The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-08-05

k1SS1 met. On the one size Lne |
HGE chivalrous old Gaelic war
WV riols. with their fighting
ranks interspersed with
bards and brehons, strug
CLING 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 to cast tn" imperial net about the |
fair hill and wooded morasses of u
ster. For both sides the times were
critical and each fought for its very
existence in Ireland. One defeat in
battle was always liable to throw the
native or the cattle cause out of reck-
oning for generation.
The appearance Of Shane ONeill 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 ONeillship-the SUI
preme Of all Irish titles. Shane
claimed it on his merits as 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 lit is now an Orange
hamlet and the stone OF Inaugural
ton has been hammered into frag-
ments) Shane was solemnly declared
to be the O'Neill par excellence. The
OHagan. his brehon, read out his
claim and title, while the O'Kane. his
Inauguration, placed white wand in
his hand as the scepter of ONeill-
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
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 to venture on an Ulster
campaign. which in those days was
combination Of forest and guerrilla
warfare. Uls'er was England's Mex
leo. There was a 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. Tho deputy had no course left
but to essay a military adventure him.
self. The effect was disastrous. His
dispatch from the field is still extant
in the state papers and has 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
IAN in the face in plain or wood. and
how Shane hath with 100 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
The deputy's next step was to dis
honor himself even more signally by
his own deed. He bribed Shane's mes.
senger to slay his lord, but the plan
miscarried. The fidelity OF the clan
stood like FURNISHED cuirass between
he 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
@ the Erne, so that he might be called
he provisional king Of Ulster" Eliz-
.beth was bound to treat him as an
EQUAL and when he suggested parley
n London, a safe-conduct was for
yarded unde1 the royal sign-manual.
shane set forth with his retinue OF
ard. brehon, and gallowglass and en-
cred the English capital in SENT
egal state, much to the wonder of
Ian London. He was perfectly will
ne to recognize Elizabeth as SOW
reign of Ireland. but he would not be
estered by her deputies and he in
listed on being recognized himself as
he O'Neill in all privileges and trib-
ties thereto sppertaining. The cour-
Iers made great play Of his preten-
ions and dubbed him "O'Neill the