notes was a legal discharge of debt: and those who refused to fell goods for this paper money, were liable to heavy amercement by foldiers quartered on them. Emiffaries, employed to corrupt the army, diftributed hand bills, calculated to excite compaffion for the sufferings of the people and hatred to their prefent rulers. Negocia While various engines were employed for internal oppofition, the Irish directory maintained an inter- tion with course with the French. After the failure of the expedition France. |