The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-13
N ,rnlng Star and Catholic Messenger.
SEW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. AUGUST 10. 1871.
HISTORY OF The oRANaKMEN.
Continued.

In the year 1876, TIE very next year after
the first institution of the Orange Society
we find q speech of John Philpot CurraD
which throws a lurid light upon the earliest
achievements of these odious people:
When Mr.. Secretary Pelham moved, on
the Goth Of October l79G, that the House
should adjourn for about a fortnight, Mr..
Curran strongly opposed it; particularly
upon the grounds of the necessity of put
ting an immediate check upon the still
continuing outrageous disturbances of Ar
magb, which surpassed in horror every
thing he had ever heard or read. He had,
on the first day of the session, stated the
number of families that had become the
victims of that Internal barbarity at 700
it was with great pain he mentioned that,
upon moro minute inquiry, he found as
many more must be added to the miserable
catalogue; he was in possession of evidence,
ready to be examined at their bar, and
whom he hoped they would hear, that
would satisfy them upon oath, that no less
than 14OO families had been thus barbar-
ously expelled from their houses, and then
were wandering about the neigh boring coun-
ties, save such of them as might have been
murdered, or burned in their cottages, or
persisted in the fields, or highways, by ia
tigue and famine and despair;a nd that horrid
scene had been transacted, and was still
continuing in the open day, in the heart of
the kingdom. without any effectual inter-
ference whatsoever.
This public testimony of Mr.. Curran,
open Parliament if it could have been con-
tradicted, may finish the picture of the
north of Ireland in this year.
ORANGE OPERATIONS.
1t is certainly not an agreeable part of
our duty to narrate and to dwell upon
these Orange outrages; because this helps,
more OF less, to keep alive the religious
animosities between the two religious
scots which was the very object Of the
English Government in encouraging those
outrages. Much more pleasing would it be
to draw veil of oblivion over them and to
think of them no more. But for two rea-
sons this cannot be first, the modern his
tory of Ireland would be almost o blank
page without the villainies of Orange per-
those ,villainies, and their consequence
upon the general well-being of the island
next, because, however well inclined to for
get those horrors, we have not been permit
ted to do 80 for moment down to the pres
emit day. 1t was as late a. I64S that Lord
Clarendon secretly supplied the Orange
Lodges with arms; as late as A9 that
magistrate of Down County led q band of
orangemen aud policemen to the wreckiDg
and slaughter of Catholic townland.
Later still, the records of assizes in the
northern circuits show us the frequent pic
ture of an Orange murderer shielded from
justice by his twelve brethren who have
been carefully packed into the jury-box by
sheriff who is an officer of the Crown.
All this odions condition of society being
a direct product of British policy, and now
hourishiDg and still bearing its poisonus
fruit, student of Irish history is bound to
look at, and study, the wretched details.
On the evening of the 23d of June, 1903,
q considerable number of men, women and
children were assembled round a bonfire
at Corinshiga, within one mile and a half
of the town of Newry. They had gar
land, and were amusing themselves, some
unapprehensive of danger, when, in the
midst of their mirtb, eighteen yeomen,
fully armed and accoutred, approached the
place, where they were drawn up by their
sergeant, who gave them the word of COM
mand to "present and fire." which they
did several times, levelling at the crowd.
ously wounded. The magistrates of Newry,
although far from being friendly to the Ca
tholic people, were scandalised at this
atrocity. They offe,el reward for the |
discovery of the perpetrators; Enclosed a
copy of their publication to the Duke of
Richmond, and prayed him to take some
measures for the protection of the Catho-
lies, who, they said, were all unarmed, |
while the very lowest class of Professionals |
were well provided with fire arms. The !
Duke made civil, but unmeaning reply,
expressing his "rsgret at the sad circum-
stances. Some weeks elapsed; and still no
measures were adopted. In the meantime,
one of the persons concerned in the outrage
was apprehended, but was allowed to es-
cape by the yeomen, to whose custody Lord
Gosford had entrusted him and a number
of the same corps, to which the murderers
belonged, 80 far from showing any shane
or regret at the conduct of their comrades,
one day returning from parade, they fred q
volley (by way Of brarado) over the house
of McKeown, Gather of the slain many, the
report of which threw his wife into convul-
sions.
:. Several Inhabitants of the townland of
Corinshiga came to the magistrates and
made dispositions as to the continual terror
and danger of themselves and their families,
and the atrocious threats of the Orange
yeomen who lived near them. Mr.. Waring,
one of the magistrates, who appears to have
exerted himself earnestly in this affair, sent
to the Castle copies of these dispositions,
and entreated the government to issue
Offering a reward for the as
sassins, and to take measures of depressing