Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-06-16

arv: but the authorities were perplexed
by the frequent changes in the plans of
the conspirators. and were at best I'M
prepared.
Lord Hardwicke thought that more
mischief would be done by alarming
the country than by letting a contempt
| ible plot, as lie considered this, come to
a head. He satisfied himself that the
North would not stir; he believed, with
Lord Redesdale, that the discontinued
| In Limerick, though formidable as
banditti, were of no account as rebels;
he caused force of soldiery to be sent
to Klldale, to keep order there; and he
trusted to the strength of the Dublin
garrison for the safety OF the capital.
This might all be very well; but some
incidents occurred before the outbreak
which should have suggested immediate
vigilance. 1871
ION the 18th of July, the anniversary
of the French revolution, the orderly
citizens of Dublin were surprised, and
rather alarmed, by the strength of
demonstration on the part of the popu
lace The bOnfires were very numer-
Gus and very large; and rabble rout,
such as seldom came forth into the day
light of the principal streets, danced
and sang and danced round them.
These were too fair a specimen of poor
Emmett's forces.
son the 10th an explosion In the
midst of the city made the windows
rattle and many hearts quake. The
,uHpowder in Emmet's depot, in Pat
rick street, had blown up. The police
found pixies and preparations for the
manufacture of gunpowder. The con-
spiratOrs believed that they had misled
the police about how such things hap
pened to be there, and they were con-
firmed in their hope by the quiescence
of the government; and especially by
the vIcerOy remaining at his lodge in
the Park, guarded only by a sergeant
and twenty men, and by the absence
from town of almost every considerable
member of the government. Still, it
was necessary to expedite the rising;
or Emmett thought 50. The French
agents begged for delay thinking the
prospect desperate, but Emmet pointed
out that the militia wonld soon be en-
bodied, and the haymakers and Teapers
now throDging in the neighborhood of
Dublin would be gone home. He did
not consider that these country forces
had no common interest with HIM. They
cared for their religion, and he was
Protestant. He wanted a Republic,
and they knew and cared nothing about
such things. They might be ready to
uprOar, but by no means for achieving
a political revolution. One circumstance
which determined the moment OF rising
was, that the Eve of st. James fell upon
a Saturday this year. On the Eve of
st. James the people dress the graves
in the Church of st. James with flow
eTs and green. Numbers would be
abroad for this purpose, aud numbers
more because it was market day, when
wages were paid and spent. On that
Saturday, the 23d of July, the outbreak
was to begin.
cit began; and within an hour Emmett
was "A hOIr0r-struek fugitive. La the
evening the inhabitants of st. James
street saw some men distributing pixies
among the peasantry who thronged the
streets The residents put mp then
shutters and barred their doors III any
messenger went to the barracks, half a
mile of, where there were 4, 900 soldiers,
no soldiers appeared. Presently, at
dusk, some hOTsemen gallOped though
the principal streets; and the mob grew
violent 4 manufacturer, named Clarke,
who employed many operative, adj
dressed the people on meeting them ia
his even ng ride; but they would not
listen TO him; so he fastened to the Cas-
tie to give the alarm. On returning,
one OF his own men brought him down
from his horse by a shot, which was Sc
we're but not mortal. At this moment
rocket was sent mp, and a cannon fired,
and at the signal, Emmett and his Central
Committee came forth from the depot.
The leader drew his sword, aud put him.
self at the head of the rioters, TO go and
take the Castle. But they would not
go TO the Castle, nor where they must
meet the soldierey. They shot Colonel
Broion. who was going to his post, cried
out for plumber, robbed The whiskey
shops, aud proved themselves so uBgoy-
ernable that Emmett and his comrades
lett them. and had no resource but TO
hide themselves among the Wicklow
mountains. The rioters shot corporal
on guard at the Debtors Prison, and
Dragon who was carrying message,
and an outpost of infantry, which they
surprised. One more murder they com
mitted before they were put down.
At about ten o'clock, they seemed
at last willing to do what their leaders
had required of them first, to attack the
Castle. They formed In column, and
had passed from St. James street Into
Thomas street, when the attention of
some of them was attracted by the rap
id driving of a carriage in their rear.
Some knew the carriage to be that of
the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Kilwar.
den-the best of the Irish Judges
mild as he was upright. He was old;
and he appears to have been so far sha-
ken by the horrors of the preceding re-
bellion as to have been in constant fear
of his life for the intervening five years.
Till lately he had never spent a night
out of Dublin during all that time. OF
late he had gone ont to his country
seat, nearly four miles from Dublin,
from the Saturday til Monday; and
this he had done to-day. La the even
ing, a report arrived that an army of
rebels was attacking Dublin. Ii he had
remained quiet, all would have been
we'll with him; but his only thought
was to take refuge in Dublin. He de-
sired his daughter, and his nephew,
clergyman, to go with him. There were
two ways to the Castle after reaching
the city. Ii he had gone by the bar
racks, he would have been safe, but he
decided for the shorter and more popu-
lous way by St. James and Thomas
streets; and thus he drove into the
very midst of the danger, while the in
habitants of the other route heard