intended to have been published on the morning after the insurrection should have taken place: it manifested the bloody projects of the rebels, had the conspiracy succeeded. It has been observed, by the rev. Dr. Gordon (p. 66), that "in fact the se"vere and terrible measures, to which government, for the pre"servation of its existence, had been obliged to have recourse, "must naturally excite a spirit of revenge and cruelty in the mal46 content faction; yet the former members of the directory, among whom was Thomas Addis Emmett, had intended to "avoid bloodshed as much as possible, and only to banish those "who should prove refractory, allowing their families a maintenance out of their properties.'

46

"*

"Many of the military feel the love of liberty glow within their breasts, and "have joined the national standard. Receive with open arms such as shall "follow so glorious an example: they can render signal service to the cause "of freedom, and shall be rewarded according to their deserts. But, for "the wretch who turns his sword against his native country, let the national "vengeance be visited on him; let him find no quarter. Two other crimes "demand.. .. Rouze all energies of your souls: call forth all the "merits and abilities which a vicious government consigned to obscurity; and "under the conduct of your chosen leaders, march with a steady step to vic"tory. Heed not the glare of hired soldiery, or aristocratic yeomanry: they "cannot stand the vigorous shock of freedom. Their trappings and their "arms will soon be yours; and the detested government of England, to which "we vow eternal hatred, shall learn, that the treasures it exhausts on its ac"coutred slaves, for the purpose of butchering Irishmen, shall but further "enable us to turn their swords on its devoted head. Attack them in every "direction by day and by night: avail yourselves of the natural advantages of "your country, which are innumerable, and with which you are better ac"quainted than they. Where you cannot oppose them in full force, constantly "harrass their rear and their fanks: cut off their provisions and magazines, "and prevent them as much as possible from uniting their forces: let whatever moments you cannot devote to fighting for your country, be passed in "learning how to fight for it, or preparing the means of war: for war, war "alone must occupy every mind and every hand in Ireland, until its long op"pressed soil be purged of all its enemies. Vengeance, Irishmen ! Vengeance on your oppressors! Remember what thousands of your dearest "friends have perished by their merciless orders. Remember their burnings, "their rackings, their torturings, their military massacres, and their legal "murders. Remember Orr.

66

The examination of Mr. Emmett before the committee of the lords has given us the following account of the intentions of the executive: 17 Com. Journ. DCCCCIX.

"Question. Was John Sheares a member of the executive before your ar "rest?

"Answer. He was not. Says the old executive never meant to spill blood, "but rather to retain men of a certain rank as hostages, and if they found "them hostile to the new government, to send them out of the country. That "it was also determined, that if the wives of such persons did not act with "hostility to the new government, they should be allowed a maintenance out "of the husband's property, and that each child should have a portion, the "residue to belong to the nation."

The before mentioned Memoir gives the following more enlarged account. Mem. p. 31.

On the 21st of May, lord Castlereagh, by direction of the lord lieutenant, wrote to the lord mayor, to acquaint him, "That his "excellency had discovered, that the disaffected in the city and neighbourhood of Dublin, had formed a plan of possessing "themselves, in the course of the present week, of the metropolis, and of seizing the executive government, and those in "authority within the city." And on the 22d of May, 1798, his lordship presented a message to the House of Commons, from his excellency:

"That he had received information, that the disaffected had of purpose possess"been daring enough to form a plan, for the "ing themselves, in the course of that week, of the metropo "lis, of seizing the seat of government, and those in authority. "within the city; that, in consequence of that information, he "had directed every military precaution to be taken, which "seemed expedient; that he had made full communication to "the magistrates, for the direction of their efforts; and that he "had not a doubt, by the measures which would be pursued, the "designs of the rebellious would be effectually and entirely crushed."

To this message, the House of Commons voted an address, "To assure his excellency, that the intelligence which it com"municated filled them with horror and indignation, whilst it "raised in them a spirit of determined resolution and energy; "that they relied on the vigilance and vigour of his excellency's "government, which they trusted would continue unabated, until "the conspiracy, which so fatally existed, should be utterly dis"solved."

"Lord Kilwarden. You seem averse to insurrection; I suppose it was be"cause you thought it impolitic.

"Emmett. Unquestionably: for if I imagined an insurrection could have succeeded, without a great waste of blood and time, I should have prefer"red it to invasion, as it would not have exposed us to the chance of contri"butions being required by a foreign force; but as I did not think so, and as "I was certain an invasion would succeed speedily, and without much strug"gle, I preferred it even at the hazard of that inconvenience, which we took "every means to prevent.

"Lord Dillon. Mr. Emmett, you have stated the views of the executive "to be very liberal and very enlightened, and I believe yours were so; but "let me ask you, whether it was not intended to cut off (in the beginning of "the contest) the leaders of the opposition party, by a summary mode, such

as assassination: my reason for asking you is, John Sheares's proclamation, "the most terrible paper that ever appeared in any country: it says, that "many of your tyrants have bled, and others must bleed" &c.

"Emmett. My lords, as to Mr. Sheares's proclamation, he was not of the executive when I was.

"Lord Chancellor. He was of the new executive.

"Emmett. I do not know he was of any executive, except from what your lordship says; but I believe he was joined with some others in framing a particular plan of insurrection for Dublin and its neighbourhood: neither

VOL. IV.

SS

The speaker and all the members immediately waited on his excellency with the address; and to shew their zeal, and to increase the solemnity of the proceeding, they walked through the streets on foot, two and two, preceded by the speaker, the serjeant at arms, and all the officers of the house.

