mitted to a full enjoyment of civil liberty, and to a confiderable share of political power. The White Boys, a Popish banditti, who continued to defolate the South of Ireland, for nearly thirty years, were at firft embodied and organized, during the feven years war, to favour a descent of the French, which was meditated under Conflans, As foon as the French republicans formed a defign of fubverting the British empire, they looked to the affiftance of their steady and faithful allies, the Irish Roman Catholics, and accordingly, the rebellious conduct of another Popish banditti, called the Defenders, was formidable, not only in many counties of Ireland, but in its metropolis, fo early as the year 192. They levied money on their body at large, for the purpose of buying warlike implements and ammunition, they plundered the Proteftants of their arms, and frequently murdered fuch of them as made any refiftance. By the report of the Secret Committee of the Irish Houfe of Lords, made and published upon oath, early in the year 1793, it appears, "That their measures were connected and conducted with the utmoft fecrecy, and a degree of regularity and fyftem not usual in people in fuch mean condition, and as if directed by men of a fuperior rank. Sums of money to a confiderable amount have been levied, and ftill continue to be levied, upon the Roman Catholics in all parts of the kingdom, by fubfcriptions, and collections at their chapels, and elsewhere, fome of which have been made, and ftill continue to be made, under the authority of a printed circular letter, which has been fent into all parts of the kingdom, a copy of which letter we think it our duty to infert." It appears that this letter was figned by the fecretary of the Catholic committee; and we cannot be furprifed that the movements of this banditti fhould be conducted with regularity and fyftem, when it evidently appears by this report, and subsequent events, unequivocally proved, that they were under the guidance and direction of the Catholic committee, a reprefentative body, confifting of the moft opulent and respectable members of the Irish Roman Catholics. It is thus ftated in the report of the fecret committee of the Lords, "the refult of their inquiries is, that in their opinion it is incompatible with the public fafety and tranquillity of this kingdom, to permit bodies of men in arms to affemble when they pleafe, without any legal authority; and that the exiftence of a felf-created reprefentative body, of any defcription of the King's fubjects, taking upon itself the government of them, and levying taxes or fubfcriptions, to be applied at the difcretion of fuch reprefentative bo ty, or of perfons deputed by them, is incompatible with the public fafety and tranquillity." It is ftated in the faid report that this banditti aff-mbled moftly in the night, and forced into the houfes of Proteftants, and took from them their arms," and that they are "all, as far as the faid committee could difcover,of the Roman Catholic perfuafion." It appears alfo by the faid report, that "ftands of arms and gun-powder to a very large amount, much above the common confumption, have been ent within these few months to Belfast and Newry, and orders given for a much greater greater quantity, which it appears could be wanted only for military operations." By the faid report it appears, that the difturbances, occafioned by this banditti, appeared moftly in the counties of Louth, Meath, Monaghan, and Cavan, where they were fo alarming in the year 1789, that General Euftace was fent there, with a body of troops to fupprefs them. Thus it is evident that a Popish rebellion, formed by the Defenders, had exifted three or four years previous to the fociety of united Irifhmen, which did not take place till the fummer of 1791, when it was first inftituted by Theobald W. Tone, agent of the Catholic committee, who was difcovered fo early as the month of February 1794, to be concerned in a negociation with the French for invading Ireland. By a proclamation of the Lord Lieutenant and the Privy Council, of the fecond of December, 1792, it appears, that an infurrection of this banditti was dreaded in the metropolis; and by two, of the thirteenth of February, and eleventh of March, 1793, it is evident that" in the counties of Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and Dublin, and in the county of the town of Drogheda, they affembled in large bodies, with arms, adminiftered illegal oaths of combination, fent threatening letters, plundered houfes of arms," and after burned both houfes and out-offices, whenever they met with any refiftance. The 33 of Geo. III. cap. 2, was enacted, the beginning of that year, to prevent the importation and removal of gun-powder. As they were in actual rebellion in 1793 in moft parts of Ireland, and had the boldness on many occafions to attack the King's troops, Lord Weftmoreland declared in his speech to both houfes of parliament, on the fixteenth of Auguft "the fpirit of discontent which prevailed among