The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-05-10
THE OLD FRI.A 4
{ A TALE OF 'es.
BY Lk,1o1xE MoxcK, ESQ.

Everybody has heard of the famous Articles
OF Dungannon, which Immediately preceded
the Irish revoiutiolary mSvement 81 a.yo' wnen a
once again throughout that unhappy kingdom
TO repeat tho tragedy of their deep detestation
of Engli.h rule, and with their swords red. but
at the feet Of the merciless nsurpers for yet an
other generation. These Articles stirred Ire.
land to the very hearts core, because of their
having emanated from the Presby terian North,
whose people had then great degree of conf
dence in the vast Catholic body who, sixteen
years previously, in 1852, had proved their pa
Joining the ranks of the volunteers, and stand
ing side by side with their trusty Protestant
fef1ow-countrymen in their common struggle
for Irish independence.
These volunteers, be it remembered, were at
first exclusively composed of Protestants The
Catholics, still writhing under the iron heel OF
the Penal laws, were not PermasSM5ea 10 carry
tant trust in tho country but when the Prot
estants found that, notwithstanding the suffer-
ings and injustice to which they were subjected,
they had given freely of their means to assist
an organization from which they had been ex-
cluded, a reaction took place in their, favor,
and they too were admitted into the ranks of
the disciplined patriots. We all know the re-
suit of this wise policy. England, finding Cath
olic and Protestant Ireland united, was con-
strained to wipe Poyning's infamous law from
her statute books, and to declare by q solemn
act of Parliament, that she renounced for ever
any right or pretension to interfere in the man
age,nent of the local affairs of the Irish.
Amongst the thousands who felt keenly the
infainy Of England, when, through the diabol-
ical agencyof Billy Pitt. she broke subsequently
through this grave compact, there was one
who revolted from the perjury with an antensl-
ty the most Incorporating and that man
was my father, who hailed with joy the appear
ance of the Articles already mentioned, as
tending to allay the religious animosities which
the willy British statesmen had stirred up
among the people in view of weakening them
and enabling England to absorb them, through
the instrurasntality of a Legislative Union with
her. The Protestant paternity of this impOr-
tant document enabled my father to speak
freely upon the subject among many OF his own
persuasion-he being a member of the Estab-
lished Church but with Observation-Disclosures
which had always characterized him when his
own interests were at stake, he fooilshiy const-
dered himself now authorized, in a manner, to
attack the government moro openly, and eX-
press his opinion with less reserve amongst his
friends and neighbors, we'll as the people
generally of the remote part of the county of
Wicklow, in which he resided until, at last,
the authorities of the district placed him uil-
der strict surveillance, as man suspected of
gross infideity to English interests, ana per-
son not to be trusted should II rupture take
place between the military and the peasahtry
of the section in which his property lay.
At this period, our family was composed OF
my father.and mother, still in the prime of life
my sister-a timid young girl of thirteen; my,
self, lad of fourteen, and a servant boy and
girl-both Catholic, but trusty and attached to
us all by the warmest ties. Our house was 81
tuated in n picturesque, though wild. region OF
country and, although surrounded Ivy various
other habitatiOns at intervals, two miles
a few tenants, both Catholic and Protestant
with whom we We're on terms the closest in
timaCy buU nov that my 1a.n.r Was dttaiHted
il. Il measure, of treason the latter fought sly
of him whenever they could do so withou
positive injury to their own welfare. = In view
of the remote and unprotected section in which