The Irish standard., 1897-10-16
HISTORY OF THE VIOLATED
TREATY OF LIMERICK CITY.
SHAMEFUL BREACH OF BRITISH FAITH
SKETCH OF THE SURRENDER OF
THE CITY ON THE SHANNON.
A BRAVE DEFENSE OF The TOWN

AFTER MORE THAN A YEARS SIEGE
THE CITY SURRENDERED.
No more shameful breach of faith
is recorded in the annals of any coun-
try than the surrender and treaty Of
as we'll as Irish. Protestant as we'll as
Catholic-who have touched on the sub
ject have written in terms of the most
vehement condemnation of the perfidy
for all time in the title, "City of the
Violated Treaty." which has passed into
our school, text and standard diction-
aries as a designation marking his
torical fact dishonorable in the highest
degree to the English government and
nation.
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, in
its Explanatory and Pronouncing Vo-
cabulary," gives and explains the his
toric title as follows:
"City of the Violated Trtaty.-A
name given to the city of Limerick,
Ireland, on account of the repeated
violations of treaty signed October,
1881, the first article of which was that
the Catholics should enjoy such privi-
leges in the exercise Of their religion
as they enjoyed in the reign of Charles
II.
Years of unjust and vindictive penal
laws, which are now, happily, swept
away, shows that this name was we'll
founded. knight.
In the later edition of Webster's Die
tionary the above quotation of the
English historian, Charles knight, is
left out, as it was obnoxious to a GER
tain class of Americans" That the
name was we'll founded" is also IT.
tested by many other English writer's.
The facts. of course, have to be, and
are universally admitted. The terms
OF the treaty and the names of the
men by whom it was drawn up and
signed, are on record, and it's violation
is marked with terrible emphasis in
unjust and vindictive penal laws" of
over hundred years. duration.
On the 9th OF August, 1890. William
with an army of $4,000 men, reached
Limerick. The brave Sarsfield had pre-
ceded him, and had been putting things
IN order for the struggle which he
knew was coming. 1t was arranged
that De Boisselieu should be governor
OF the city and Sarsield commander
OF the horse. Then the siege began.
In day or two the sharp and deadly
practice Of the Limerick gunners con-
WINGED William that he was not going
to have SO easy business of 1t as he
had expected. Before the fire from
within the walls he was compelled to
shift his train out of range, and the
balls failing thickly about his tent, he
was obliged to remove his quarters
also out of range. But he relied upon
valuable reinforcement that was COM
ing to him from England and was inst
then on its way from the seaport of
waterford. 1t consisted Of a magniti-
cent battering train, an immense supply
of stores and ammunition, and num-
ber of pontoon boats, by which he ex-
pected to be able to cross the Shannon
TO the Glare side Of the city, where IL
considerable portion Of the Irish de-
tensive force was located. Sarsheld
got word of the coming of this powerfu1
reinforcement, and he set his brain to
work to devise plan of campaign.
What 1t was and how he carried II
INTO effect is thus related: On Monday
Aug. IL, 1890, the battering train with
its convoy reached Ballyneety, within
ten miles of the Williamite camp. The
country through which they had passed
was all in the hands of their garrisons
or patrols, yet they had SO important
and precious charge that they had
watched it jealously so far but now thew
We're virtually at the camp-oniy few
miles in It's rear-and so the CONVOY.
when night fell, drew the siege trains
and the vast line of ammunition wag-
ons. the pontoon boats and store-loads
into field close to Ain old ruined cas-
tie, and, duly posting night sentries.
gave themselves to repose.
That day Protestant landlord (Man-
us OBrien) in the neighborhood of
limerick came into the Williamite
camp with piece of news. Sarsfield
at the head Of 500 picked men, had rid
den off the night before on some lnys-
terious enterprise in The direction of
killaloe; and the informer, from Sars.
fields character, judged rightly that
something important was afoot, and
earnestly assured the WilEamice that
nothing was too desperate for that COM
mander to accomplish The Williamitc
officers made little of this. Still, to
make safety double sure, they ordered
Sir John Lanier to proceed at once
with 500 men to meet the cOnvnv II