The Irish standard., 1897-08-14


accounts (Englsh accounts) Of the mas
sacre of Drogheda. because each con.
tains some circumstance not specified in
the others. Carte, the English historian
thus writes: "All the officers and SOL
diers Of Cromwells army promised
quarter to such as would lay down
their arms. But when they had once
all In their power and feared that nc
hurt could be done them. Cromwell lie.
ing told that he had now all the flow.
er of the Irish army in his hands, gave
orders that no quarter should be given.
So that his soldiers were forced to kill
their prisoners, The brave men were
killed In cold blood" The marquis o.
Ormond in his letters to the king ana
Lord Byron, says: THAT on this oc
caston Cromwell exceeded himself, anu
anything he had ever heard Of, In
breach of faith and bloody inhumanity:
and that the crueltics exercised there
for five days after the town was taken
would make as many several pictures of
1nhumanity as the Book of Martyrs"
(Carte Ii. 81 Leland adds: "A num-
Der OF eccesiastics were found within
the walls; and Cromwell as if immr,li.
ately commissioned to execute divine
vengeance on the ministers of idOlatry.
ordered his soldiers to plunge their wc:.
pons into the helpless wretches." Ue.
land, Book W.. chap. AZ. Now folio VS.
the account of Lord Clarendon "rhc
enemy entered the works." he saws.
and put every man. governor, Office,
and soldier to the sword and the whole
army being entered the town, They OK.
ecuted all manner of cruelty and pu,
every man that was related to the gar
rison and all the citizens who wcro
lrish man. woman and child, to the
sword Lord Clarendon's History, vol
vi. $685. I.ingarl thus adds to the forc
going accounts: '"rhe pledge which
had been given was now violated, ana
as soon as resistance ceased IA general
massacre was ordered. During five DAYS
the streets Of Drogheda ran with blood
from the garrison they turned their
swords against the inhabitants i" In
the history OF Christendom there is not
more horrible instance of quiet. de-
liberatc cruelty. systematic and cold
blooded. Would not these English
Christians spare the rtiznn?" saws
OConnell. Surely they could fear no
danger from the females Would they
not at least spare thea childrnn-thc in
fants? England. in what letters of
blood have you not written your cruel
domination in Ireland?" While these
scenes were being enacted a large num-
Der OF ladies. with their children, con-
cealed themselves in The crypls OF a
church. but the bloodhounds traced
them to these dark recassoa and not
shown mercy. One of Cromwcll's Off
GERS who was engaged in rhis horrible
wOrk-1homas Wood brother OF An
thony Wood. the Oxford historian re-
lates that he found In these vaults
1.-THE flower and choicest Of the women
OcIOlSluE W lue IOWu, iulDllS whom Il
most handsome woman. arraycd in cost
ly apparel knet down to him with
tears and prayers to save her lifc."
He was moved to compassion and cook
her out of the church with the in,,n-
tion to put her over the works." but
while she was even thus protected SOL
dier plunged his sword in her body and
her body was robbed. Wood also relates
how. when they were 10 make their
way up to the lofts and galleries of
the church and up to the tower where
the enemy had fled. each of the soldiers
would take up child and use It as
a buckler of defense" TO cap The eli
max OF English atroclty. let the reader
read the following extracts from the
Journals of the house of commons:
"1649, Oct. 2-This day the house re-
ceived dispatches from the Lord Lieu
tenant Cromwell, giving an account of
the taking Of Drogheda. For the inn
portant success the house appoints a
Thanksgiving day to be held on Nov.
I throughout the nation. They like
wise order that declaration shall be
prepared, signifying the grounds for
setting apart that day of public thanks
giving; a letter of thanks also to be
sent to the lord lieutcnan' in which
notice be taken that the house do APP
prove of the execution done at Drog-
heda as an act Of both Justice to them
and mercy to others who may nc warn
ed by it," mo country on the face OF
the EARTH" says OConncll, comments
Ing on the above, ever suffered so
much from another as Ireland has suf-
, fered from England; nor is any coun-