Mr. John-Dillon, tenant of count Dalton, and took from him two guns and a cafe of pistols; and at that of Mrs. Thompson at Parfon's-town, from whom they took one gun, three guineas, and fix fhillings; and at that of K. Kenny's, where they got fourteen guineas, two fhillings, and two guns, after firing many fhots through the doors; and alfo at that of Mr. Leftrange's: That about a dozen defenders went ufually on an expedition. On the first rising they were to feize on the castle of Dublin, and to maffacre the proteftants every where. No. XIII. THE fubftance of an information fworn by a white fmith, in the city of Dublin, in the month of June, 1798, before John Claudius Beresford, efquire, who had him arreft ed on a charge of being concerned with the United Irishmen. His name is concealed, left he should be affaffinated for being an informer. That he was feduced and made an United Irishman the first day of May, 1797, and belonged to a fociety of twelve, of which Rowland Goodman, a flator, was fecretary. That he hoped to rife to the rank of an officer in a fuperior committee, which regulated his, but which he had never seen, but he faw among their rules, fet out in a printed paper, that no blackmouth or blackbean, fhould ever rife; and he difcovered afterwards that thefe appellations fignified a protestant, and Goodman reported him to be fuch. That one Hely, a chimney doctor, was fubftituted as fecretary in the place of Goodman; and carried to the fuperior committee a propofal and plan for burning the caftle of Dublin, which was approved of. Informant afked Hely how it was to be done? and when he was about to inform him of it, the reft of the committee prevented him, because, as informant believed, he was a protestant. Hely told informant, that Horifh was a found good fellow, and much attached to the cause. Rowland Goodman, and John Graham, asked informant to make pikes for the United Irishmen; but, on his hesitating, fufpicions were entertained of his fincerity in the cause; VOL. II. Y and * A master sweep, deeply concerned in the confpiracy, who was faid to be engaged in a plan to burn the castle and many other buildings and houses. 'and Goodman went to his wife, and said, he feared that he was not to be depended on, and that he would hang thoufands. One Masterson faid, if he makes the pikes he will do, if not, Browne will out-him; which was a cantword for killing informers. That a plan was formed in his committee, and carried up to the fuperior one, to feize the foldiers who lined the streets, when the lord lieutenant was going to the houfe of lords; that three men armed with daggers were to attack each foldier, and difarm him, and, if he refifted, put him to death; that they were to enter the houfe of parliament to kill fuch members as were not their friends, and at the fame time to get poffeffion of the caftle. At laft, ftrong fufpicions being entertained of informant, the queftion for his expulfion was put, and every member of the committee, but one, voted for it. That no perfon of his committee had any knowledge of, or connection with, the fuperior committee, but the fecretary. While he was in the fociety, a plan was formed, and sent up to the fuperior committee, "That each committee fhould fupply two men, who were not afraid of losing their lives, and that they were to form affaffination committees of five, to kill the leading men of the kingdom." That they endeavoured to keep the object a fecret from him; but fome of the members informed him, that it was to do-out* the leading men of the kingdom. He understood that every Roman catholick in the kingdom was in the united caufe; that the militia and yeomen of that perfuafion were attached to it; and that they were to kill all thofe of a different religion in action. He was informed that all the popish fervants in Dublin were United Irishmen; and he faw many of them at their different meetings. They made it a religious caufe, and often faid, that a Roman catholick would certainly go to heaven, if he killed three proteftants. They refolved never to lay out fixpence with any protestant. Such fanatical converfation was very common in their clubs. The castle was to have been attacked in front, and in rear, from Ship-street. The Do-out was a cant-word for affaffinating. The leading men in government, particularly the Beresford family, were to be done-out. There was to be a general rifing; a fky-rocket was to be the fignal for it, and informant was to get twenty-four hours notice of it. The following regiments of militia were confidered as moft attached and fteady to the united caufe: The Kildare, Weftmeath, Longford, Kilkenny, and King's county. The following paper, found by alderman Alexander in a box, in the poffeffion of Mr. Sheares, was read on his trial: Note. The words in italicks were interlined: thofe between crotchets were ftruck across with a pen. « Irishmen, ["Your country is free; all thofe monsters who ufurped its government to opprefs its people are in our hands, except fuch as have"] "Your country is free, and you are about to be avenged, [already] that vile government which has fo long and fo cruelly oppreffed you, is no more; fome of its most atrocious monsters have already paid the forfeit of their lives, and the rest are in our hands [waiting their fate.] The national flag, the facred green, is at this moment flying over the ruins of defpotifm, and that capital, which a few hours paft [was the scene] witneffed the debauchery, [the machinations] plots and crimes of your tyrants, is now the citadel of triumphant patriotifm and virtue. Arife then, united