The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-05-14 00:00:00

ORIGIN OF THE ORANGE SOCIETIES.

A good deal of discussion having recently arisen, es-
pecially in this town, relative to Orangeism, and no little
unmerited abuse having been lavished upon it, by same
from anti-Protestant motives, and by others, no doubt,
from ignorance of its principles, we may opportunely, in
order to disabuse the naiads of those who have been led
into harsh and mistaken motives regarding that loyal as-
sociation, refer to its origin, and its objects, which latter
have undergone no change that we are aware of up to the
present time. The authority from which we derive our
facts will scarcely be impugned ; for the parties are known
to be of the whig school in politics, and therefore unlikely
to give a favorable coloring to their account, which ap-
pears to have been drawn from the most authentic sources.
We allude to Mr. and Mrs. liall,whose account appeared
in the STANDARD about two years ago, and has to this
day remained uncontradicted.
When the French republic, towards the close of the
last century, meditated a descent upon the Irish coast,
anticipating a rising of the Irish against the British go-
vernment, and so contemplating the conjunction of Ire-
land with France, the Roman Catholics of Ulster asso-
ciated themselves under the title of " Defenders," their
avowed object being to terminate the connection between
England and Ireland. According to the authority of a
conspicuous leader of the disaffected Irish, in French pay,
the oath of the " Defenders" was, "That they will be
faithful to the united nations of France and Ireland."
The parties who combined for the opposite parpose—to
continue and maintain connection with England—were
acting upon the defensive when they took up arms, and
afterwards became known as " Orange societies." At
that time the Roman Catholics could not legally possess
arms, and resorted to the practice of taking them forcibly
by night. There was no organised police ; the law was
inefficiently administered ; and the Protestants naturally
became alarmed, and roamed the country in small armed
bodies to prevent robberies of arms. From the hours at
which these patrols were made they derived the name of
" Peep- o'-Day- Boys "
To oppose this system the Ro-
man Catholics organised their attacks, and the quarrels
between the two parties at length gave rise to much blood-
shed. The " Peep-o'-Day-Boys" had no regular sys-
tem ; the others were perfectly combined, with signs and
passwords, and became a most powerful body, extending
over a large portion of the kingdom. Their course was
marked by outrage, and even by barbarous murders, and
in 1793 a committee of the House of Lords made a
strong report on the subject, which drew from Dr. Troy,
the Roman Catholic Archbishop, a pastoral admonition
to confute the opinion that the violence of the "De-
fenders" was countenanced by the heads of the Romish
church. Some lives having afterwards been lost in en-
counters between the opposing parties in Armagh, a

