the fraud better covered. I trust I shall establish such arrant falsehood on the part of the witnesses in this case, as will render their evidence entirely valueless. I will first state the allegations, and then the grounds of refutation. "In one week, they (the Irish) massacred very near 100,000 persons, men, women, and children.' [Warwick's Memoirs of the reign of Charles I. p. 149.] "On the 23d of October, and the following days, above 40,000 English Protestants were massacred by the Irish." [Rapin's History of England, vol. 9, p. 340.] "Above 200,000 men, women, and children were murdered within the space of one month." [May's History of the Parliament of England, p. 81.] "It would be almost endless to give an account of all the cruelties acted by these incarnate devils upon the innocent English, of whom they destroyed near 300,000 in a few months." [Burton's History of the Kingdom of Ireland, p. 37.] "Above 154,000 Protestants were massacred in that kingdom from the 23d October to the 1st March following." [Warwick, p. 199.] "There being, since the rebellion first broke out, unto the time of the cessation made September 15, 1643, which was not full two years after, above 300,000 British and Protestants cruelly murdered in cold blood, destroyed some other way, or expelled out of their habitations, according to the strictest conjecture and computation of those who seemed best to understand the numbers of English planted in Ireland, besides those few which fell in the heat of fight during the war." [Rapin, IX. 343.] "The depopulations in this province of Munster do well near equal those of the whole kingdom!!!" [Temple, 133.] To rebut all these scandalous stories, it will be sufficient to state, that Sir W. Petty, the ancestor of the Lansdowne family, the most accurate statistician of his day, one who had profited immensely by Irish confiscation, published a calculation, founded on the best data then procurable, of the population of Ireland in 1641, which made the total number 1,246,000, of whom the Protestants were as two to eleven. Of course, their number was about 225,000, men, women, and children. [Petty's Political Anatomy of Ireland, p. 18.] Now had the Irish acted the scenes of the Sicilian Vespers, they could not have massacred even 100,000, to say nothing of 154,200, or 300,000 out of 225,000,-and still left enough to carry on the war with alternate success until the final subjugation of Ireland by Cromwell. But of the 225,000, thousands, when the war raged with violence, expatriated themselves to Scotland, Wales, and England. It would be wholly superfluous to descant on this item of the calumnies, but to prove the utter recklessness with which not only truth but even plausibility was disregarded. It is stated by one of the above historians, that 100,000 persons, men, women, and children, were massacred in one week. Counting from the 23d, inclusive, the week terminated on the 29th. On this very day, the lords justices issued a proclamation, in which they expressly stated that the insurrection was confined to such of the old Irish in the province of Ulster as have plotted, combined, or been active in this treason, "and others who adhere to them." [Temple, p. 35.] This proclamation made not the slightest mention of murder or massacre. Moreover, it is proved, that for six weeks the insurrection was confined almost altogether to Ulster*-that there were not above 20,000 "Had the lords justices and council acquitted themselves like men of probity and understanding, there was time enough given them to suppress an insurrection, which, for six weeks, was confined almost to the province of Ulster, without any chief that was so considerable as Sir Phelim O'Neal." [Warner, p. 130.] "No one nobleman of the kingdom, nor any estated gentleman of English race, engaged in the rebell English in that province-that the remainder of the inhabitants were Scotch, whom the insurgent leaders had ordered not to be molested in body or goods*-that of the English, several thousands, according to Carte, had escaped to Dublin ;† that 6000 had been saved in Fermanagh, and took refuge in the strong places in Derry, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and went thence to England.