William James McNeven.-A Connaught Man.-Educated at Prague and Vienna.— Settles as a Physician in Dublin.-Bold Conduct in the Catholic Convention.-Inter- view with an Emissary from France.-Sent on a Mission to Paris, William Sampson.-Early Voyage to America.-Commences the Practice of Law in Bel- fast.-Intimacy with Curran.-Anecdotes.-They are employed together on the State Secrecy of the Conspiracy.-Fidelity of the Irish to their Oaths.-Spies of Govern ment.-Reynolds betrays the Leaders.-They are seized while in Council.-Arrest of Lord Edward Fitzgerald.-Trial and Execution of two Brothers, Insurrection in Wexford.-Provoked by Cruelties of the Soldiery.-The Rising headed by a Catholic Priest.-Battle of Oulart Hill.-Battle of Enniscorthy.-Vinegar Hill chosen as the Centre of Operations.-Scenes in the Rebel Camp, Panic at Wexford.-The Rebels march on that Town.-Battle of the Three Rocks.- Flight of the King's Troops.-The Insurgents march against Gorey.—They defeat Battles of Arklow and New Ross.-Massacres at Scullabogue and Wexford.-The Armies converging.-Sir John Moore defeats the Insurgents near Wexford.-Battle Guerilla Fighting kept up in the Mountains.-Warlike Character of the Irish.-Causes of the Failure of the Rebellion.-The Want of able Officers.-Death of Fitzgerald.— Lord Cornwallis.-Fate of the State Prisoners.-Compromise proposed by Govern- ment.-Examination before a Secret Committee--Mitigations of Captivity.-Emmet's Wife and Sister.-The Prisoners are sent to Fort George in Scotland.-Liberated at Sampson is liberated from Prison on Condition of going into Exile.-Sails for Portu- gal.-Shipwrecked.-Reaches Oporto.-Is seized and imprisoned.-Sent to Lisbon.- Thrown into the Dungeons of the Inquisition.-Is sent to Bordeaux.-Takes up his THE UNION.-Proposal to abolish the Irish Parliament.-Designs of Pitt and Castle- reagh.-Exouses to justify the Measure.-England in Danger.-Union carried by Bribery.-Promises violated.-The Prosperity of Ireland declines.-Absenteeism of Noblemen.-Effect on the Spirits of the People.-The Irish Orators.-Lament of Grat- Robert Emmet.-College Eloquence.-Visits Paris after the Treaty of Amiens.-Roturns to Ireland.-Embarks in the Conspiracy.-The Insurrection takes Place at Night.-Is instantly suppressed.-Emmet lingers near Dublin.-Is arrested.-Speech on his Trial.-Sentenced to Death.-Farewell Lettors.-His Execution.-The Broken Heart, 314 The Exiles on the Continent.-They come to America.-Fate of Tone's Family.-His Widow remains in Paris.-Her Son studies at the University.-Joins the Army.- Serves in the Campaigns of 1813 and 1814.-Wounded at the Battle of Leipsic.— Siege of Erfurt.-Quits the Army on the Fall of Napoleon.-The Family remove to the United States, and settle in Washington, Caroer of Emmet in America.-Is admitted to the Bar.-Immediate Succoss.-Charac- ter of his Eloquence.-Appears before the Supremo Court of the United States.- Described by Judge Story.-Private Life.-Stroke of Apoplexy in Court.-His Death, 331 Dr. McNeven settles in New York.-Chosen a Professor.-Marries an American Lady.- Efforts for Irish Emigrants.-Sampson resumes the Practice of Law.-Friendship of the Exiles.-Their Families connected by Murriage.-Death of Sampson and A last Look at Ireland.-Sad Aspects.-The late Famine.-Bright Spots here and there.- Emancipation of the Catholics.-The Established Church.-Grant to Maynooth.-The Queen's Colleges.-Old Parties broken up.-The Orangemen.-No more Repeal.- Sale of encumbered Estates.-Tenant Right.-Elasticity of the Irish Character.- National Faults and Virtues.-Warm Affections.-The Irish Emigrant.-Welcome to 351 Preface. A VISIT to Ireland in the summer of 1847 won my heart for that country and people. Vague impressions of the fierce rebellion of 1798, and especially the fate of Robert Emmet, drew my thoughts to that portion of her history. But it was not until I came to know the families of the Irish exiles in New York that I learned the particulars of that eventful struggle. The subject was new to me, and perhaps will be to many. If I mistake not, the history of Ireland is not generally known. Many who are well read on every part of English, and even of Scottish history, seem little informed on that of the sister island. The border wars between England and Scotland have been invested with every charm of poetry and romance, while the far longer and deadlier resistance of the Irish to their conquerors, fills but a paragraph in the general history of Britain. It is hardly remembered that Ireland was once a distinct nation, and that she has a separate history. Of these civil wars that of 1798 was the last, and possesses the freshest interest. The novelty of the story-the distinguished actors who A* figured in it-and the tragical fate which so often terminated the career of the young and the brave-riveted my attention, and led me to think that a connected narrative of these events might possess interest to others. The struggle for Irish independence-which began during the American war, and closed with the Union in 1800-is one of the most remarkable passages of modern history. It has been thrown into the shade by the cotemporary French Revolution. But the war of factions, and the Rebellion, in Ireland, was one in that series of convulsions which then agitated Europe. It has all the interest of a great battle for liberty. It was a contest carried on for more than twenty years between the passion for freedom on one hand, and arbitrary power on the other, a contest finally ending in civil war. It was a period of military atrocities-yet resisted and set in contrast by individual heroism and popular enthusiasm-by eloquence in debate and courage in the field-a period, in short, like all revolutionary epochs, distinguished by great virtues and great crimes. The spectacle is full of excitement—a nation rising from the torpor of ages, and "shouting to the earth”—the old chieftains, that have long held the fortress of power, alarmed and training their guns on the advancing masses-the people defeated and driven back, yet returning with new vigor to the conflict. The events are all closely connected, and are in continual progress. They succeed each other regularly like the acts of a drama. The interest heightens at every succeeding act. We shall see how a peaceful movement for reform grew into an agitation for revolution; how an open political association PREFACE. darkened into a secret conspiracy; how entreaties spurned changed to angry menaces, and threats ended in blood. The whole has its catastrophe in the rebellion of 1798. The progress of this story brings into view every variety of incident. Now armed battalions move across the field in brilliant array-and now we follow peasants in their hiding-places among the hills. At one moment we are in the heat of battle—and then alone on the field at night, listening to the wail of a mother over her son. Now the narrative leads us to the floor of Parliament, watching till midnight the stormy debate-then to the court-room, where the young and ardent patriot is on trial for his life and next we see him, attended by soldiers, marching to the place of execution with slow step and muffled drum. There is not a passion of our nature which is not awakened in reading this history-pity, grief, indignation; anger at the treachery of some, admiration at the fidelity of others. The melancholy fate of so many brave men, the sufferings and courage of the peasantry, the pathetic eloquence of the Irish orators-all lend a painful interest to the events we have to relate. It is a sad story. Yet we are fascinated even in these dark scenes by traits of the Irish character, which constantly break through the adversities of their condition, "Like skies that rain and lighten," by incessant flashes covering the darkened heaven with brightness. The record of so much suffering is relieved by the mixture of much that is honorable to our nature. |