h, and the
connection of the two islands become closer and more permanent than
ever.

I have already mentioned the Convention and Gunpowder Acts, and the
discontent which these laws had excited. Administration felt, that on
these questions there was but one opinion amongst the people of Ireland.
They perceived, that though these acts were of the strongest kind, their
operation would not be adequate to the suppression of the existing and
encreasing discontent; and they therefore resorted to a device, which,
having been but too often and too successfully tried in Ireland on
former occasions, would, it was hoped, be equally successful at present.
A religious feud was excited, and suffered to rage without check or
intermission, until it nearly desolated a whole county. Some petty
quarrels had, a considerable time back, taken place in the county of
Armagh, between a few Catholics and Presbyterians, which, however,
produced no serious mischief, and were almost instantly terminated
either by the interposition of the magistrates, or by the mutual
compromise of the parties. Subsequent to this, the county of Armagh
enjoyed the most profound tranquillity, until about this period a party
started up on the sudden, without visible motive, without provocation,
and, to the surprize of the people in Ireland, commenced a most
outrageous and unaccountable persecution of the Catholic inhabitants. It
would shock the ears of an Englishman, and, perhaps, exceed his belief,
were I to give a minute detail of the ferocious barbarities which were
committed by this party. It may suffice to say, that under the name of
Orange-men, and under colour of attachment to the constitution and
affection for the Protestant establishment, they not only burned the
houses and destroyed the persons of numbers of the unfortunate Catholics
in the heat of blood and fervour of outrage, but with a cool and settled
system proceeded to banish the whole of them. Entire districts were
proscribed in a night. Labels were affixed on all the Catholic houses in
a village, with the words "To Connaught or to Hell!" Nor was the threat
vain;--for in numberless instances where the unfortunate inhabitants
refused to obey the mandate, their habitations were pulled down or
burned by these bravadoes of the constitution, happy if they thus
escaped personal destruction. In many cases these outrages were
accompanied by plunder; but plunder did not seem to constitute any part
of the syste