‡ Let me now proceed to take a view of the evidence, which is, in almost every instance, hearsay-Tom told Dick-that Harry heard it said, that the Protestants were roasted on gridirons, &c. &c. We hear of ghosts screeching for vengeance for weeks together-of candles made of the fat of Protestants-of women whom a naked sword could not pierce-of bodies lying for weeks together in the open air in a moist climate without putrefaction. Among the affidavit-men, by whose testimony the tales of the murders and massacres of the hundreds of thousands of Protestants, who fell victims to the barbarity of the Irish, are supported, Dean Maxwell cuts the most conspicuous figure, and claims a bold pre-eminence. The abridgement (yes, the abridgement) of his deposition extends to twelve closely printed folio pages in Borlase's History, and rests almost altogether on hearsay. The best, and the most curious and entertaining part of the affair is, that his information was derived almost altogether from the rebels themselves. He swore that there were upwards of 12,000 slain in the Glenwood, [Temple, p. 114.] "as the rebels told this deponent;" that there were 954 murdered in one morning, 66 as the rebels themselves told him;" [Idem, p. 113.] " that there were, moreover," above 2000 murdered in their own houses, " as he was informed by a Scotsman ;" [Ibid.] and that Sir Phelim O'Neil himself reported, that he had left neither man, woman, nor child alive, from Armagh to Newry, [Ibid.] a distance of about twelve miles. He further swears "that it was credibly told him, that the persons slaughtered amounted to 154,000, whether in Ulster or in the whole kingdom, HE DURST NOT QUIRE." [Borlase's History, Appendix, p. 132.] IN Capt. Stafford, who was a prisoner for fourteen months, during the early part of the insurrection, deposed to the murder of a great number of persons, and adds, "his cause of knowledge of said murders is, that some of his, this deponent's servants, who were among the rebels, did give him the relation." [Temple, p. 110.] Jane Stewart deposeth to various murders" all which particulars the deponent was credibly told by those that escaped, and by her Irish servants and others of the town.' [Idem, p. 108.] ion, or joined with the rebels in action, till the month of December; for, as to those gentlemen of the county of Louth, who submitted to them before, being unable to defend themselves, or to make resistance, they had not yet appeared in action. The rebellion, till then, had been carried on by the mere Irish, and CONFINED TO ULSTER, to some few counties in Leinster, and that of Leitrim, in Connaught." [Carte's Ormond, vol. I. p. 243.] "The Irish, either out of fear of their numbers, or some other politic reason, making proclamation that no Scotsman should be molested in body, goods, or land." [Carte's Ormond, vol. I. p. 177.] "It was resolved" by the insurgents "not to kill any, but where of necessity they should be forced thereunto by opposition." [Temple, p. 65.] "It cannot reasonably be presumed, that there were at most above 20,000 English souls, of all ages and sexes, in Ulster at that time; and of these, as appears by the lords justices' letter, there were several thousand got safe to Dublin, and were subsisted there for many months afterwards; besides 6000 women and children, which Capt. Mervyn saved in Fermanagh, and others that got safe to Derry, Colerain, and Carrickfergus, and went from these and other parts into England." [Carte, vol. I. p. 178.] VOL. VII. 31 Dame Butler being duly sworn, deposeth that "Sir Edward Butler did inform her, that James Butler of Finnyhinch had hanged and put to death all the English that were at Goran and Wells, and all thereabouts." [Temple, p. 116.] "Richard Bourk deposeth, that he heard and verily believeth the burning and killing of one hundred at least in the Castle of Tullah, and that the same was done after fair quarter promised." [Temple, p. 84.] "Elizabeth Green deposeth, that she is verily persuaded that the rebels, at several times and places, within the county of Armagh, drowned above 4000 Protestants, enforcing the sons and daughters of those aged people, who were not able to go themselves, to take them out of their beds and houses, and carry them to the drowning, especially in the river of Toll!!" [Idem, p. 91.] "John Carmack deposeth, that he did hear that there were about 152,000 that they had destroyed in the province of Ulster, in the first four months of the rebellion." [Trial of Lord Maguire, appended to Temple's history, p. 225.] "James Geare, of the county of Monaghan, deposeth, that the rebels at Clownes murdered one James Netterville, proctor to the minister there, who, although he was diversely wounded, his belly ripped up, and his entrails taken out, and laid above a yard from him, yet he bled not at all, until they lifted him up, and carried him away!!" [Idem, p. 88.] "James Shaw deposeth, that many Irish rebels, in the time of this