they refused. The peasants and
colliers then directed showers of stones against the doors and windows,
and also opened a fire of small arms from an outhouse. This was replied
to by the police, who killed several and wounded many others. O'Brien
was perfectly incompetent to give any useful direction, and his men
began to retire before the sharp practice from the fire-arms of the
police, when at last the latter, advancing under cover of some low walls
and haystacks, drove the crowd from the neighbourhood, O'Brien escaping
on the inspector's horse. Neither skill nor courage was shown by the
assailants. O'Brien's conduct has been criticised with much severity on
this occasion; but it is false to represent him as having acted without
spirit; he, of course, in giving directions to his party, placed himself
where he might best do so, and avoid the aim of the police; but if he or
his followers had been fit for the work they had undertaken, they would
either have stormed the house or retired in order; and, possessing so
intimate a knowledge of the country, they might have evaded the armed
parties in pursuit, until, with increased numbers, they had fallen upon
some place of arms which they would have made their _point d'appui_. As
it was, their proceedings were ludicrous, and afforded subject-matter
for _Punch_, which contained a caricature representing an army of Irish
rebels scared by the shadow of a policeman. There can be no doubt that
O'Brien would have dared anything which a sense of duty and honour
dictated, and which opportunity afforded; but to lead an insurrection
was a task utterly beyond his capacity. It is difficult to believe that
the more crafty of the confederates were sincere in the language they
employed in inciting him to the preposterous acts in which he took part.
For instance, a letter written by Charles Gavan Duffy was found in Smith
O'Brien's portmanteau after his arrest, which contained the following
absurdly eulogistic incitement to place himself in the foreground of the
revolt:--

"There is no halfway house for you. You will be the head of the
movement, loyally obeyed, and the revolution will be conducted with
order and clemency; or the mere anarchists will prevail with the
people, and our revolution will be a bloody chaos. You have at present
Lafayette's place, so graphically painted by Lamartine; and I believe
have fallen into Lafayette's error--that of not using it to all its
extent, and in all its