CHAP. XII.

Insurrection in Ireland.

THE insurrection which took place in the kingdom of Ireland, in the year 1803, though insignificant in its consequences, is, nevertheless, one of those domestic feuds which merits a place in the page of history, as it was attended with many extraordinary

circumstances. The characters of some of its leaders were singular, and the means by which they intended to accomplish their purpose, certainly of a very a very novel kind. In fact, it was one of those national occurrences, which cannot fail to excite the attention of the present age, and which posterity must regard with peculiar interest.

Much about the time that his majesty's message to parliament had announced the probability of a renewal of the war with the French, numbers of persons who had been concerned in the late rebellion, were observed to return to Ireland from France, and different parts of the continent, whither they had fled to avoid the punishment of the law. And it appears, indeed, that a considerable degree of agitation still existed in the minds of thousands of the lower orders of the Irish, and many, no doubt, secretly sought an opportunity of revenging the loss of their friends and relatives, who had fallen in the rebellion of 1798.

An active correspondence was set on foot with the French; the organization of a new conspiracy was commenced with great diligence and secrecy; and there is every reason to believe that Bonaparte contributed all in his power to forward the views of the insurgents, flattering himself, no doubt, that he was thus advancing his own ultimate designs. The leaders of the Irish rebellion met at Paris; they there held consultations; their hopes were flattered; great promises were made them by the French government; and they were directed to communicate similar impulses to their agents and adherents in Ireland. Shortly afterwards, some of the leaders of the insurrection fixed themselves in Dublin, while others spread through different parts of the country, for the purpose of fanning the latent spark of disaffection into a flame, and rousing the people once more to action.

The chief director and principal mover of this new plot was Mr. Robert Emmett; who was a young man of an ardent mind; and, it must be allowed, of much more ability than falls to the ordinary lot of men. His father was a man of good character, and had filled, for a considerable time, the situation of state physician in the city of Dublin. He was the younger brother also of that Emmett, who had abandoned a respectable situation at the Irish bar, in order to take an active part in the rebellion of 1798. Indeed, Mr, Robert Emmett, during that period, had been so unguarded in his conduct, as to draw apon himself the

attention of the Irish government; and he had found it prudent to reside abroad during the suspension of the Habeas Corpus; but he had returned to his native country, on the removal of that obstacle.

This young man, as has been said before, possessed an ardent mind, a brilliant imagination, and a flow of eloquence often rising to the fire, and always consistent with the correctness, of legitimate oratory. From the rapid succession of revolutionary objects which it had been his lot to witness, and the society of republican projectors, to which, from inclination and habit, he had chiefly confined himself from his early youth, he imbibed those principles and maxims of government, for the institution and promotion of which, he was prompted to undertake an enterprize, pregnant with danger, and which cost him his life at the early age of twenty-four. This young man's principal associates were Dowdall, who had formerly filled an inferior office under the Irish house of commons; a person of the name of Redmond, who affected to be engaged in commercial pursuits; and one Allen, a woollen draper.

Besides these, there was a conspirator of consisiderable abilities, whose name was Quigley. This person had been outlawed in 1798, and had, since that period, resided in France; but, upon the re-commencement of the war between that country and England, he had returned to Ireland, well provided with money (with which, it is most likely, the French government had supplied him) for the purpose of

exciting a spirit of insurrection. Quigley traversed, with unceasing activity, his native county of Kildare, putting the lower orders of his countrymen in mind of all their causes of dissatisfaction and complaint; and exhorting them to throw off the slavish yoke imposed upon them by the present form of government; thus he continued to tamper with the people, and succeeded in attaching vast numbers to his cause; whom he prevailed upon to hold themselves in readiness for the projected attempt. This man was uncommonly successful in seducing his countrymen, which was afterwards fully evinced by the numbers who came from Kildare to Dublin at the appointed time.

But the conspiracy was yet more extensive. A person named Russel was stationed in the north, in the populous counties of Down and Antrim: while others of less note were subdivided throughout various parts of the country, with authority from their leaders to forward the design by every means in their power. Mr. Russel was the son of an officer who had served his majesty, with great credit to himself, and honor to his country; and had afterwards enjoyed an honorable retreat, in the situation of master of the royal hospital for veterans at Kilmainham, near Dublin. He also was placed early in the army; had been at the battle of Bunker's Hill, and the subsequent campaigns in North America; and bad, after the peace, either retired on half pay, or his corps was reduced. Mr. Russel had cultivated literature, and was the author of several religious publi

cations in his manners he was gentlemanly, and generally allowed to possess considerable feeling and sentiment. Such were the characters of the principal leaders of this conspiracy.

Some important assistance, however, was further expected from a person of the name of Dwyer; who, at the head of a sort of banditti, had remained in arms from the period of the rebellion in 1798, obstinately rejecting every promise of pardon; and eluding all pursuit, contrived to sustain himself in the fastnesses of the Wicklow mountains. Overtures were made to this person on the part of Emmett; but it is certain that he never took any active part; and he is said to have returned for answer, " that he would not commit his brave men upon the faith or good conduct of the rabble of Dublin; if, however, the latter could achieve any point of moment, or that he should behold, from his elevated position, the green flag flying over the king's on the tower of the castle, that he would be at hand to cover or second the enterprise."

But the most remarkable part of this conspiracy was the secrecy with which it was conducted. Obscure reports, it is true, and mysterious observations were afloat in Dublin, and symptoms of clandestine meetings and novel conferences were observed in the more distant counties; yet it does not appear that the government of the country received the least information through any obvious channel; and the parties appear to have been true to each other, with