The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-14 00:00:00

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MR. O'CONNOR'S NARR4TIV4: "
•
.6' From a desire t:. make the people of England-aclaalet.
ea with Ireland, of which they know wore than nothings
receiving as they do, all their accounts through the medium .
of a description of persons, 14 the constant habit of calum-
niating that people; and from a wish to give the people of
Englatid the means= of forsiingi Judgment between the Go-
vernment of Ireland (during the residence there of Lords
Camden and Cornwallis) and me, it canatn, especially at this
moment, be thought obtrusive in me to lad before a just, but
prejudiced public, a faithful Narrative of those facts, which
took place is my particular, commencing on the `l7th of De-
cember, 1796, and ending on the Bth of May, 1803,a space of
nearly seven years, during the while of which time, a conti-
nued tire of persecutiota was kept up at me. Connor Vile,
the former place of my residence, is situated about fourteen
miles from Eat=ery Ray,. where a French fleet made its ap-
pearance on the 23t1 of December, 1798. To oppose a land-
ing of the troop* ma board this fleet, about 5,003 of .the Irish
Militia had advanced and occupiet the villages about me.
For the manner in which my tenants, my friends, and myself,
treated these men, I refer to the panegyrics in the Houset, of
Parliament its England and Ireland at the than, %Ve cheered
them In their itistreas, we Administered to their , avant!,
of which they had no erdiaary sbnce.--I—qa the 47th •
of December about nine o'clock at night, such a. hideous

night as my. remembrance cannot parallel, I wits Informed
that my porter's lodges were full of soldiers, in guest of quar-
tets. I went to them. They were lo a sad plight. I found
them to be two companies of the Wexford militia, with seven
or eight Akers. nay or sight, rough or s!nooth, my coun-
trymen were welcome to me.—l had then a large !Mar, well
stored. I was in the midst of plenty ; full of happiness. I
brought all the men to my house. My mind has no register of
the time they retrain.? with. nor whist' 'I did fur them
111 y tenants were very goad so those with them. ,My friends
(that was the whole country faraad wide) opened their doors
to this native army ; let theta want for nothing; and even
when the terror of invasion bad subsided, my tenants and asp
eel( presented the poor fellows 'with the billet-ineney, to
which we were inlitled,-to buy theta shoes and' ortings.--It
did my utmost en mike the sitaatian of the Offacirs as mei:
fortable as possible ; and this I will say;.flottl-ieeetited from
all more thanks than were due, and experienced' their' gratis
tilede far, exceeding the obligation:- .1 learned afterwardr,
that these °Neer* (strangers heretofore to me) had heels dl.
reeled by some agitators, to my house, in the e peeiation of
my notadmitting them, which was the opinion also of all the'
officers in that?rmy. I dare say, such of them as live at this
' Shy, will acknowledge that they received a more hearty wets./
• fie at Censor-Ville, than at the house of the most " toyer
• mid la Ireland; that is, the mm that has the largest pension.
Mist lucrative sinecure, or post in the kingdom.
,nip division of the tomsy was in their canton:nous, L.
Neighbonrhood,, whew the men lost their Musket",
• haytinets, and ittarannltilm. which frequently limp:4-
-oi, they came to me; bad the thing+ restored to
them. The soldiers became :diddled to ale. Long, to4'
deed always, before these events, I had been an object
if great jealousy sled hatred; I had ever been in the habit s
tetimittinga crying sin is fronted. I had borne inyseif so to'
all the people. that they were greatly attached to me. I had
appointed arbitrators in. 'every parish, through an Limense
district, who decided all controversies; .tbe occupation (Atte
petty-fogging lawyer was nearly gone; I curbed the vice of
dkinkeoome; I prevented riots; I did all the good I could.
