The Irish standard., 1901-08-17
His Record During Stay Of Nine Months
Stamps Him as Monster
of Blacklist Dye.
The Sieges of Drogheda and Wexford and
the Attendant Massacres
Make Him Odius.

that accompanied them make the name
of Cromwell eternally hated in Ire
land"
When the news of this reached Eng
land the House of Commons on Oct. 2
passed the following: "For this i'm
portant success we appoint thanks
giving day to be held on Nov. /
throughout the nation. A letter of
thanks, approving of the execution
done at Drogheda as an act of both
justice and mercy to others who may
be warned by it." "No country on the
face of the earth," says O'Connell,
commenting on the above, "ever suf-
fered so much from another as Ire
land has suffered from England; nor
is any country on the face of the earth
so stained with diabolical cruelty as
England in her conduct toward Ire
land"
From Drogheda Cromwell led his
men, flushed with slaughter, to the
siege of Wexford, where he arrived on
Oct. 1. Two days later Cromwell sum-
moned the town to surrender. On the
11th General Sinnott offered to surren-
der the town upon conditions, the chief
of which were: The free exercise Of
their religion and retention Of church
property, and liberty to the inhabitants
to leave for any other place they might
desire. To these terms Cromwell re-
piled: II shall give the soldiers and
officers quarter for life and leave to go
| to their several habitations. And as
for the inhabitants, 1 shall engage
myself that no violence shall be Of
fered to them, and that I shall protect
their town from plunder.'
Before the Irish general could con-
slider these propositions Cromwell
bribed man to open the doors of a
castle that commanded the walls. The
troops of Cromwell poured in and cap
tured the town. "When they were to
come to the market place." writes
Cromwell, "our force broke them and
put all to the sword that came their
way"
DR.. Nicholas French, the illustrious
bishop Of Ferns, has left an important
reference to the massacre. He thus
writes: "On that most calamitous day
the city Of Wexford was given up to
the infuriated soldiery by Cromwell.
There, before Gods altar, fell many
sacred victims; some were hanged and
others cruelty put to death. The best
blood of the citizens was shed till the
streets were red with it, and there
was scarcely house that was not pol
luted with carnage and full of wailing."
On Oct. Is Cromwell left Wexford,
and two days later encamped before
New Ross. On his arrival, Cromwell
sent summons to Governor Taaffe,
saying: "Since my coming into Ire
land I have endeavored to avoid the
effusion Of blood" and closing his mes
sage by demanding the surrender Of
the town. To this General Taaffe re-
piled "that he would surrender the
town on condition that the inhabitants
should be granted freedom of con-
science" In reply Cromwell said: Gas
for that which you mention concerning
liberty Of conscience, I meddle not with
any mans conscience; but if by liberty
of conscience you mean liberty to
exercise the Mass, judge it best to
use plain dealing, and to let you know
where the parliament Of England have
the power that will not be allowed"
Three days later the town surrendered.
Cork, Youghal, Dungarvan, Castle
haven and Baltimore soon afterward
surrendered. On Nov. "a Cromwell ap-
peared before Waterford. After lying
before the city for week and finding
himself unable to reduce it, he resolved
to seek winter quarters elsewhere, and
on Dec. 4 reached Youghall, where fresh
supplies from England awaited him.
Here Cromwell established quarters
and issued "a declaration for the un-
deceiving of deluded and seduced peo-
ple-in answer to certain late declara-
tions and acts framed by the Irish
Popish prelates and clergy" In this