ART. VIII. Reflections on the Irish Confpiracy; and on the Neceffity of an Armed Affociation in Great Britain. To which are added, Obfervations on the Debates and Refolutions of the Whig Club, on the Sixth of June, 1797. 8vo. 156 pp. 2s. Sewell, and Wright. 1797. THE HE objects to which the writer of this able tract here calls the attention of his countrymen, are fuch as now occupy, in a greater or lefs degree, the mind of almost every inhabitant of the British empire. Having faid this, it becomes in a manner fuperfluous to add, that they are interefting almost beyond any other topic of difcuffion. The Irish confpiracy, which has recently broken out into open rebellion, is here traced ab ovo, through all its various. ramifications, and its end and object are clearly defined. The conclufions of the author are founded on premifes that cannot be fhaken; for his facts are all derived from documents, the authenticity of which is established by the authority of the Irith Parliament. He begins by adverting to the rapid progrefs which has of late years been made by Ireland, in every fpecies of domeftic comfort, and every branch of national profperity; refulting from the encrease of her trade, the repeal of oppreffive laws, and the establifhment of her independence. But, he justly remarks, that the difpofition created by thofe fucceffive changes in the minds of an ardent and irritable people, was highly favourable to schemes of innovation, and to the fuccefs of revolutionary projects. The new-fangled doctrine of "the Rights of Man," fprung out of the frantic brains of La Fayette and Paine, is indeed fafcinating to the populace of every country and could a conftitution be framed, exempt from all thofe imperfections which muft, of neceffity, mark every produce of the human mind, ftill the giddy and untaught multitude would easily be tempted to reject its fubftantial bleffings, for the vain phantom of liberty and equality." 46 Prepared by the events which we have noticed, the "architect" of the Irish confpiracy hailed the French Revolution as the "Morning Star of Liberty in Ireland." Its principles were accordingly cherished, and all its plans of internal regulation adopted by the rebels. After ftating, that "a fimilar confpiracy is going on in Great Britain," (p. 7) the author proceeds to lay down the object of the grand Irish plot, and to defcribe its organization. The paffage is fo curious, that we shall extract it for the benefit of our readers. X x BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XI. JUNE, 1798. "la "In the Report of the Committee of Secrefy of the House of Commons in that Kingdom, dated May 12th, 1797, we find, that they held forth Catholic Emancipation and Parliamentary Reform, as oftenfible objects of their union; but their real purpofes were, to feparate Great Britain from Ireland, and to fubvert the prefent Conftitution; as appears more fully from the explanation given by Mr. Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the original framers of this Inftitution, in a Letter addreffed to his friends at Belfaft, containing the Refolutions and Declaration upon which the Inftitution was formed.” "This Letter is, in reality, the original Plan of the Association of the United Irifhmen. It is divided into two parts; the comparison of which convicts the Writer of the most profligate hypocrify, and fhews that plaufible political pretences are fometimes affumed intentionally, as a cover for the most defperate defigns against the existence of the State. The first part is intended to form the Public Declaration of the new Society. In this he propofes that they fhould declare, "we have gone to what we conceive to be the root of the evil; we have ftated what we conceive to be the remedy. With a reformed Parliament, every thing is eafy; without it, nothing can be donet." The fecond part of the letter is confidential; and in this he profeffes himself to have stated in the former, "fo much only of his opinion, as in the prefent juncture it may be advifable to publish," and that his further plans were "for the prefent too hardy." And on one of his propofed Refolutions, he fays, "I have been purpofely vague and indefinite in its expreffiont." " "The ultimate object of the Affociation was thus intentionally concealed at firft, from the Affociators: fo true is that obfervation of St. Juft- Difguife is the characteristic feature of Confpiracies." Both in Ireland and England, there is a common declared pretence, or watchword, of these atrocious Confpirators-Reform of Parliament. They are well read in the practice of that great architect of fanguinary Revolution, Robespierre: "No Confpiracies could ever be formed, unless the word Reform was to precede the word Revolution||.” "I fhall now defcribe the organization of this Plot, by which the Confpirators have formed themfelves into a hoftile ftate within a State; and already given to it the deftructive Conftitution of France of the wort period. To multiply their numbers, they have held out to the People," that the