deponent's restraint and staying among them, told him very often, and that it was a common report, that all those that lived about the bridge of Portne down, were so affrighted with the cries and noise made there, of some spirits or visions, for revenge, as that they durst not stay, but fled away thence, (so as they protested,) affrighted, to Market-Hill." [Idem, p. 121.] "Joan, the relict of Gabriel Constable, deposeth and saith, that she hath often heard the rebels, Owen O'Farren, Patrick O'Conellan, and divers others of the rebels at Drumard, earnestly say, protest, and tell each other, that the blood of some of those that were knocked in the head, and afterwards drowned, at Portnedown bridge, still remained; that often there appeared visions or apparitions, sometimes of men, sometimes of women, breast-high above the water, at or near Portnedown, which did most extremely and fearfully screech and cry out for vengeance against the Irish that murdered their bodies there; and that their cries and shrieks did so terrify the Irish thereabouts, that none durst stay nor live longer there, but fled and removed further into the country." [Idem, p. 121.] Of the remaining depositions I shall give merely the heading, to show the miserable grounds on which the evidence of the numbers massacred and the cruelties practised by the Irish, rests. One is credibly informed"—another "sincerely believes"—a third was formed by the rebels themselves," &c. &c. "in John Montgomery, of the County of Monaghan, deposeth, that he was credibly informed, &c. [Idem, p. 89.] Thomas Fleetwood deposeth, that he heard from the mouths of the rebels themselves, &c. [Idem, p. 90.] Charity Chappel deposeth, that she hath credibly heard, &c. [Idem, p. 90.] Martha Culm deposeth, that she heard some of the rebels themselves say, &c. [Idem, p. 92.] James Hacket deposeth, that an Irish gentleman told him, &c. [Idem, p. 93.] John Clark deposeth, that he heard credibly from Mr. Lightfoot, minister of the Naas, &c. [Idem, p. 93.] Katharine Cook deposeth, that many of her neighbors said and affirmed, &c. [Ibid.] Christian Stanhaw deposeth, that a woman who formerly lived near Langale, absolutely informed this deponent, &c. [Idem, p. 94.] William Lucas deposeth, that he doth confidently believe, &c. [Idem, p. 97.] Alexander Creighton deposeth, that he heard it credibly reported among the rebels, &c. [Temple, p. 100.] John Stubs deposeth, that he heard by some of the sheriff's men, &c. [Idem, p. 90.] Elizabeth Champion, of the County of Fermanagh, deposeth, that she heard the rebels say, that they had killed so many Englishmen that the grease or fat which remained on their swords and skeins might well serve to make an Irish candle. [Ibid.] I hope the reader will pause a few moments, and ponder on these depositions in two points of view: first, as to the ground on which millions of acres were confiscated-and estates, which had descended from father to son, in regular order of succession, for centuries, were feloniously transferred from their rightful owners to, in some instances, the most worthless of mankind, and the owners doomed to penury and wretchedness, on evidence that would, I repeat, be scouted out of any honest court in Christendom, without a moment's hesitation. Let us try. this point by the argumentum ad hominem. Suppose a man accused of murder-and that George Washington swore that James Madison told him that he "verily believed" the man guilty, or that "he was credibly informed" of his guilt, would such a declaration have the weight of a feather with court or jury? Certainly not. The other point of view regards the history of the period in question. Temple is almost the only original authority for the rebellion, as it is called. Borlase and others of his cotemporaries, are mere compilers from him. On such miserable authority, partaking largely of the character of Baron Munchausen, has the foulest stigma been impressed on the character of one of the most oppressed and plundered nations in the world. Hume, the great and mighty Hume, out of forty-five references on the subject of this insurrection, has twenty-four from Temple's History!! However irrelevant these historical details may seem, I cannot allow myself to believe, that the candid and honorable will regret the time bestowed on their perusal. I should form a very humble opinion of the head or heart of the man who would not rejoice at the opportunity thus afforded him for emancipating his mind from the galling shackles of prejudice, by which it has been enslaved almost from his infancy, whereby he has been taught to