ach other. He boasted of having entered Protestant
towns at the head of twenty or thirty thousand Catholics, which appears
to have been essentially correct. At first he met with no opposition in
his wild career. The magistrates warned the people against joining
in his processions, and even entreated the man himself to give up his
mischievous crusade. On, however, the man went, until at length the
people of the north were aroused to resist his progress. It was his
custom to proclaim beforehand the day on which he was to make his entry
into the different towns at the head of his legions; and, in accordance
with this custom, he gave notice that he should "take possession" of the
town of Armagh on the 30th of September. The Protestants of that town,
however, resolved to impede his progress, and many of them marched into
the city, armed, from all parts of the county. Mr. Lawless proceeded no
further with this intention, and the Protestants quietly dispersed.
He next announced his intention of entering Ballabay in the county of
Monaghan; and here likewise the Protestants resolved to resist him. He
was met in the vicinity of the town by a magistrate, who stated what the
result would be, and prevailed on him to forego his intentions. Some of
his followers, however, were less prudent; and a collision took place
between the two parties, in which a Catholic was killed. Mr.
Lawless returned to Carrickmacross to await further orders from the
Association, at the same time declaring that he would visit all the
strongholds of the Orangemen. It was plain to all the world, however,
by this time that the Orangemen would not allow these tumultuous find
insulting visits to be made without opposition. By the end of September,
indeed, the two parties were prepared for a collision, the result of
which it was impossible to foresee. The Association, however, began to
fear that they had gone too far; and they were wise enough to foresee
that if a collision took place the Catholics would be the losers. They
boasted, indeed, great things; "that the might of the Catholics would
crush the Orangemen into dust," &c, should a collision take place; but
they felt to the contrary. They knew that Protestant Great Britain
would interfere, and, as Mr. Shiel said, "cut them down in a week." "The
Protestants," said the same powerful orator, "are becoming every day
more alienated by our display of power. The great proprietors, and all
men who have an interest in t