The Benson signal., 1916-06-03

III N~1SSH PSNIo VI f1OIuGTlC COu-
k0SI H1ct. On the one side the
aEI chlvalrOus old Gaelic war.
rlols, with their fighting
ranks interspersed with
bards and brehons, strug-
gllng TO save the landmarks of the ma
tive civilization. On the other hand |
were the astute Tudor diplomatists
with their deputies and sheriffs, striv-
ing 10 cast tn" imperial net about the
talr MIL and wooded morasses of Ul-
ster. For both sides the times were
critical and each fought for it's very
existence in Ireland. One defeat in
oattle was always liable to throw the
native or the castle cause out of reck-
onlng for generation.
The appearance Of Shane O'Neill in
history was in opposition to Mathew,
the son OF the earl of Tyrone, whom
the government had nominated to rule
Ulster. In hose days there were
castle chiefs just as in latter days
there were castle bishops. There was
the queens O'Reilly" and the royal
candidate for the O'Neillship-the SUI
preme Of all Irish titles. Shane
claimed it on his merits as a free
man of the ruling house and the clan
rallied round him. Upon the sacred
stone Of his race at Tullyoge in the
County Tyrone tit is now an Orange
hamlet and the stone of Inaugural
tion has been hammered into frag-
ments) Shane was solemnly declared
to be the O'Neill par excellence The
O'Hagan, his brehon, read out his
claim and title, while the O'Kane, his
Inauguration. placed a white wand in
his hand as the scepter of O'Neill-
land.
So firmly was Shane settled in pop
ular support and military strength that
Sidney the deputy was unwilling to ad.
venture an attack. For the time Shane
was left to fortify his castles at Dun
cannon and Ardglass and to recruit his
clansmen. In the following year Sus-
sex was made deputy with directions
to restore Mathew O'Neill and to COM
pei obedience from Shane "either by
fair means or foul" Sussex had not
the troops tn venture on an Ulster
campaign, which in those days was
combination of forest and guerrilla
warfare. Uls' er was England's Mex
ico There was rivalry of chiefs
and English policy was to recognize
one against the other. Sussex endeav-
ored to rouse the O'Reilly and the
O'Donnell against O'Neill. Shane was
not unprepared He crushed O'Reilly
with the help of Scotch mercenaries
or "Redshanks," as they were called
doubtless they wore kits and showed
raw, wind-bitten knees). O'Donnell
he carried off with his wife into cap
tivity The deputy had no course left
but to essay military adventure him.
self. The effect was disastrous. His
dispatch from the field is still extant
in the state papers and has a quality
Of the frank and personal note not dis
coverable in the ambiguous dispatches
of modern warfare.
Never BEFORE" wrote Sussex,
''durst Scot or Irish look an English
man in the face in plain or wood. and
now Shane hath with 120 horses, and
few Scots and gallowglass charged
one whole army-the fame of the Eng
lish army, so hardly gotten is now
vanished and wrecked and dishon-
ored by other mems deeds
N1E.o c,fo
honor himself even more signally by
his own deed. He bribed Shanes mes
senger to slay his lord, but the plan
miscarried. The fidelity of the clan
stood like FURNISHED cuirass between
the O'Neill Ind the enemies of O'Neill,
foreign or native. BY this time, the
Annals of the Four Masters" tell us.
Shane had assumed the sovereign
command of all Ulster from Drogheda
to the Erne, so that he might be called
the provisional king of Ulster" Eliz-
abeth was bound to treat him as an
equal and when he suggested a parley
in London, a safe-conduct was for
warded unde1 the royal sign manual
Shane set forth with his retinue Of
bard, brehon, and gallowglass and en-
tered the English capital in semi
regal state, much to the wonder of
Clan London. He was perfectly will
ing to recognize Elizabeth as SOW
ereign of Ireland but he would not be
pestered by her deputies and he in
sisted on being recognized himself as
the O'Neill in all privileges and trib-
utes thereto appertaining. The cour.
tiers made great play of his preten-
sions and dubbed him "ONeill the
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Education Not Worth While.