OF THE

PENAL LAWS

AGAINST THE

IRISH CATHOLICS,

FROM

THE TREATY OF LIMERICK TO THE UNION.

BY HENRY PARNELL, Esq. M. P.

“ He felt it his duty to declare fully his sentiments on these points, bem
“cause he looked upon his Roman Catholic brethren as fellow subjects and
“ fellow Christians, believers in the same God, and partners in the same
• Redemption. Speculative differences in some points of faith from him,
“ were of no account, they and he had but one religion--the religion of
“ Christianity. Therefore, as children of the same father, as travellers in
“ the same road, and seekers of the same salvation, why not love each other
" as brothers? It was no part of Protestantism to persecute Catholics, and
“ without justice to the Catholics there could be no security for the Protes-
“ tant Establishment."--Vide Speech of Dr. Law, Bishop of Elphin, on the
Catholic Bill of 1793.

“ If any one should contend that this is not the time for Government to
“ make concessions to Ireland, I wish him to consider, whether there is any
“ time in which it is improper for either individuals or nations to do justice,
“ any season improper for extinguishing animosity, any occasion more suita
“ able than the present, for putting an end to heart-burnings, and internal
“ discontent."- Vide Speech intended to be spoken by Dr. Watson, Bishop
o Llandaff, November 23, 1803.

DUBLIN:

PRINTED BY H, FITZPATRICK, 4, CAPEL-STREET.

1808.

sov 10 1938

.676

PENAL LAWS,

4-с. 8-с.

WILLIAM III.

W HEN James abdicated the Throne of Eng. land, he retired to France, to solicit the aid of Louis XIV. to enable him to secure the possession of Ireland, where he was still acknowledged as the lawful Sovereign. On the 12th of March, 1689, James landed at Kinsale with about 1200 of his own subjects in the pay of France, and 100 French officers. He was received with open arms, and the whole country seemed to be de. voted to him, for although the Protestants in the North had declared for the new Government, their strength and number were inconsiderable, when compared with the forces of the Lord Deputy Tyrconnel. This Minister had difarmed all the other Protestants in one day, and assem.

bled

bled an army of 30,000 foot and 8000 cavalry.* Addresses were poured in upon James from all orders of the people. The established clergy among the rest congratulated him upon his arri. val, a certain sign that his chance of success was not contemptible.

James continued to govern Ireland, without any interruption from William, till the 13th of August,t when Schomberg landed at Belfast with an English army of 10,000 men. To oppose. him, James collected his forces amounting to 30,000 at Drogheda. Schomberg who had arrived at Dundalk thought it prudent to advance no farther ; and instead of reducing Ireland, after having loft one half of his army by fickness, he at the end of the campaign was under the neceflity of entrenching himfelf against an enemy, which he had been taught in England to despise, and of confining his operations to the protection of the Northern Province. S. · On the 14th of Júne in the year following, William landed with reinforcements at Carrickfergus. His military genius as well as the dif

tracted * Smollet, 1. 36. + Leland, v. 3. b. 6. c. 6. Ib. g Ib.

tracted state of England, and the formidable preparations of France, inclined him to a vigorous prosecution of the war in Ireland.* He advanced towards Dublin with an army of 36,000 men, James collected his forces amounting to 33,000 at Drogheda, and by an unaccountable infatuation resisted the advice of his General Officers to act on the defensive against William ; who would then have had to contend at the fame time against a threatened foreign invasion of Britain, the insurrection which his own subjects were plotting, and the difficulty of maintaining his Irish army in an unfriendly climate without provisions or fuccours.

Though William obtained a decided victory at the Boynę, the Irish army had fought with çourage and obstinący; and, in consequence of having at ope time repulsed the centre of the English army, were able to retire in good order, with the loss of only 1500 men. The subse. quent defeat of General Douglas before Athlone, and of William himself before Limerick, left James at the end of the campaign in polleflion

of