Conflitution of Ireland exifts in theory alone;" that they have no National Government**; that “they are in a state of oppreffion and mifery; that the King, the Houfes of Lords and Commons, with the Magiftracy, Clergy, and Gentry of the Country, are the cause of their oppression; and that the Society of United Irishmen are their fole Protectors and Defenders.” The Members of the Primary Societies are admitted by election, in which confiderable caution is ufed; and before his admiffion, each Member takes a Teft, equal in the folemnity of its form to an Oath. It confifts of two parts, the first of which defines the purpose of their *.. Report, p. 2. + Commons' Report, App. p. 2. + Ib. p. 3, 4. § Gifford's Letter to Erskine, p. 176. Hlb. p. 176. ComLons Report, App. p. 2. ** Tone's Letter, Declaration of United Irithmen, ib. p. 5.” Affociation: 2 Affociation: this part has varied in its matter: by the original Test, the Affociators were bound to promote a Reform of the Reprefentation in Parliament*: but in the place of this, a fecond has been introduced, in which the words "Parliament and Reform are purposely omitted;" and the new object fet up, is an equal, full, and adequate Reprefentation of all the People of Ireland+," which is hereby "clearly fhewn to be an original inftitution, independent of Parliament." Such is the first part of the Teft, "under which the United Irishmen are all at prefent fworn." The fecond contains a like folemn obligation to fecrefy, with refpect to every thing faid or tranfacted by the Members of this Society in purfuit of its purposes. They were known to each other by a Sign, Counterfign, and Watchword; the ufe of which, on some fufpicion of their being difcovered, was fufpended**. "Each Member pays a certain fum to the use of the Association, at ftated periods: each Society has its Secretary and Treasurer: the mode in which its tranfactions are carried on, is very accurately prefcribed; and when its number amount to thirty-fix, it is divided into two. "When a Barony or other diftrict contains three Societies, three Delegates from each form a Baronial Committee: if it contains eight Primary Societies, it fhall have two Committees. They correfpond with, and keep up the communication with the Societies. "When there are three or more Baronial Committees in a County, two perfons are elected from each, to form a County Committee: when three or more Counties have their Committees formed, they are directed to elect three Delegates each, which form the Committee of the province: and when two Provincial Committees are formed, five members are to be fent from each, to form a National Committee. The Delegates to the three first orders of Committees are elected by Ballot, and for three months onlytt: and this Conftitution is in a great measure carried into effecttt." "In the return of a Provincial Committee taken in the County of Antrim, it is faid, that as foon as the South is properly organized, a National Convention will be established, which is expected foon to take places." "It appears fully, in the introduction to the original Conftitution of the Affociation, that the Confpirators were not driven into these treafonable measures by the refufals of Parliament to their demands of Catholic Emancipation, and what they call a Reform of that Affembly; for it is there fully evident, that they had determined that their object, be it what it might, fhould be effected in no other mode than by a Convention; an engine which, in the hands which formed it, must have subverted Civil Government, and introduced anarchy, and all the horrors which tended to the depopulation and defolation of Ireland during one period of the last Century." P. 7. Other inftances are adduced to prove, that the undoubted object of the confpirators was to annihilate the Parliament, and to introduce their radical reforms folely by the means of a Commons' Report, p. 14. 6 Ib. p. 4. + Ib. p. 14. Ib. p. 14. 1 Commons' Report, App. 12. ++ Ib. p. 7, 14. ‡‡ Ib. p. 14. X x 2 National National Convention, formed on true French principles. They had even already proceeded fo far in the establishment of an imperium in imperio, without the aid of fuch a Convention, as to have arranged all the different departments of their revolutionary ftate. They had even formed "a Tribunal, at which offenders are tried in their abfence," (this is the adoption of the French mode of trying par contumace) “and their punishment determined even to death." P. 16. Their military force, early in 1797, is dated by themselves to have amounted to no lefs than 99.411 men, They had "Gained over many of the Catholic and Orange Men in Armagh; they negotiated with the illegal combination of men who go by the name of Defenders; and had even formed fome affiliated focieties in Scotland." P. 17." The conductors of this confpiracy have alfo ufurped the federative power. It is by this power that war, peace, and alliances with foreign nations, are made by the fovereign. This they began to exercife fometime in the latter part of the