It will Mit, therefore. surprise any person, in the least root
vein* Vies the character or complexion
.of the ruling fae.;.
tuttlo to Inland, that I
.was on abomination to them; an‘.,
when to dame vices, in their eyes, the thanks of the poet
goblins-were saperactded. my crimes were not to be endured,
and I became an object of suspiciuu and distrust.--In this
state of things (the French force bating long left threnast),a,
voobt men frettis twv neighbetsehaod had nue in the beginning
•S: Marc?, in see setae friend, et „lass nt.Bantrs. where he eat
arrested fur administering the Oath of Union. On being
questioned, he acknowledged, that he had received it from
my Steward, a lad not mote than 18 years of age, who wal
also arrested; and both were conveyed to the • prjou
of Cork, • where every means were osed to extort
confessions frail' them to implicate me. They declared,
however, that I was the last person ta wham they
Would diSclese any thing of the kind. Their honesty and
persistance in truth were callel treason to their country,
and ettechment to me ; and a.Cuuneil was called together in
IMO, at which it was deternained, that I sins very (tanger-
ine, slit! a W2817{41 was issued to arrest me va suspicion, the
Act of Habeas Corpus being, at the time, suspended. The
secret, however, Was not Hell kept. I discovered the plot.
t lay down in my o'vo house the night on which I knew that
an attempt was to be made to seiz.. on rose by o large detach-
meat of horse (*tended by Lords, Esquires, and Generals,
and their staff); and before they bad marched half a mile
from their quartets, I was (at w distant of 19 miles) apprized
of their having set oat. They made their search for m-,
and a considerable depot of arias, which they were informed i
`were secreted in the lofts and cellars of my Wise : wither
were there, and they marched beck. The, est day I wrote
to the Judge, who was then holding the As4izes at Cork, say- •
kg, that, " if he would give me assurcuue of 4 TRIAL ia44,
for any thing that could be ulledged against me,l woold go
" to him, otherwise that I wuuld out surrender." As
be was ant aathorized to give me the assurance I deinaade
and as I preferred the liberty of the common air, and she
use of may own limbs, to uolitnited imprisonment, I 'toed
out, till the latter end of April, when finding my health some-
what hurt frbus the manner of my. living, particularly front'
'damp, I left home and came to England,on the 27th of /kern,.
where I remained till the Middle of June, when I received
adrice from home, that several of my tenants, and others of
the poor people to the amount of 51, had been flung into pri-
son, and that two unhappy men bad been:induced to sweat
against them. The same packet also contained a proclaraas
lion, that bed been issued- by Lord. Camden on the 17th of
May before. inviting every persoit to Caine in and surrender,
and give security far the peace, on as cm!frepee of being no
farther guestiowedi VeryliaPPYat the opportunity this pro -
claination afforded me, to develop, (be conspiracy against the
people in 1.1150 n,. and to. aid them la their defence; I
're-
turned to Ireland, orrrendered 'myself. MASS,/ to
Lord Kinsale and Sir James Cones, on; the faith of the
preclatnation; performed the ,terms required 01le,
*hicb was to give hail to be of the' peace for mien yehrt,' of
all whirls 1 9pprized Lord Cainden end hie see7tatissabd Mrs
Peihrott„now Lnrd Chichester, the 2trth 'of Jane... From Mal-
low I. went home op the sth of July.; and, meth! &Jth', ens
arrested by Brigadier Geo. Eyre °tote, at his c.imitp, windier
As And invited me. Before tie detained me, be. looked- for
,greater certainty, into hit orderly book, and there routed, as
he said, an order dated the Ist of July to arrest ate. On his
having done•sn. be iras at alms what to do with me, and at-
tended me to &titian. where I.was to remnantl he should
hear from Dublin On the third day of ley stay jai:tend/al,.
I received a letter from Mr. 'Pelham, dated In Dublin the
101111 C day I was arrested at the camp near'll344ltur nillts
Tram town, saying, that Lord Camden Swished muck to see me
In Dublin, end tbat, if I would comply, 1, might depeed upon
Foy perms being perfectly safe from &remit and tbet'lnhobld
he permitted to reftuir ImntedlOely. Plals letter 'I
compineftrated to fte.:• Oppe; ,wtilf said; that gs fiontors4
agent' eta ,net ' kale lit *it elf* at the time qtr.

TRY • ST ATESM AN.