fons of Ireland arife like a great and powerful people, determined to [live] be free or die; arm yourfelves by every means in your power, and rufh like lions on your foes; confider that [in difarming your enemy] for every enemy you difarm, you arm a friend, and thus become doubly powerful. In the cause of liberty inaction is cowardice, and the coward fhall forfeit the property he has not the courage to protect. Let his arms be feized, and transferred to those gallant [patriots] /pirits who want, and will use them: Yes, Irishmen, we fwear by that eternal justice, in whose cause you fight, that the brave patriot, who furvives the prefent glorious ftruggle, and the family of him who has fallen, or fhall fall hereafter in it, shall receive from the hands of a grateful nation, an ample recompence out of [thofe funds] that property which the crimes of our enemies [fhall] have forfeited into its hands, and his name [too] Y 2 fhall fhall be infcribed on the national record of Irish revolution, as a glorious example to all pofterity; but we likewife fwear to punish robbery with death and infamy." "We also fwear, that we will never fheath the fword until every [perfon] being in the country is restored to thofe equal rights, which the God of Nature has given to all men, until an order of things fhall be eftablished, in which no fuperiority fhall be acknowledged among the citizens of Erin, but that [which] of virtue and talent [shall intitle to."] "As for those degenerate wretches who turn their fwords against their native country, the national vengeance awaits them: Let them find no quarter unless they fhall prove their repentance by speedily deferting, exchanging the ftandard of flavery for that of freedom, under which their former errors may be buried, and they may share the glory and advantages that are due to the patriot bands of Ireland. "Many of the military feel the love of liberty glow within their breafts, and have [already to] joined the national ftandard; receive [thofe] with open arms, fuch as fhall follow fo glorious an example; they can render fignal fervice to the cause of freedom, and fhall be rewarded according to their deferts: But for the wretch who turns his fword against his native country, let the national vengeance be vifited on him, let him find no quarter. Two other crimes demand- "Roufe all the energies of your fouls; call forth all the merit and abilities which a vicious government configned to obfcurity, and under the conduct of your chofen leaders, march with a steady step to victory; heed not the glare of a [mercenary] hired foldiery, or ariftocratick yeomanry, they cannot ftand the vigorous fhock of freedom, [clofe with them Man to Man, and let them fee what vigour the cause of freedom can.] Their trappings and their arms will foon be yours, and the detefted government of England, to which we vow eternal hatred, fhall learn, that the treasures, [fhe, it] they exhaust on [their mercenary] its accoutred flaves, for the purpofe of butchering Irishmen, fhall but further enable us to turn their fwords on its devoted head." "Attack them in every direction by day and by night; avail yourselves of the natural advantages of your country, which are innumerable, and with which you are better ac quainted quainted than they Where you cannot oppofe them in full force, conftantly harafs their rear and their flanks: Cut off their provifions and magazines, and prevent them as much as poffible from uniting their forces: Let whatever nomerits you cannot [pafs in] devote to fighting for your country, be [devoted to] paffed in learning how to fight for it, or preparing the means of war; for war, war alone, muft occupy every mind, and every hand in Ireland, until its longoppreffed foil be purged of all its enemies." "Vengeance, Irifhmen, vengeance on your oppreffors remember what thousands of your dearest friends have perifhed by their [murders, cruel plots,] merciless orders; remember their burnings, their rackings, their torturings, their military maffacres, and their legal murders. member ORR." Re Letter from John Sheares, found on Samuel Neilfon, on the evening of the 23d of May, SIR, I HAVE fought you in every direction, but unfortunately in vain. It is now too late to ufe many words upon the fubject of our intended interview-let it fuffice to fay, that I am acquainted with the deftructive defign you meditate, and am refolved to counteract it, whatever it may coft me-rest affured that nothing fhall check a refolution, which honour, private affection and publick duty unite to demand the immediate execution of, and that however unwilling I may be at any other moment to take the only steps which your obftinacy may render neceffary this evening, for the prefervation of my friends and my country, I will without hefita tion take them. The feheme you have undertaken I view with horror, whether its effects be confidered as relating to my imprisoned friends, the deftruction of whofe property and lives must be the confequence, even of your fuccefs, or as affecting Arthur O'Connor's exiftence, the precarious chance for which you thus cruelly leffen, or, (what is fuperior to every other confideration) as enfuring the ruin of Ireland's freedom. In fhort, Mr. to be candid with you, the scheme is fo totally deftitute of any apology, even from the plea of folly or paffion, that I cannot avoid attributing its origin to a wo fe caufe, and nothing can convince me of the contrary, but your immediately foregoing so pernicious an enterprise. In these fentiments I am not ongular, nor in the refolution which arifes from them; and fhould |