fled and imposed upon, and misled by the hypocritical howlings
and fictitious alarms of the old Tory party, who, whenever they felt the
slightest dread that the Irish Establishment would slip through their
fingers, filled heaven and earth with prophetic denunciations against
England, not forbearing to threaten the very throne itself with a
general alienation of Protestant attachment and allegiance, if any of
its worst and rottenest corruptions should be touched. No; the Whigs
should have known the state and condition of the Irish church from
clear and correct sources, and not have subjected the country to the
pernicious and degrading consequences of a turbulent agitation. What
is just in itself ought to be conceded to reason and utility, and not
withheld until violence and outrage seem to extort it; for this only
holds out a bounty to future agitation. Be this as it may, the whole
country, at the period of which we write, was in a state of general
commotion and tumult altogether unparalleled. Law was completely
paralyzed, set at defiance, and laughed at. Large bodies, consisting of
many thousands, traversed different parts of the country in open day,
swearing every one they met to resist the payment of tithes in every
way and in every sense. Many gentlemen, who had either paid it or been
suspected to do so, or who had been otherwise obnoxious as landlords,
or for strong party feeling, were visited by these licentious multitudes
with an intention of being put to death, whilst the houses of several
wealthy farmers, who had unfortunately paid the hated impost, were
wrecked in the face of day. Nor was this all: men were openly and
publicly marked for destruction, and negotiations for their murder
entered into in fairs, and markets, and houses of entertainment, without
either fear or disguise. In such a state of things, it is unnecessary to
say that many lives were taken, and that great outrages were from
time to time committed. Two or three clergymen were murdered, several
tithe-proctors or collectors of tithe were beaten nearly to death;
and to such a pitch did the opposition rise, that at length it became
impossible to find any one hardy and intrepid, or, in other words, mad
enough, to collect tithe, unless under the protection either of the
military or police. Our friends, Proctor Purcel and his sons, were now
obliged, not merely to travel armed, but frequently under the escort of
police. Their principal dread, however, wa