The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-01-01


was blown into the air-yet the {
cooler &C uIage of General johnson and his
better disciplined men was more than
match for their furious assault. Some can !
non planted in the streets did deadly ex-
ecutiOn, and moved down rank after rank
of the impetuous insurgents. Two brothers
DOwsley, among others, firing from the
houses, while attendants were constantly
employed in charging their muskets,
caused great slaughter among the invaders,
and laid low no less than sixty OF them IN
one spot. After a hot fight the rebels were
Mt last defeated, and no quarter was gwen
to tn ose who remained in the town. Kill
kenny and Waterford were disheartened
by the tidings; and the outbreak medita-
ted in those places WAS was aver averted oS Tue
The most hurried sketch of the rising OF
1898 would be sadly defective If it omitted
altogether to mention the tragedy OF Soul
labogue. The place so called was gentle
mans residence, which the rebels had con
verified into prison. Three hundred men
guarded it day and night; and when the
| defeat of their comrades at New Ross was
announced to them, they were exhorted to |
kill the prisoners. Their officers in com
mand at first refused, but being falsely in
formed that such was General Harvey 9 |
orders, he was compelled to see them all,
women and children-about $50 in number
led out for slaughter. Thirty seven hae
been shot or piked to death by execution
pedite the work of destruction, the rest
was forced into barn near the dwelling.
house, "a feet long and Is feet wide. Amid
shrieks of anguish and heart-rendlng cries
for mercy, the barn was set on ire; those
. | who forced their way through the back
door were piked again into the flames the
|, hands of severa! were chopped off; children
thrown out by their mothers to save them
were tossed back into the burning taggots
\ and straw; while the cries and means OF
| l,Ouyr n1 in "a
shouts of their murderers. Sixteen Ca
; tholics were among the victims, either
through mistake or because they had made
3 themselves obnoxious; and a few Protest.
!, ants were saved from being burnt alive ny
the humanity of a priest.
: Never did the frenzy of civil war pro-
duce more sudden and deplorable change
>, than in the peasantry of Wexford. They
u had been hospitable and kind-hearted, and
y such they would have continued, had not
:, | rebellion, even in a cause which they be-
y lieved to he sacred, converted them into
II tends. and excited in them an unQuench-
/ able thirst for human blood. One who
y fought in their ranks, and who headed the
!" rising in Wicklow, Joseph Holt, mas gwen
= this testimony concerning them, which is
>. tho more valuable because it is that OF
~ discriminating friend.
70 81 despise," he says, " the cowardice,
y duplicity and cruelty of some of my col
leagues; but there were many of them no
"
- the Rebellion by circumstances over when
" they had no influence, and W hich they could
-, not centrol in these unhappy times. Inc
~ crimes of atrocious inhumanlty committed
y, on both sides were so dreadful that can
not trust myself with their description, mol
~ could find language competent to express
II the depths of iniquity and cruelty which
ST tue struggle produced. All the finer ant
u u, better feelings of humanity were expunget
';s from the hearts OF those engaged IN I'M
rs terrible war. The sigh. of human bloot
uss seemed to convert man into savage mon
OF ster; and when once the hands are STAINED
II with the blood OF our fellow creatures, th
a.. tiIrST for il becomes an Unsuitable appetite
OF which it is impossible to restrain"
Oh Not very different was the witness born
* by DIR. Caulfield, the Catholic Bishop {
he Wexford. He was a kind and humane pas
no tor, and would gladly have restrained til
excuses eff those who owed him obedlenc
sCf But to hefriend PrOtostants, even when Ill
are prisoped OF wounded, was to draw on on
fa- self suspicion, and the Bishop was warne
to beware how he ventured to prote
y them 81 have no influence" said lie to
,ea' respectable lady F." the people cannot
s,a among them at large; their power CT
.. never hold they are making it religio
I'e. war; and that will ruin them Governme
hos is too strong; it must conquer the reb'
F., ~ lion has been Matching for years"
the 1t was a difficult and trying time for t
Dar- priesthood; anu InelF ilSeo vi.
With have been in danger if they had given .
ions terance to their genuine convictions-tf
mi the revolution was hopeless, nay, that
,ers. was crime, and that the truest coura
,cia- and the noblest exercise of duty wot
consist in submitting patiently to natlol
as we'll as to individual affections. Ih'
! were some among them who, though III
N consorted with the rebels, endeavored
o,r- curb their fury, and to moderate their C
one mage They baptized Professionals who, un
har terror of compulsion, embraced the Cattle
NJ, religion, not because they imagined t
- their conversion was sincere, but in or
~ ut to protect them from outrage and to q
y ~ their lives and one of them who had |
. n died on the sword over his cassock, Fat
.;ono Philip Roche, though in appearance dc
fhoss and reckless, rescued q number of pers
,n;oo from destruction by his boisterous in
ehais ference. Father Corrin, parish prizes
"mas Wexford, stopped the work OF slaugl
= the one day by causing the multitude to kl
rosst and debating prayer, that they M
\ 90 obtain from God the same mercy wi
,,;ft they showed towards their enemies.
'rsn;t ther Roe having entreated the peopl
!, go vain to spare the life of an exhausted
- tim, whom they had thrust against the
: e. and were about to slay, threw his a
. and round the doomed Protestant when the
, did minutes respite which had been gra
;, had expired, and then told the lnsurg
- rs to fire as soon as they pleased. 1t W
~ =. ~ ~ noble act and it produced the desired