the lower orders of the people, at the beginning of this feffion, has fince burft into acts of riot and infurrection, fo that I have been under the painful neceffity of employing his Majefty's forces, whofe fteadiness and good conduct have on all occafions been manifefted." During the whole of that year this banditti were fo furious and defperate, that in many parts of Ireland they wantonly attacked the King's troops, on the high road, when on their march, and had fevere conflicts with them. And the Proteftants were obliged for their fafety to take refuge in Dublin, or in their respective country towns. It is thus ftated in the fecond committee of the House of Lords, publifhed in 1797. further appeared to your committee, that the leaders and directors of thefe affociations (meaning the united Irifhmen) are now, and have been for fome time paft, anxiously engaged, in uniting with them a clafs of men, who had formerly difturbed the peace of this country, by acts of outrage, robbery and murder, under the appellation of defenders, and your committee have reafon to apprehend that in a certain degree they have fucceeded." It is thus fet forth in the report of the fecret committee of the houfe of Commons, formed and deliyered upon oath, in the year 1798, "It is obfervable, that the counties in which defenderifm had prevailed, eafily became converts to B 2 "It has the the new doctrines ;* and in the fummer of 1797, the ufual concomitants of treason, namely, the plundering houfes of arms, the fabri-, cation of pikes, and the murder of those who did not join their party, begun to appear in the midland countries." It is well known, that the united efforts of these two treasonable bodies were attended with the moft terrific and deftructive effects, till the rebellion of 1798, particularly in the year 1793. It is ftated in the report of the fecret committee of the House of Commons, in 1797, that the traitors concerned in these rebellious proceedings, "held forth Catholic emancipation and parliamentary reform, as the oftenfible objects of their union; but their real purpofes were to feparate Great Britain from Ireland, and to fubvert the prefent conftitution." Of the fund which was raised by fubfcription at the Roman Catholic chapels, it appears that a confiderable portion was appropriated to the purpose of employing perfons to write in favour of Catholic emancipation and parliamentary reform; and it is proved, that the Catholic committee, by a statement of their accounts, publifhed at their desire, in Dublin, the 25th of April 1793, by Hugh Fitzpatrick, their printer and book feller, had difburfed the following fums; to Theobald Wolfe Tone, 1500l. Simon Butler, 500l. William Todd Jones, 1000l. Richard Burke, a retaining fee of fifty guineas, and 2000 guineas as a reward for his fervices. Thefe perfons were the most confpicuous advocates of the Catholic claims, except Mr. F. Plowden, who from the various and fingular resources which he has often tried to raise money, may adopt as his motto, that faying of Emperor Vefpafian to his fon, Titus: "Lucri bonus eft odor, ex re JUVENAL. If the exertions of heretical champions in the cause of popery were fo well recompenfed in Ireland, he imagined that his labours in the holy vineyard would entitle him to more than ordinary rewards, as he had difplayed the most ardent zeal in it on former occafions; befides, he confidered that his education alone would strongly recommend him to the Catholic committee, as he had been bred a Jeluit at St. Omer's, where he might be fuppofed to have acquired that kind of knowledge which renders the difciples of Ignatius well qualified for polemics and cafuiftical difquifition. Mr. Plowden's former publications had little or no circulation in England. Ireland, which had, been many years in a state of rebellious fermentation, he regarded as a crucible; and, as a good alchymift, he was led to hope, that in it, he should convert his bafe materials into pure gold. Accordingly, he acknowledges that he went twice to Ireland previous to his grand miffion in 1801. Though he feems by all his writings to have a large fhare of Popish bigotry, as he is far from being rich, it is not to Of the united Irishmen, founded on French principles, be 1 be supposed that he would take three expenfive journies to Ireland, actuated folely by a pious zeal to propagate his religion. Mr. Plowden has informed us, that he received 300l. from the English minifter; but he has not told us, whether any, or what fums of money were collected for him in the King's Bench and Fleet Prifons. He candidly declares in his poftliminious preface, as he calls it, that he obtained this boon of 300l. to write a fair, impartial, and authentic hiftory of Ireland; but as it is much the reverfe, and as it is founded in the groffeft perverfions of historic truth, as its main object evidently is, to condemn the religious, moral, and political principles of Proteftants, and to exalt those of his own communion; as it is a grofs libel on the government of