truce was agreed upon, and a meting took place in the
village of Diamond, at which a Roman Catholic clergy.
man, on the one part, and a Protestant gentleman on
other, bound themselves to preserve the peace between
the unties for a stated period. The Protestant gentle-
' man, after signing the treaty, was fired at on his way
home, and his party the next day was attacked by 700
of the " Defenders." Both parties being thus exas-
J perated, assembled near D'amond, and a battle took
1 place between them on the 21st September, 1795, but
happily before much mischief was done they were sepa-
rated by the military that arrived t the spot.
Out of this affray—and others that preceded it—arose
the "grange Institution"; fir the Protestants of Ar-
magh, and ultimately of all Ireland, formed themselves
into lodges to which they gave that name, and which con-
tinued in that country until a few years ago. It is said
that the first lodge was formed in the field where the
battle of Diamond took place. According to other and
much more probable accounts, a portion of the routed de-
fenders, escaping into Tyrone, renewed the system of
aggression there, and it was more immediately for their
suppression that the first lodge was formed, a village cal-
led Dian claiming to be the first place of meeting. This
first lodge consisted merely of yeomen and a few respect-
able farmers. It was found to be so effective that it was
encouraged by the neighbouring gentry, and several
lodges were soon formed, with a regular system of rules
for their guidance. None but Protestants were admitted
and most of them Presbyterians. United in a cause which
they believed to he a holy one, they always commenced
and concluded their meetings with prayer, a custom which
continued to be universally onserved ever afterwards.
Amongst the nobility who furthered their interests were
Lords Hertford, Abercorn, Northland, and Londonderry,
—also the influential families of the Verners, Blackers,
Richardsons, and Brownlows. " The institution (say Jur
authorities) spread rapidly through the whole cf the
north of Ireland, and there is at least this fact in favour
of its utility at that time, that the north, from being the
most disturbed, became, and has ever since continued,
the most peaceable and thriving portion of Ireland ; and
during the subsequent outbreak in 1798 was the only part
apparently uninjured by that frightful convulsion." In 1798
thefirst lodge was formed in Dublin. "In after times the as-
so nation became one of the most influential and numerous
assciations that ever existed, extending throughout En-
glaKd and Scotland, and even into the colonies. The first
lodge in England was formed in 1808, in Manchester.
In 1821, the grand lodge of England removed to London,
and held their meeting in the house of Lord Kenyon, in
Portman-square; and in 1836 the number of Orangemen
in England was stated to be between 120,000 and
140,000." The system of secret signs and pass-words
in order to recognise each other whenever they might meet,
and the strict privacy of their meetings, were natural
schemes considering the circumstances of their institution;
and have given rise to the circulation, by their political op-
ponents, of many calumnies against them. On this point
our authors remark—" It must be admitted that nothing
could be more charitable, or breathe a purer or more
peaceful spirit, than their recognised book of rules and
regulations. It is also but fair to add that the society
stood the test of two most scrutinizing parliamentary com-
mittees—one of the Lords, in the year 1825, and the
other of the Commons, 1836, without the slightest impu-
tation being cast upon it which has any weight with ra-
tional men."
The Orange Society was dissolved (in Ireland) in 1836.
In consequence of the declared wish of the Crown, and
before an act of Parliament was passed that would inter-
fere with their proceedings, its dissolution was agreed
upon at a meeting of the grand lodge on the 6th of April
of that year. All the other lodges. with at least very few
exceptions acquiesced, and thus concludes our authority,—
" a society of almost unprecedented magnitude, compris-
ing a very large proportion of the most wealthy and in-
fluential noblemen and gentlemen in the kingdom, and
numbering, we understand, above 250,000 members, vo-
luntarily seperated." In a note appended to the state-
ment of Mr. and Mrs. Hall we find detailed the ceremo-
nies observed in making an Orangeman. After some pre-
liminary dialogue, &c., similar to those adopted by Free-
masons and others, the candidate having the Bible in his
hand is questioned by. the Master—
" What do you carry in your hand ?" Candidate : " The word
of God." Master : " Under the assurance of these worthy
brothers we trust that you carry it also in your heart. What is
that other book ?" Candidate : "The book of your rules and
regulations." Master: "Under the like assurance we trust,
that you will study them well, and obey them in all lawful mat-
-1 ters. Therefore vi e gladly receive you into the order. Orange-
men, bring to me your friend." The candidate was then invested
with the decoration of the order—an orange sash. The chap-
lain then again repeated a selection of scripture verses, and the
master said, " We receive thee, dear brother, into the religious
and loyal institution of Orangemen, trusting that thou wilt
abide a devoted servant of God, and a true believer in his Son
Jesus Chr st—a faithful subject of the King and supporter of the
constitu ion. Keep thou firm in the Protestant Church, holding
steadily her pious doctrines and observing her ordinances. Make
thyself a friend of all pious and peaceable men; avoiding strife
and seeking benevolence; slow to take offence. and offering
none. In the name of our brotherhood I bit thee welcome, and
pray that thou mayest long continue among them a worthy
Orangeman,—namely, fearing God, honouring the Kitig. and
maintaining the law." The master then communicated the
sitns and pass-words of the order, and the chaplain, in conclu-
sion, repeated the verse. " Glory to God in the highest, on earth
peace and good will towards men."