tion. It is worthy of remark, that these people must have from some previous cause been led to form so bad an opinion of their neighbors, when they gave credit with so much facility to these reports.

Several had been confined in Wexford as United Irishmen, to be prosecuted by an informer of a description quite different from that of the Wicklow ruffian. The name of this second informer was Joseph Murphy, a creature of such idiot aspect, that it was impossible, even at first view, not to conclude him destitute of common intellect, so that it appeared strange that any magistrate of the least discrimination could venture to produce him: yet, this was the man chosen craftily to insinuate himself to be sworn a United Irishman, and then to develop this whole scheme of the combination to a magistrate of the county, who had employed him for that purpose, as he afterwards asserted in the most solemn manner; and his testimony on the trial, when he was produced as an informer, sufficiently warrants this confession. Only one trial was ventured on by the crown-solicitor at the prosecution of this man, and on hearing his evidence the prisoner was instantly acquitted, and the remainder of those against whom he had given information were turned out of the dock, without any trial whatever. I should not dwell upon these apparently trivial circumstances, but that the public can judge of the truth only by a faithful relation of facts; and these facts also tend to prove that the system of the United Irishmen had not diffused itself through the county of Wexford to the extent so confidently affirmed by an author, whose veracity in almost every other instance appears equally questionable. The truth is, that no authentic proof existed at the time to support these arrogant assertions; and subsequent information confirms how little the coun

ty of Wexford was concerned in that conspiracy, as no return appears of its being organized, in the discoveries of the secret committees of the Houses of Lords and Commons. It would be as contrary to truth, however, to say there were no United Irishmen in the county of Wexford; but by every statement worthy of credit, that has ever appeared, their numbers were comparatively fewer in this than in any other county in Ireland; and such as were of that description here seem to have been privately sworn in the detached unconnected manner of the first progress of that business, before it assumed the form of regular organization. According to this system, now so universally known, the United Irishmen of the county of Wexford, considering the means whereby those were urged into the conspiracy, do not appear to come strictly under that denomination; for their first inducement to combine was, to render their party strong enough to resist the Orangemen, whom they actually believed to be associated and sworn for the extermination of the Catholics, and "to wade ankle deep in their blood!" What dreadful notions of terror and alarm must have filled the minds of people believing themselves thus devoted to inevitable destruction! so strongly, indeed, was it endeavored to impress the horrid belief, that it was frequently reported through the country, that the Orangemen were to rise in the night-time to murder all the Catholics. Reports of an opposite kind also went abroad, as it appears, by a public advertisement, that a reward of one hundred guineas was offered by the Roman Catholic inhabitants of the neighborhood of Gorey, for the discovery of some wicked and designing persons who had circulated a malevolent and detestable rumor, that all the churches were to be attacked on Sunday, the 29th of April, and that a general massa

cre of the Protestants was to follow. The advertisement was signed by the priests and principal inhabitants of the place, with Sir Thomas Esmonde, Baronet, at their head; and thus did the Catholics do all in their power to satisfy the minds of their Protestant brethren. These reports certainly occasioned a great deal of mischief among the ignorant and uninformed of all descriptions, whose minds were wrought up to such fury and animosity, that the opposite parties united for mutual defence and hostility to their opponents.

On the 30th of March, 1798, all Ireland was put under martial law, and officially declared to be in a state of rebellion by a proclamation from the lord lieutenant and privy council of the realm. In this proclamation the military were directed to use the most summary method of repressing disturbances.

The orange system made no public appearance in the county of Wexford, until the beginning of April, on the arrival there of the North Cork militia, commanded by Lord Kingsborough. In this regiment there were a great number of Ŏrangemen, who were zealous in making proselytes, and displaying their devices; having medals and orange ribands triumphantly pendent from their bosoms. It is believed, that previous to this period there were but few actual Orangemen in the county; but soon after, those whose principles inclined that way, finding themselves supported by the military, joined the association, and publicly avowed themselves, by assuming the devices of the fraternity.

It is said, that the North Cork regiment were also the inventors--but they certainly were the introducers, of pitch-cap torture into the county of Wexford. Any person having his hair cut short, (and therefore called a croppy, by which appellation the sol

diery designated a United Irishman, on being pointed out by some loyal neighbor, was immediately seized and brought into a guard-house, where caps either of coarse linen, or strong brown paper, besmeared inside with pitch, were always kept ready for service. The unfortunate victim had one of these, well heated, compressed on his head, and when judged of a proper degree of coolness, so that it could not be easily pulled off, the sufferer was turned out amidst the horrid acclamations of the merciless torturers; and to the view of vast numbers of people, who generally crowded about the guard-house door, attracted by the afflicted cries of the tormented. Many of those persecuted in this manner experienced additional anguish from the melted pitch trickling into their eyes. This afforded a rare addition of enjoyment to these keen sportsmen, who reiterated their horrid yells of exultation on the repetition of the several accidents to which their game was liable upon being turned out; for in the confusion and hurry of escaping from the ferocious hands of these more than savage barbarians, the blinded victims frequently fell, or inadvertently dashed their heads against the walls in their way. The pain of disengaging this pitched cap from the head must be next to intolerable. The hair was often torn out by the roots, and not unfrequently parts of the skin were so scalded or blistered as to adhere and come off along with it. The terror and dismay that these outrages occasioned are inconceivable. Ă sergeant of the North Cork, nicknamed Tom the Devil, was most ingenious in devising new modes of torture. Moistened gunpowder was frequently rubbed into the hair cut close, and then set on fire; some, while being sheared for this purpose, had the tips of their ears snipped off; sometimes an entire ear, and often both ears were completely cut off; and many lost

part of their noses during the like preparation. But, strange to tell, these atrocities were publicly practised without the last reserve in open day, and no magistrate or officer ever interfered, but shamefully connived at this extraordinary mode of quieting the people! Some of the miserable sufferers on these shocking occasions, or some of their relations or friends, actuated by a principle of retaliation, if not of revenge, cut short the hair of several persons whom they either considered as enemies, or suspected of having pointed them out as objects for such desperate treatment. This was done with a view that those active citizens should fall in for a little experience of the like discipline, or to make the fashion of short hair so general that it might no longer be a mark of party distinction. Females were also exposed to the grossest insults from these military ruffians. Many women had their petticoats, handkerchiefs, caps, ribands, and all parts of their dress that exhibited a shade of green (considered the national color of Ireland) torn off, and their ears assailed by the most vile and indecent ribaldry. This was a circumstance so unforeseen, and of course so little provided against, that many women of enthusiastic loyalty suffered outrage in this manner. Some of these ladies would not on any account have worn any thing which they could even imagine partook in any degree of croppyism. They were, however, unwarily involved, until undeceived by these gentle hints from these kind guardians of allegiance.

Great as the apprehensions from Orangemen had been before among the people, they were now multiplied tenfold, and aggravated terror led them in numbers to be sworn United Irishmen, in order to counteract the supposed plan of their rumored exterminators. The fears of the people became so