otestants had resolved to
celebrate, the Catholics determined to oppose their intention by force
wherever they could, and in the counties of Clare, Tipperary, Armagh,
Leitrim, Cavan, Fermanagh, and Monaghan, the aspect of open war was
assumed, and it was only prevented by the presence of the military.
Many lives were, indeed, sacrificed, and many thousands were driven from
their homes by the opposing parties. In several instances where
death had occurred from the interference of the police, or from their
resistance when attacked, trials ensued; but this only tended to
exasperate the Catholics still more. An acquittal, though proceeding
on the clearest evidence that life had been justly taken from an armed
aggressor, was uniformly ascribed to partiality. Imagining that the law
existed only to be used against them they took the task of retribution
for supposed injuries into their own hands, and assumed arms to gratify
revenge, in defiance of the law Judges, juries, and the government were
laughed at by Catholic criminals, for no witness dared to communicate
what he knew against them. At the close of this year, indeed, matters
had proceeded to such a length in Ireland, and especially in Tipperary,
that the magistrates expressed an opinion that nothing but a revival
of the insurrection act would secure the peace of the country. But
this could not be effected, for it had expired, and parliament was
not sitting. So Ireland was left to be rent asunder with the spirit of
faction. "State gipsies" were left to pick the pockets of the ignorant
as they pleased, or as they could gain control over those of the people,
by their artful and seditious harangues.

AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL DISTRESS.

{GEORGE IV. 1829--1830}

England, also, this year presented its scenes of lawlessness. This arose
from different causes to those which gave rise to the insurrection
in Ireland. These causes were the distress which prevailed among the
agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial classes. The depression in
every branch of trade experienced this year naturally gave rise to
a reduction of wages among the artisans. These artisans, however,
unreasonably ascribed this reduction, not to the necessities of trade,
but to the avarice of their employers; and they still more unreasonably
proceeded to their usual correctives--voluntary idleness, and the
destruction of property. The example was set by the silk-weavers
of Spitalfields and Bethnal-G