both iflands, and defames moft. of its members, who have justly obtained celebrity for their wisdom, integrity and abilities, in promoting the interefts of the empire, we may fairly conclude, that he was as well rewarded as his fellow labourers. As instead of serving he has injured the caufe of his employers, by his dulnefs and intemperate zeal, it is faid that they mean to reclaim the money which they gave him. But he will probably follow the example of the Jefuits miffionaries in China, who under fanctimonious pretences borrowed fums of money from the people; and on being required to repay them, they offered them notes or drafts payable in the next world, by a remiffion of their fins. The Catholic committee made a conftant practice of employing perfons both in England and in Ireland to libel the government, and the Proteftants of the latter, by falfely afferting that they exercifed fingular tyranny over the Papifts, whom they reprefented as in a downright state of flavery. Mr. Plowden has done this, not only in his Hittorical Review of Ireland, which is the object of this excellent writer's ftrictures, but in other works, and in reviews and newfpapers. As he and his fellow labourers have uttered the groffeft falfehoods and calumnies of that juftly revered and respected nobleman, the Earl of Camden, by imputing the dreadful rebellion of 1798, to wanton and unneceflary feverities exercifed during his adminiftration, and even under his direct fanction, it is right to remind the reader, that his Lordship did not arrive in Ireland till the 31st of March 1795; and we have already fhewn that one rebellion had been formed fome years previous to his arrival by the defenders, and another by a fet of republicans called the united Irifhmen, in 1791, who made the former fubfervient to their defigns. It is obfervable also, that the treasonable confpiracy which had long existed in the metropolis, and had fo early as the year 1792, raised the most alarming apprehenfions in the government for its fafety, burft forth with fo much fury on the day of his landing, that fome of the leading mcmbers of the ftate were attacked in the public ftreets, by a numerous. body of the defenders, who grofsly affaulted and wounded tome of them, as they were returning to their refpective homes from the * * The fame treasonable fpirit, conftantly exifting in the metropolis, produced the infurrection on the 23d of July, 1803, when Lord Kilwarden and many others were murdered. B 3 privy privy council. The abuse of Mr. Plowden is fo general, that what is faid of Charon in Dante, may properly be applied to him—his cen-fure is praife. "Quinci non passa mai anima buona E però fe Charon di te fi lagna, Ben puoi faper mai, che'l fuo dir fuona." La divina Commedia Canto III. From the envenomed rancour which Mr. Plowden has manifefted, without referve, against the Proteftant state and its members, in his prefent humble condition, we may conceive what he would do againft both, if his fellow believers attained that afcendancy to which they have been afpiring fome years, and if he were poffeffed of power and influence. To what on quail and pheafant would he fwell, For fome time after the publication of his Hiftorical Review, it was univerfally believed that the Attorney General would have moved for an information against the author of fo grofs a libe!; but public contempt, mingled with indignation, has been a fufficient punishment for him, as he is univerfally pointed at by the finger of fcorn. The lion feeds not on carcafes. We truft our readers will accept the following apology for having detained their attention fo long by thefe prefatory obfervations. From the ftrenuous exertions of the Roman Catholics, for many years paft, to impofe on the British public in refpect to Ireland, particularly as to their religion Britons have been kept in downright ignorance of its real ftate. Can we otherwife account for the following very alarming incident. Some diftinguished perfonages, whofe ancestors acquired immortal glory by the wifdom and firmness which they difplayed in accomplishing the revolution, by which the empire was rescued from Popery and flavery, have been recently fanguine advocates for establishing the former, in the moft unqualified manner. What a contraft to the conduct of their ancestors! Majorum gloria pofteris quafi lumen eft, neque bona eorum, neque mala in occulto patitur. Salluft. bellum Jugur. We hope and believe that this has arifen, rather from error than from a dereliction of principle; however, it is very alarming, and should awaken the attention of the British people to their true intereft. We confider it as our duty, therefore, to give them the fulleft information on this fubject; and nothing that we have ever read is fo well calculated to attain that end as this work, which is a most excellent critical differtation, on the history of Ireland. Its author has * The word rebel is ufed figuratively by the poets, and we certainly do not mean to infinuate that Mr. P. is a rebel. difplayed |