ical organisation,
and while he had so wielded the masses thus organised as to prevent
insurrection, he kept the government in continual alarm, lest some
sudden outbreak should rend society and deluge the country with
blood. The "agitator" professed to hold the doctrine of moral force in
opposition to physical force; but while he proclaimed that the liberties
of Ireland were "not worth the shedding of one drop of blood," and in
long letters and speeches declared that whoever committed crime was his
enemy, and the enemy of Irish freedom, he palliated those crimes, when
committed, defended the criminals, shifted the blame to the Protestants,
the local authorities, the government, the law, or the Saxon; and so
wrote and spoke as was calculated to lead the perpetrators of outrage
to regard themselves as having an excuse for their crimes, in their
own condition or that of their country. The general feeling of the
disaffected in reference to Mr. O'Connell's exhortations of peace was,
that he was only sincere so far as expediency dictated; that he had no
other objection to physical force than his conviction that the prospects
of success did not warrant recourse to it. Accordingly, whilst a great
display was made of carrying out his "moral force" policy, and his
"pacificators" were the ostensible preservers of the peace,--taking the
credit themselves, or claiming it for their chief, of preventing an open
insurrection,--murder, incendiarism, assault, and religious persecution
were carried out in detail. When any were arraigned, no scruples were
entertained as to the means by which conviction might be prevented;
perjury, intimidation, and assassination were among these
instrumentalities. When convicted, the criminal was regarded as
suffering for his religion and country, although the crime for which he
was condemned was some cruel and cowardly assassination, or attempt
to commit such. "The liberal press," as the newspapers devoted to the
agitation were designated, was filled with extenuations or denials of
the culprit's guilt, and the most vengeful attacks were made upon all
who sought to enforce the laws, and preserve peace and life from the
ruffian hands of the Ribbonmen, and "the moral force agitators." Lord
John Russell has often resorted to _finesse_ in his parliamentary
tactics which has not always done him honour, but he never erred in this
respect more egregiously than when, withdrawing the Irish arms bill, he
reported tha