The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1872-09-15
IFrom Our Own Correspondent
OUR IRISH LETTER.

From Our Own Correspondent
OUR IRISH LETTER.
DUBLIN, Aug. 2sth, 1872
Since l wrote to yon last, peace and order
have been completely restored in Belfast. The
heavy rains of Wednesday and Thursday, and
the presence of an overwhelming police and
military force, both contri bu ted materially to
the abatement in tho rioting. But. perhaps
more potent cause than either is to be found
in the fact that the Orangemen who provoked
worst of it. For this is now a well-known
fact here, although the Catholic journals do
not distinctly allnde to it out of q desire not
to embitter still further the already sufficient
ly embittered relations between the hostile
parties. The Catholics were at first taken at
disadvantage in having few or no firearms,
while the Orangemen were we'll supplied with
them, as they have always been but after two
or three days they had them in abundance,
how ever they got them, and certainly used
them to some purpose. In the former riots it
had suffered much more severely than they
acknowledged, aud few months ago in re-
building house in the Orange district of Bel
family. no fewer than ten Skeletons We're found
| at few feet under the floor of the kitchen or
| front room. The bodies were no doubt origi-
| nally placed there with a barrel of lime, in Or
der to conceal the amount of the Orange losses.
There is one very coed reason, in addition to
| the house having been in the Orange district
and occupied by an Orange family, why they
| euOulu uOb Do Uue OOoleS VI SdIuOliCS, duO IL 40
this, that they care very much indeed for
Christian burial, whereas their opponents care
nothing at all have no doubt but that time
will disclose that on this occasion also the
brethren have concealed their losses in n SINH
lar manner. However this may he, it is GER
tain, at any rate, that a truce was established
between the leaders of the rival parties on
Thursday evening last, and that the negotia-
tions were initiated by the Oraugemen. Some
of the latter suggested to few representative
men on tho other side that an agreement
each side might be allowed to go to and come
from their work without molcstation- Of
course, the suggestion was adopted by the Ca
tbolics, who were never anxious for fight,
and soon was practically carried out. There
after, although there was some excitement,
there was no disturbance in Belfast. I'm
doubtcdly, the power of the leaders on both
sides over their followers is not the least re-
markablc feature in the whole business.
Now comes act III in the drama. The scene is
the police courts. In both Lurgau ami Belfast
great nuHber of prisoners arrested for vari'
Gus offences connected with the rioting were
awaiting trial. There was about an equaI
number of Catholics and Protestants in the
batch, and about an equal number Of eacl
party were sunmarily convicted and sentenced
to various terms of imprisonment or sent fol
trial at the asszes to be moro severely punish
ed. The courts were usually thronged by 6
, disorderly IN ,b who amused themselves occa
sioually by singing even in the presence of the
ma eistrates by singing the choruses of party
songs. The proceedings were still further en-
livened by the dangerous buffoonery of Mr.
John Rea. This gentleman,s Pertinacity ane
, infinite volobility think have in previous
, letter spoken to you about rather fully. Ht
. exercised his powers to the utmost last weel
in an effort to annoy and eNasperate he mag
i1trates. He constituted himself advocate
c general for the Whole Orange body, volunteer
ing as each Orange prisoner was put forward
to defend him without fee or reward. liz
5 could not be kept silent for more than tw'
4 minutes at a time. Every obscrvation-cveI
: the most harmless-of every magistrate wa
8 answered in highly provocative manner.
5 last his conduct became perfectly intoierabie
c and on Friday he was committed to seven day
J, imprisonment in the county Jail for contemp
e of court. He had to be, AS usual, dragged
# forcibly out of court. No one pitied him, no
s even the Oraugemcn, for they do not believe II
IL his sincerity. Nevertheless, l hear that o.
y this evening when he is to be liberated, tber
IS is to be "a demonstration in his honor III
d business. If it takes place, there may be a IT
= uewal Of the disturbances but tor man
10 reasons think it W i'll not
$ The Government, it appears, if they wer
d deficient in energy and proDptitude uurln
II the riotinS, are going to be severe ana cru'
Y, now, when the whole think is over. 1t ha
IS extended the Coercion Act to the whole
e. Belfast and it's immediate neiShborhood
Y, which means that any person found possesse
10 of firearms may be punished by two years IN
r prisoument, any person found guilt OF pa
y ticipaticn in riot by seven years Pehai @ selr
IN tude, and any person found out OF his ho"s
s. after sunset and under suspicious circumstal
in ces by detention in prison, ,cithout trial, at I'll
I'd pleasure of the Lord Lieutenant. 1t meal
Ii more, too, but there is no occasion to dwell
that point further 1t will be sufficient 10 sa
that. if the police act impartially in Belias
p the Orange Will feel, for the first time
n their lives, the intolerabIe weight OF Bhtl'
~ coercive legislation. Little they thought, yC
rs NAV he sure, that when they howled for TIL
id Legislation against the poor, down-trodden c
ur tholic peasautry of TipPerary and Westmeat
ut they would themselves, one day, feel
sting. 1t is surely but retributive justice th
they shoGld feel it. But it is qnite possib
that the police may not act imPartislly. Th
es have already, times innuInerabie, N tbe NGI
-Lpunished the Catholics severely. even VIII