The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-09-21 00:00:00

4.

101100-

11130 LoraterfaiD- ENGLISH SEDITION.
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,7-•"0"`"
For many centuries 'lreland presented almost an un-
interrupted scene of
,rapine, tyranny. and bloodshed ;
its governors have been repeatedly urged to adopt a
conciliatory system in vain; its old task masters, who-
fattened *pop its miseries aqsl, mirfoftunes, end who
held their power MI patronage in proportion to the
mischiefs they Indicted on the unfortunate natives,
who Vv.i e thooght so much about as the cattle
tit covered their fertile 'postures, and were slaugh-•
tered with less minden. Art itins.:ommencement of
Pitt's crusade plait the Ithetties of the French peo-
ple, the reiga of terror began to- sbew itself in dread.
ful forms ; the system of religious persecutions was
Fostered, and the most dreadful cruelties practised on'
the peaseastry, in the Counties Louth, Meath, Cavan
and Fermanagh, almnditti of r,allians called peep-of day.
boys, with ardwin their bands, a lawless gang (like
other lawless emirs nearer home,) beat, abused, ill-used
and murdamithose who in any way appeared obnoxious
•
to theft !infernal oaths of extermination. The-cabins of
the peaiistry whom they wished. to baysialy Were chalk-
,
ed, as those of the prisons iej.the reign of Maras and
Robespierre. The notice in chalk was, " To Hell or
toConasght.' If the unfortunate inmates were not
off before sunrise, the cabin was set on fire, and the
inmates shut in making their escape. The murders
became so frequent, that the citizens of Dublin and
Belfast bad repeateyl meetings, in order to strike out
soma feasible plia:.ta pub a stop to such infernal pro-
ceedings. They agreed to form a society to be called
" The United Irishmen," among whom (it was report-
ed) Lard C was enrolled. This Society
formed a compact, 'pledging themselves to each other
that they would endeavour to promote a brotherhood"
of affection among Irishmen of, every Religious per-
suasion, and also to room*, as far as in them lay, an
honest represeotatlim of the people in Parliament; to
the want of which they attributed all their political
misfortunes. In fact. the system of union was exactly
the same that his Majesty George has lately
attempted to establish in Ireland, and which it is to
be hoped he will succeed in.
But those in power saw that a union of the people
would send them back to their original nothingness,
they set up the hue and cry ; prosecution was the
• order of the day. and persecution the practice of the
night. Domiciliary visits, mock plots, and penal
laws became a substitute for peace and brotherly love.
In the midst of the northern persecutions the pecp•of-
dap-boys paraded the streets in the open day, and
spared neither age nor sex. The Government itself
appeared to be alarmed, and sent down General
to supply.' the peace in the disturbed districts; on his
re:urn his report was, all was in peace and quiet. Still
the cruelties were practised, and the oppressed peasantry
drive, to an association to repel these murderous maraud.
(lc This society were called Defenders, upon which fre-
quent battles and skirmishes took place between them
.and the peepolday•boys, the latter not only being
well armed but protected by the task-masters ; laws
were directly made against Defenders. and they were
banced like dogs, yea even by inch of candle. This
• enabled Pitt to bring forward his darling measure of
a legislative maws, whist: was to have pacified and
done every thing for Ireland ; instead of which, the
Corporat3.on of Dublin, at all times notorious
for ig•norance and intolerance, continued since, to
keep alive the system of religions persecution and
bigotted opposition, until it had Royal orders to the
contrary, it then became all of a sudden as philanthro-
pic, as if it swallowed a mass book wrapped up in Dr.
TN wig. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Abraham
Bradley King, of gallant recollections, his Majesty's
stationer in Ireland; and his dear friend the Police
Magistrate, like one of the old clan, saw that peace
and toucord, which was recommended by Lord Castle-
reagh 25 years before, would knock up their hopes,
their exclusive power, their patronage, and their pro-
fits. Is.'s rage boiled over, and lie and a few of the
black insulted the King, and screwed what they
would do, if they dare; their places made them
loyal, and their attachment to his Majesty's person, a
phantasmagoria. Their motto is "no longer pipe no
longer dance." Power is their God, and profit their
Religion. Yet his Majesty did not kick D: out, it it
said, because he'd do nothing to damp the joy of any
Irishman during Isis visit. Happy Ireland, that has at
once attracted the favours and the smiles of royalty '.
Unhappy England ; scarcely bad the King, God bless
him, entered the suburbs of his capital, when its
Chief Magistrate of Police resigned ; after what?'
after watching over the peace and happiness, the lives
and liberty of his Majesty'ssubjects ; after preserving
the heads of the unoffending multitude, who with de-
votion and heart-rending sorrow, were paying the last
dutiful respect to the reality:sof the greatest and most
persecuted woman thatever trod on British ground. This
Poling Dlagistratepwbose heart was cast in real British
me hl, has thee been seat adrift. Ile would not be acces-
sary to any violence, nor to any wilful ilia wanton breach
of the Peace at the funeral of the wife of the King;
so much for English sedition, another subject we
- must set off against theism:onm coaferred on Sir Abra-
ham, whose prowess in the field or the Cabinet is yet
to be learned. The dismissal of Sir Robert Wilson, a
Major-General in the army. who never had a favour
from the Crown, except that of placing him on the
Staff, after purchasing every commission up to his
Colonelcy. That promotion took place at the instance
of the late King, for the science and gallantry displayed
by Sir Robert, in almost every part of Europe and.
Egypt ; • so that, after paying at least 51000
for his commissionsw.after serving., with !ioniser and
universal approbation, in every engagement hilter,
took a share in ; after 'hewing himself a hero in the
field, and a Solon in the foram, his 5,006 guineas are
obliterated by the scratch of a pen, andhis Majesty
advised to send that officer adrift who saved the wreck
of an army at Talavera ; and, for what, gentle readers,
surely not for attending the funeral of the Queen
of England?" This, is not the grand crime; the
never-to-be-forgotten offence, the English sedition:
We see an awful contrast between the system of loyalty
in both countries,; it must promote a satimiallealousy
which a wise Minister shottAll amkovour so avoisli for
the principles of Yaited Millirated with
such Ilelightfal copsequences ia :by the King,
mast be. really acceptable to the people of Enghtitd.;
While the *Milt ppliemmaa treated taco Pig with dia.,
respect, tge worthy Sir Robert Baker treated his Ma-