abhor a portion of the human family who have had, for above six hundred years, as large a claim to sympathy and commiseration as any other portion has ever preferred. The Rev. Ferdinando Warner, LL. D. Vicar of Ronde, Wilts, Rector of St. Michael's, London, and of Barnes, Surry, a Protestant of high reputation for fairness and candor, wrote a history of the Irish Rebellion, in the preparation for which he had occasion to consult all the anterior authorities, and finally came to this conclusion: "It is easy enough to demonstrate the falsehood of the relation of every Protestant historian of this rebellion." [Warner's Irish Rebellion, p. 296.] He sums up the account of the murders in the following words :"The number of people killed, upon positive evidence, collected in two years after the insurrection broke out, adding them all together, amounts only to two thousand one hundred and nine; on the reports of other Protestants, one thousand six hundred and nineteen more; and on the report of some of the rebels themselves, a further number of three hundred; the whole making four thousand and twenty-eight. Besides these murders, there is, in the same collection, evidence, on the report of others, of eight thousand killed by ill usage and if we should allow that the cruelties of the Irish out of war, extended to these numbers, which, considering the nature of several of the depositions, I think in my conscience we cannot, yet to be impartial we must allow, that there is no pretence for laying a greater number to their charge." [Warner, p. 297.] This statement reduces the hundreds of thousands to 4028, exclusive of 8000 killed by ill usage-and even this number he thinks too great; for he says, "in his conscience he cannot believe it extended to these numbers." Who can reflect on this statement of a respectable Protestant historian, without indignation and horror at the stupendous falsehoods of the writers whom I have quoted above? What becomes of "the hundreds of thousands" murdered in a few weeks? Before bidding adieu here to the Vindicia Hibernicæ, I hope I shall be pardoned for introducing the opinions of the work of two individuals of high standing : "You have victoriously proved all your positions, and not only vindicated our common country, but fixed an indelible stigma on her oppressors. This book does more for its purpose than any other extant; and entitles you to the thanks of every lover of Ireland, and indeed of every lover of truth and humanity of any country." W. J. MacNeven, M. D. "Your brother's book has done more to vindicate Ireland than all that ever was written or published on the subject." Letter from the Right Rev. Dr. Troy, Archbishop of Dublin, to Wm. Carey. Philadelphia, Aug. 12, 1834. M. CAREY. THE TWO GRAVES. BY I. M'LELLAN, JUN. "Another interesting object in Mount Auburn Cemetery, is a Cenotaph in honor of a young man of talents and great promise, of whom the simple inscription says, 'The sea his body, heaven his spirit, holds.' And here is his unmade tomb, here the record of his name and death, here the place of tears, and the spot where he is remembered and loved; but he is not here! "There is also one at rest in his tomb, in this inclosure, who was known to a large circle of friends, and whose bright prospects were early shut in by death. Having enjoyed every advantage for the improvement of his mind, and of preparation for future usefulness by visiting foreign lands, he returned to the bosom of his family to die. Here he sleeps in the neighborhood of that seminary where he spent four of the most important years of his life, and in which he formed attachments of peculiar strength, and where he afterwards loved to come, and in the spirit of faithfulness and affection converse upon subjects which had assumed an infinite importance in .his mind." American Quarterly Observer. HERE, in the ray of morn and eve, Gleams the white stone, that bears his name; But far away, beneath the sea, Is sepulchred his frame. But here, with solemn step, may come Affection, with her streaming eye, The father, with his manly grief, The mother, with her mournful sigh, The brother, with his brow of care, The sister, with her secret prayer. Dear Youth! when seeking in a foreign land, How fondly didst thou pant, once more To join the anxious group at home; Or hope, at least, to bid farewell To life, beside a father's hearth, That kindred hands might close thine eye, But no;-strange faces watched thy dying pain, Another grave! another name Graved on the lonely church-yard stone, Another youthful heart at rest, Another youthful spirit flown! |