The Irish standard., 1897-08-14


her conduct toward Ireland. Religious
bigotry infamed and augmented the
national hostility of England to Irish
men. To show how distinctly the p,lr-
pose of eXterminatng the Catholic
people Of Ireland for the good Of the
Protestant religion was avowed by the
first authorities in the state let me here
quote the following testimony from
page SIS of book of Cromwell's acts.
entitled "Cromweliana": April -,
1649-Those who were appointed to go
to the common council about the fur
nishing of G12O.O0O for the services in
Ireland Il Lord Chief Earon
Wild did press the same & * :: he
rightly distinguished the state OF war
in that kingdom as between Papist ana
Protestant; and that was the interest
there; Papacy and Popery being not to
be endured in that kingdom; which not
ably agreed with that maxim Of King
James. when first king Of the three
kingdoms: Plant Ireland with Turitans
and root out Papists and then secure
It, From Drogheda the conqueror
| led his men. flushed with slaughter 10
| the siege of Wexford where he arrived
| on the first Of October The capture Of
Wexford was Indispensable for the re-
duction OF the country 1t was ii "aa
port through which the Irish received
, their principal supplies OF arms and
ammunition. On the 81 Cromwell sum-
moned the town to surrender. On the
| llth. after Cromwell had bnmbardei
! the town for some hours. Gen. Sinnott
offered to surrender the town upon ten
conditions, the chief of which were:
the retention OF church properly, and
| liberty for the inhabitants to leave for
any other place they might desire. To
these terms Cromwell replied 81 have
had the patience to perllse you.' PROPOSE
| tions. to which might hava returned
an answer with some disdaln. But. to
| he short. | shall give the soldiers and
| officers quarter for life and leave to
for the inhabitants shall engage my
| self that no violence shall be offered
to them and that | shall project thcir
town from plumber" Before the irish
general could consider these PROPOSE
tions, Cromwell bribed man to open
the doors of a castle that commanded
the walls. BY this means the troops
of Cromwell poured in and capture,
the town. The garrison reLrealcd to the
market place. when they This troopsl
were come to the market place" writes
Cromwell. 9TH" enemy making stiff re-
slstanre. our force broke them and then
pun all to the sword that cam" in their
way. Two boats of he enemy. attempts
ing to escape. were sunk. whereby 800
were drowned" And he concludes his
dispatch to parliament by saying
that it had pleased God to give into
your hands this other mercy tnrogheda
was the first mercy and Wexford the
secondly. for which, as for ;Al. we pray
God may have all the glory. The town
is now so in youl power that of tho
former inhabitants believe scarcely
one in twenty can challenge any prop
erty in their houses. Most of them are
run away. and many of them killed in
the service. and 1t were wished that an
i honest people would come and plant
here where are very good houses and
other accommodation fitted to their
hands. which may by your favor he
made of encouragement to them" DR..
Nicholas French, the ilIustrlous and
patriotic bishop Of Ferns. who was then
lying i'll of fever in a neighboring viii
lagc, has left us an important refer
encc to the Wexford massacre. In this
letter DR.. French writes: "On that most
calamitolls day the city of Wexford,
abnunding in wealth. ships and mer-
chandisc. was carried at the point OF
I he sword and given up to the infurl-
atcd soltlicry by Cromwell There, be-
fore Gods altar. fell many sacred VIC
Tins. priests of the Lord. who were
seized outside the precincts OF the
tHuftn, were SCOufEeu with WHIPS,
some were arrested and bound With
chains: some were hanged and others
were cruelty put to death by divers
sorts Of torture. The best blood OF the
citizens were shed until the very street;
were rcd with 1t and there was scarce
ly house that was not polluted With
carnage and full Of waling In my own
house. Il youth. hardly l6 years of age
my galylener-was cruelty butchered:
and they loft the chaplain whom I
caused to remain behind me at home.
transported with six mortal wounds
and we!tcring in his gore. And these
denominations were pcrpetrated in open
day by impiOus cut-lhroatS. From that
moment | have never seen my city,
flock, country or kindred. When the
English had possession of Wexford they
began to dcmolsh the several churches.
In one of these were contained the cello
DRAFTED bells of SelSkar. which were ship
ped to England. and they are pow IN
Liverpool steeple. On the 18th dav
or October Cromwell left Wexford, and
TWO days later encampcd before New
, Ross. On his arrival before tho TOM