t the law had its unimpeded course, that juries did their
duty, and that crime was effectually restrained. So far from juries
doing their duty, it was difficult in the provinces to obtain
convictions, where a portion of the jury were O'Connellites, if the
person before them was arraigned for an agrarian offence, or an
outrage against the persons of those who were loyal. Neither Whigs, nor
Protestants who were politicians of a school yet more free, nor liberal
Roman Catholics who respected the law, or enforced their rights as
landlords, were spared by the secret societies, any more than the most
rabid Tories or the most flaming Orangemen. A reign of terror prevailed
through the country; the perpetrators of outrage were everywhere, and
the popular masses sympathised with them. An illustration of the state
of things then prevailing was afforded in the following paragraph from
the _Illustrated London News_ of the 21st of February, 1846:--

"On Friday (last week) Bryan Seery was executed at Mullingar. The
conviction took place under the following circumstances:--Some time
since Sir Francis Hopkins was shot at by a man in Westmeath; Sir Francis
tried to seize the assassin, but he escaped; and afterwards Seery was
captured. The sole witness to the prisoner's identity with the assassin
was the prosecutor: the defence was the common Irish defence--_alibi_,
which was of course sworn to stoutly, as it always is in Ireland. One
jury could not agree to the verdict, two Roman Catholics standing out
against conviction: a second jury condemned the man: efforts to procure
commutation of his sentence failed, and he was left for execution.
Seery, at the place of execution, solemnly denied his guilt. A
circumstance highly characteristic of the feeling of the public
occurred. The morning was calm--the sounding of bugles and peeling of
drums were heard in all directions: there was a perfect cessation of
business in the town. About ten o'clock all the shops were closed,
and not a single human being was to be seen in the streets--not one
individual came in from the country. Thus the people determined to mark
their opinion of this awful tragedy, for all regard Seery as a martyr.
At eleven o'clock the military were paraded before the gaol, and not one
human being appeared before the scaffold but themselves and the
police. Even the magistrates of the county stayed away--not one of
them appeared, except Mr. Uniacke, who walked up and down with Capt