4

Petit* wrote, he could oat /et we go till he reeeleed'
as mower from Dublin to his ktter, apprizing the Go►
vernmeat of my being is custody.—ln a few days
tetrad his orders, which were to send a military dicer to,at-
tend me, and Captain Rocha and i set out fur Rablba.—
The Captain had a sword, and he had on his sash and gorge,. I
There is a high bill between Bandon and Cork; we hßahtedi
from our surriage ; it is a place of rendozvotu;.soose 40 or
30 carriers were assembled here; they had not seen me since
my retort; from England. Captain Roche hest saw bis dan-
ger. his sword could not defend him, his sash and forget
could not protect him. I perceived the workings of his aria,
a look of kiodoeu from me to Min, would save his life; I
superaddltd ai Word of esteem. Captain Roche was not mo-
lested. We serried in Cork that evening. where we Milted
For the night. A man of the city got access tome. Cork is
the place of may qativity, I have friends there; would that
every man could say the same where lie is best known I
discovered, that it was intended to offer violence to Captain
Roche, I prevented it. I took him in sofelito On
oar way we called at the camp at Ardfinnan, where the
Wexford Militia lay. All the Officers requested of
Captain Roche to tell Loyd Camden the services r ren-
dered them, and the thanks they owed me. We arrived
in Dublin, and saw Lprd Chichester, who liyerated me (non
,areest, and wrote to Mr. Coote that I was not to he m?iestcd
again. I returned home, its in the beginning of September,
I went to the Assizes of Cork for the purpose of defending

my tenants against the conspiracy before-mentioned. 1 sent
them all to their homes, and prosecuted the wituemes, who
wire both transported for perjury to Botany Bay. I now
hoped to enjoy with my family, that peace. which limo-
&nee htis always a right to expect. I was mildly deceived.
An unsigned, unto orn-to paper,was seat up to the Grand Jury,
on the lith day of the Assizes, when two of the Judges had
left the COgaty, and a bill of indictment was found against me,
for High Treason. On this paper I was arrested, and flung
into prison, where in a dungeon nine feet square. filthy be-
-oYond descriptioo, I lay rutting fur seven months. never hav-
ing felt the influence of the sun, nor breathed on by the ais,
during the whole time; at the end of which, I was conveyed
from this dungeon to the Court to go through " a trial"
upon charges. • of every species of Treason and Rebellion.
Two whoesses were brought q, under a strong military
guard. They were sworn. What did they depose ? That
they knew nothing of me; that one of these papers was writ-
ten without the knowledge of the witnesses; that, when it
was read to him. he declared it to be false, and refused to
swear to it; that he was offered 3101. a-year to swear to it, and
threateaed to be instantly shot, if he persisted in his refusal,
and lie did persist. The other witness swore, that what was
called his information, was all written down without con-
sulting hint; that, when.he refused to sign it, he was threat-
ened to be hanged artd that, at length. he was prevailed en
to pot his name to it, on his receiving an assurance, that it
never was to appear, and that it was only a matter of form.
.was instantly. All the people, all the military,
expressed their joy; the Judge trembled; he 'unseen stretch-
ing nut his imploriug arms from the bench to me. is the dock,
amongst -robbers and murderers he was heard to try to use
for mercy to protect him; and I did protect him: not a hair
Of his head was touched. On my being released, I did not
return even to my house ; I did not even take one day's re-
vise. No; My beloved brother was a primmer at Maid-
stone ; he is one year younger Ikea I am; we were
reared and edocated together; never one day or night apart
foreighteen years. The thought of hintkiaiabed every other
idea from my mind ; I set off to hint that very night; arrived
in London in roar days, as quicklyas I could travel: -(`wrote
to the Duke of Portland for permission to be admitted to my
brother; I reCeived his slower, at five o'clnek next mortdais
by fear if lag's Itteseenters with a warrant to arrest ms; sod
front my had urns I taken to the house of •Mrt Sylvester. aid
tbatevening was I taken of for Ireland. We leaded about
tee miles from Dublin, at night I *rod Mr. Sylvester and
toe conttalde, inyentniousion, from a waggery grave. and eon.
ducted them safe to Dublin, where we arrived at three o'clisek
•in the morning. I uow, fur the Gest time since I left Leaden.