year 1795, when they opened a correfpondence with the Executive Directory of the French Republic. It is in proof that the affiftance of the French was negotiated for by them; and it was agreed that the place of their defcent fhould be Bantry-Bay." P. 20. The limits neceffarily prefcribed to an article of this kind, preclude the poffibility of following the author through his complete developement of this horrid plot; which exceeds any thing of a fimilar kind recorded in hiftory, with the fingle exception of the French Revolution. We must therefore refer our readers to the book itself for a great variety of interesting particulars, which ought at this time to be generally known. One more fhort extract, however, we cannot omit, as it contains a prediction that has, to a certain extent, been verified by fubfequent events. "From the daring fpirit and crimes of thefe Confederated Enemies of Human Society, before they have a force on foot, the Nation may well gather, that if ever they shall obtain the fuperiority, a general Carnage will take place from one extremity of the Country to the other. But the ufe of this mode of argument from probabilities, although of great cogency, is fuperfeded by pofitive evidence on the fubject; for in the Report of the Lords, it is exprefsly declared, that it appeared to the Committee, that in the event of fuccefs on the part of the Confpirators, it has been decided, that all perfons who from their principles, or Situations, may be deemed inimical to the Confpiracy, thall be maffacred."It is added, "the first Profcribed Lift, it has appeared to your Committee, has been calculated by one of their Leaders, at Thirty Thousand Perfons*." " "The Lords' Rep. p. 3.-In the Sieges recorded in Ancient Hiftory fortified Cities were attacked by moveable towers, conftructed at a safe diftance, and pufhed forward to the walls on rolling cylinders, by a machinery of immenfe power. They were conftructed with feveral ftories; in the lower the engineers and foldiers worked the battering rams, the force of which, when it can be applied against the walls of a Town, "The Lift being called the first, clearly points out that there is a fecond, formed or to be formed; and dreadful as it is, it does not extend fo far as the general defcription of perfons to be profcribed which precedes it. All thofe are thereby marked out for deftruction, who by their "fituation, may be deemed inimical to the Confpiracy." This marks out all who have, from fituation in life, a vifible intereft in its failure; and it is a profcription of the holders of all property of the upper and middle clafs; for who is there of the latter, who would not expect to be involved in total ruin, if his goods and commodities were liable to be taken from him by requifition, at a price to be fixed by the feizors; even if he were to be paid in Affignats upon Lands to be confifcated? or who is there of either, who has not an undeniable and a vifible interest against being taxed at the difcretion of a Convention, to be formed out of the prefent Leaders of this Confpiracy; the Laws of which are to be carried into effect by a Revolutionary Committee, directing the judgments of a Revolutionary Tribunal " P. 28. The author adds ; "The Irish Plot is only a part, or fection of a Confpiracy which has long been carried on throughout the whole extent of the British Einpire, for the deftruction of the Conftitution of our limited Monarchy, and the fubverfion of the Rights of Property by the introduction of Anarchy under the name of a Republic, and a ferics of Corfifcations and Profcriptions. This may be thewn, by the Confpirators of the whole Empire acting as one body, under one direction, occafionally; by the profeffion of common principies, and by the admiffion of thofe wha have confidered the meatures and ends of the Confpirators in both Kingdoms in the most indulgent point of view." P. 31. The connection between the Irish and Brith confpiracies is traced, in a fatisfactory manner, from p. 31 to p. 41; and if the account here stated do not overwhelm many popular leaders in this country with confufion, they may fafely be pronounced fuperior to thame. The fatal effects of a revolution are alfo delineated with ability, and the delineation is inter 'Town, exceeds every other engine of deftruction. There likewife was the poft of the miners, who carried on the fap under their foundation. On the top, and fafely covered by every contrivance of art, were the archers and flingers; thefe overlooked the walls, and fwept off their defenders as faft as they appeared. The middle ftories were occupied by men completely armed; and from this part of the tower they were able to fling a bridge on to the ramparts, and enter the Town. This formidable and effective machine, was called an Helepolis. The Chevalier de Folard has written on its conftruction. A Confpiracy organized like that of Ireland, is an Helepolis: and if it can be brought to work, of power fufficient to raze the Citadel of any and of every Legal Government." fperfed |