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"do I know what value he annexed to those words in his proclamation: but I can answer, that while I was of the executive, there was no such design, "but the contrary; for we conceived when one of you lost your lives we lost an "hostage. Our intention was to seize you all, and keep you as hostages, "for the conduct of England; and after the revolution was over, if you could "not live under the new government, to send you out of the country. I will "add one thing more, which though it is not an answer to your question, you "may have a curiosity to hear. In such a struggle it was natural to expect "confiscations: our intention was, that every wife who had not instigated her "husband to resistance should be provided for out of the property, notwith"standing confiscations; and every child, who was too young to be his own "master, or form his own opinion, was to have a child's portion. Your lord"ships will now judge how far we intended to be cruel.

"Lord Chancellor. Pray Mr. Emmett, what caused the late insurrection! "Emmett. The free quarters, the house burnings, the tortures, and the "military executions, in the counties of Kildare, Carlow, and Wicklow. "Lord Chancellor. Don't you think the arrests of the 12th of March " caused it?

"Emmett. No: but I believe if it had not been for these arrests it would "not have taken place; for the people, irritated by what they suffered, had "been long pressing the executive to consent to an insurrection, but they had "resisted or eluded it, and even determined to persevere in the same line: "after these arrests, however, other persons came forward, who were irrita"ted, and thought differently, who consented to let that partial insurrection "tak place."

CHAPTER VIL

OF THE REBELLION IN 1798.

NOTWITHSTANDING the discoveries made by Reynolds and Armstrong, and the consequent arrests of the principal conspirators with their papers, from which circumstance the rebels were left without heads to plan, or officers to execute their designs, yet so deeply and widely was the flame of rebellion spread, that it was impossible to suppress the volcano from the eruption, which had been long settled for the 23d of May. It appears, that the plan of attack formed by lord Edward Fitzgerald had been communicated to most of the rebels; for their first open acts of hostility, though apparently fortuitous, irregular, and confused, bore evident marks of a deep laid scheme for surprising the military by separate, though simultaneous attacks, to surround in a cordon the city of Dublin, and cut off all succours and resources from without. On that day Mr. Neilson* and some other of the leading conspirators were arrested; and the city and county of Dublin were proclaimed by the lord lieutenant and council in a state of insurrection: the guards at the castle, and all the great objects of attack were trebled; and in fact the whole city was converted into a besieged garrison. Thus the rebels were unable to effect any thing by surprise. Without leaders, and almost without arms or ammunition, the infatuated multitude ventured on the bloody contest. Notwithstanding the apparent forwardness of the north, the first commotions appeared in different parts of Leinster. The northern and Connaught mail coaches were stopped by parties of the insurgents on the night of the 23d of May; and, at about twelve o'clock on the morning of the 24th, a large body of rebels attacked the town and gaol of Naas, about fourteen miles from Dublin, where lord Gosford commanded.* As the guard had been seasonably increased, in expectation of such an attack, the assailants were repulsed, and driven into a narrow avenue, where, without order or discipline, they sustain

* Mr. Neilson was seized between nine and ten in the evening, by Gregg, the keeper of Newgate, as he was reconnoitring the prison: a scuffle ensued, and Neilson snapped a pistol at him: by the intervention of two yeomen, he was secured and committed. It is reported, and appears probable, that a large number of the conspirators who were awaiting his orders, having lost their leader, dispersed for that night.

ed for some time the attack of the Armagh militia, and of the fercible corps raised by sir Watkins William Wynne, and known by the name of the Ancient Britons. The king's troops lost two officers, and about thirty men; and the rebels, as was reported, lost 140 in the contest and their flight. They were completely dispersed, and several of them taken prisoners. On the same day, a small division of his majesty's forces were surprised at the town of Prosperous; and a detachment at the village of Clane cut their way through to Naas, with considerable loss. About the same time, general Dundas encountered a large body of insurgents on the hills near Kilcullin, and 130 of these misguided persons were left dead upon the field.

After

On the following day, a body of about 400 rebels, under the command of two gentlemen of the names of Ledwich and Keough, marched from Rathfarnham, in the neighbourhood of Dublin, along the foot of the mountain towards Belgatt and Cloudalkin in their progress, they were met by a party of thirty-five dragoons, under the command of lord Roden. some resistance, the rebels were defeated, great numbers were killed and wounded, and their leaders Ledwich and Keough were taken. They were immediately tried by a court martial, and executed, having pleaded in vain, that they had been forced into the service.

Although the first effort of the rebels had been thus defeated, still they entertained the most sanguine hopes of succeeding in another attempt. General Lake, who, upon the resignation of sir Ralph Abercrombie, had been appointed commander in chief, published the following notice on the morning of the 24th of May:

"Lieutenant general Lake, commanding his majesty's forces "in this kingdom, having received from his excellency the lord "lieutenant, full powers to put down the rebellion, and to punish

The preparation to receive the rebels at Naas proceeded from the following circumstance: lord Gosford, who commanded the Armagh militia, a part of which was quartered at Naas, was on that day in Dublin, and whilst he was conversing with Mr. Cook, in the castle, an anonymous letter was received, announcing the intended attack of Naas on that night by a numerous band of rebels, who were then hovering about that town. Lord Gosford was more stricken with the letter than the under secretary; he took it with him, and instantly set out for Naas. On his arrival there, his son, who commanded the regiment in his absence, shewed him a similar letter, in the same hand-writing, which he had that day received at Naas. Upon this double information, the sincerity of the anonymous informer seemed no longer questionable, and the garrison was immediately prepared for defence, which the rebels, who lay con cealed at the backs of the houses, did not expect: this fortunate preparation saved the garrison from surprise. This discomfiture of the rebels in their first attack, gave confidence and spirit to the army, and by several of the rebels was considered as ominous.