'lay dose, and had not been iis my bed more than three hours,
when Mr. Sylvester awaked me, to tell me, that another King's
Messenger had, that moment, arrived from the Duke of Mait-
land to take me tack instantly to Leaden. This was about
seven o'clock •In the morning; about twelve, Mr. Sylves-
ter Informed Me, tied Mr. Coolie desired to see sue
at the Castle. Mark the instability .of fortune. Be-
hold O'Cors sow, brought by a constable to have the li-
berty of being admitted to the presence of Mr. Iltheard
Cuoke! I did we him; the interview 'was not of long.dura-
tion ; the conversation was not of many words; but it is im-
portant. I asked him the meaning of these proceedings
wh it post-haste treason I hail committed in tile four cloys that
I had travelled frols Cork to London, above 400 miles. Hear
his answer, 46 in do sot pretend to have any charge against
" yon; but we know your power, and suspect yusur incline-
" Hon; had my advice been taken, you should not have been
" brought to trial to Cork. My opinion was, that you
" shcield have been kept in confinement linter the suspension
't of this Habeas Corpus Act, and it now appears I was-
" right." Well. that afterimage; about two o clock, I wise
obliged to set off hack again towards London, where we or-
' rived on the fourth morning. having been furred to perform
jonmies of nearly 1200 mile=,_ and cross the Irish sea three
times, in 13 class and nights,*during tbe whole of which time
I never was permitted to take off my clothes, nor to lay
downfor Mots Shan 7 hours I I was kept in custody at the'
house of Mr. Sylvester till my brother's acquittal at Maid:
those, when we were both taken to fiublin, where we
Were lodged in the same prison room. on the 2d of June,
17118. In July a special commiesioa teas (prised. in Dublin,
fur the trial of all those swains' Whom any charges had been
exhibited ; amongst whom neither my brother norwere.
• Three had been c,ceeutrd. Mr. Byrne, a relation of the
Marchioness of Ilockisigharn. Was condemned, alit was to be
executed on the '24th of July. On Sunday. Ilse 22d. slime
negociation Was Set on foot, in a way never yet ascertained.
between the Govenuneut and some. of the state pri.unrrs in 1
Dublin, of which it apprise; that neither my brother nor I '
hod any intiMation till Tuesday; when Mr. Dobbs and tile
'Siteriff of entered oar apartment. and showed us a
paper, purporting to be uu acquiescence on the part of se.
yeuty-1 hrce of the prisoners. to give inforrantion arms:
ammunition, kV glans al warfare; and to emigrate, on con-
ditinirof iirgeneral amnesty, and of passion for Mr. Byrne, who
waist° die that day, and for Mr. Oliver Bond, who was,
at that monsentoon his trial, if he 51100 LD be cesoknased.-st
My brother and I declined entering into any agreement. Me.-,
Byrne was ordered for rastant eseetati ;;;; which Potently mak
place . Mr. Bond was to die on the Fribay. We beard
afore of the paper, till Thursday evening late • • wise* the
same Mr. Dobbs-, accompanied by Mr. Samuel Nelson, me
of the prisoners. from another of the prisons, came to that
whereby brother and I' lay. All the prisoners wore 'called
totether; Mr. Dobbs produced a letter he had just received
from 'Mr. Cooke, stating, " that if my brother and I would
" enter into * treaty with the Government, by Which we
" shuuld eugake to give every information is oar power (Hall
46 matters rebating to the Rehellion, and particularly our seta-
" tiuns with Wales. there should be a general amnesty,
" Mr. Bond should be pardoned, and we should Iwlsermitted
•" to emigrate to any country mot at wor with England; but
" that, if we persisted in our refusal, military commissions
" should be issued in the north for the trial of the priioners
" there, the courts should proceed in DeWitt, and hie yeti-
" inaury should remain on active duty!" AVe both refused.
We said, if titers are any charges against si. proceed upon
them. Why proceed against others,. because we **in, not
eater into any negoeiation weut.to our own room, whits
ther -Mr. Dobbs present)), came. He represented to us the
dreadful scenes of slaughter and demetatioa that 'would-
&Bow dome ispedloar declaration.. It appears, that my ben-
' (her wasineeesitedby thearronsiderations, and tosses* an oa-1
arsped people, hearonseated sacriliee himself; but I tweed
these WO proposals otel threats oith•aitery different ear.--
Myatt's'', wens- that I Set at ?ace aU their machinations s
thou .1.-war feisty to ;abet sing ergs that•coald be bromehe
phut spe p eat that I pesos .would eater Pito any agreement