Page images
PDF
EPUB

10

THE LEAGUE SPEECHES.

was their first duty to obey those in authority. He said, "We have entered our protest against this treasonable meeting being here held, and it now only remains for us to retire, as directed, and hold our own meeting elsewhere." The mass of loyalists then sang "God save the Queen," and turning round, proceeded to the neighbouring demesne of a gentleman, and there held a demonstration and made speeches on their own account. I returned to the Land League meeting, which could not have consisted of more than a hundred people, and listened to the addresses of the various orators. Mr Davitt struck me as being a very effective speaker, and to a sentimental nature I should imagine he was especially convincing. He has but one arm, and I could not help feeling a certain amount of sympathy for him personally. When his speech closed, I thought to myself that if he really believed all he said, it was difficult to see how he could be ought else but an ardent and uncompromising rebel. Mr

COUNTER-DEMONSTRATION.

11

Dillon's pale thoughtful face and earnest voice assisted much the effect of his very impressive manner. As to Mr Biggar, perhaps the less said the better.

I was presently informed that the Orangemen, having concluded their own indignation meeting, had taken to the fields with further designs upon the Land Leaguers. There was no reason, however, for indulging in any misgivings as to our power of preserving the peace, so we awaited the development of any movement taking place. In a short time, the high land adjacent was occupied by the Orangemen in some force. They advanced down the hillsides towards the meeting, flourishing sticks and making a noise, and it became necessary to cause a charge to be executed by a small party of police. Thirty or forty loyalists succeeded in getting through the lines of armed men into the ground reserved for the meeting, but the main body was kept back at a safe distance. A few prisoners were taken, and retained as hostages

[blocks in formation]

until the day's proceedings were over. Had there been any temporising on our part, it would have been difficult, without resorting to extreme measures, to have prevented the Land Leaguers being swept away by the large number of their opponents present, who were only anxious to get the opportunity of putting an end to Messrs Biggar & Co.'s powers of further treasonable agitation. At the close, the leading Land Leaguers were protected to the hotel, where Mr Biggar was not too proud to send his compliments to me, asking that he might be protected out of the town. I sent my compliments in return to Mr Biggar, informing him that every subject of the Queen was entitled to protection, and that he would of course get it. He left the town in a closed conveyance, surrounded by policemen with "fixed" swords, amidst the jeers of the people.

The Orangemen were highly displeased with my conduct on the occasion. Probably they forgot that I was bound to do my duty

PROTECTING TREASON.

13

and carry out the instructions I had received to protect the Land League meeting. They loudly hooted me that night at the theatre, a proceeding which no doubt afforded them some amusement, while waiting for the curtain to rise.

Truly we live in a peculiar country. It often struck me that in the United Kingdom alone could anything so extraordinary be seen, as the armed forces of the Crown standing round and protecting a gathering of rebels preaching treason. Not only was treason openly preached; but on such occasions language was addressed to the people distinctly inciting to murder, and, considering the crime taking place at the time, I must add that the language seemed to be deliberately used with this object. Let me record, for instance, the words I heard a reverend Roman Catholic gentleman use at a Land League meeting in the county of Down, shortly after the one I have just described. After abusing landlords unreservedly, and accusing

14

CLERICAL ORATORY.

them of all descriptions of oppression and tyranny, he went on to detail what in his imagination constituted the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of a gentleman. chops, rashers of bacon,

66

Beef-steaks, mutton

hams, and jams of "The tenant,

sorts' what did he eat? Meal in the morning made into stirabout, a potato for his dinner, and meal again for his supper. Worse feeding than the landlord gave his pigs. Do you know what I would give the landlords? I would take a buckshot - cartridge, tear the top of it off" (the reverend Christian here went through the various motions of loading a gun), “pour it into a wine-glass" (here he inverted the imaginary cartridge as if emptying its contents into the muzzle of a gun), "and I'd mix that up and give it to the landlord to drink for his supper." The reverend gentleman evidently misunderstood the brave and manly farmers of the north, whom he was addressing. Their feelings were outraged by such diabolical suggestions. Yet I was stand

s" were provided ad lib.

« PreviousContinue »