Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

A cessation of hostilities had been an object ardently desired by the king, and by the leaders of the Irish insurgents: by the former, in the hope of deriving aid from his forces in Ireland, towards subduing the armies of the Parliament; and by the latter, to be restored once more to the blessings of peace. The bigotry of Charles, and the sinister policy of Ormond, procrastinated this desirable event, and aided the views of the lords justices and their party, who had thrown every possible difficulty in the way of an accommodation. It was, nevertheless, at length concluded, in despite of all the obstacles that folly and wickedness had devised. It is at this time hardly credible, but it is sacredly true, that this act, at which all good men must have rejoiced; which did not compromit an iota of the honour, interest,

to defeat the effect of their pardon, by exceptions and conditions. All freeholders of these four counties; all who had shed blood in any action; all who were in prison for spoil or robbery, were expressly excluded from mercy. To others, it was tendered on condition of their submitting within ten days after the proclamation, and restoring all the property they had seized, which had quickly been dispersed through various hands. Such a proclamation was evidently absurd and insidious. A pardon offered in the name of the English parliament, must have had greater influence than any act of an Irish ministry, despised and suspected by the body of the nation. But the chief governours and their creatures were confident of support, and experienced in the art of converting forfeitures to their own advantage."386

386 Leland, III. 160.

[ocr errors]

or advantage of the ruling powers in either England or Ireland; and which took place at a time when the Irish had manifestly the advantage over their enemies, in point of military force and resources, excited as much uproar, horror, and indignation, in both islands, as if it had totally overthrown the existing order of things, extirpated the Protestant religion, and given a complete ascendency to the Roman Catholics.* It affords a most important addition to the various proofs we have

"The heads of that faction, who, by their measures, directions, and creatures, had used as much skill and industry to improve and continue the rebellion, as ever the first conspirators did to begin it, were enraged to see a stop put to the further effusion of blood, and a foundation laid for a pacification, which would defeat their schemes of extirpation.

แ They protested against all peace with the rebels, without regard to the terms of any; which must have entailed a perpetual war on the kingdom of Ireland, till the nation itself was in a manner extirpated.”387

"In the northern province, the Scottish general, Monroe, disclaimed the cessation. And though, when he had first slaughtered some unoffending Irish peasants, he consented to wait the orders of the state of Scotland, or Parliament of England, before he should proceed to further acts of hostility, yet he soon received instructions to carry on the war, without regard to the king's chief governor.'

19388

"The rebellion had been suppressed without any of their assistance, were it not for their violent measures and threats of extirpation, which terrifying and making the nobility and gentry of English race desperate, hurried them in spite of their animosity against the Old Irish, into an insurrection. For the like detestable purposes, they had starved the war all the time

387 Carte, I. 453.

388 Leland, III. 250.

already given,* of the insatiable and ravenous thirst of the blood and estates of the Irish, by which the rulers of the two countries were at that time devoured.† The English Parliament passed strong and decisive resolutions,‡ and entered a most solemn protestation, against the cessation, distinguished by the strongest marks of the sanguinary, fanatical, bigoted, and intolerant spirit of the age, which is so loudly extolled for its liberality and illumination. In this wretched per

it was carrying on in Ireland, and were angry that a stop was put to it for a time by the cessation.”389

"The great body of Covenanters in Ulster despised the whole negotiation; the Parliamentarians of Munster opposed any peace with the Irish. These reformers, in the fulness of their zeal, could be contented only with the extirpation of Popery, and the rebellious Irish race."390

Sept. 20, 1643. "It was resolved, upon the question, that this house doth hold that a present cessation of arms with the rebels in Ireland is destructive to the Protestant religion, dishonourable to the English nation, prejudicial to the interests of all the three kingdoms, and therefore do declare they neither do nor can consent or approve of any treaty of a cessation with the rebels, pretended to be begun by the king's commission."391

Dec. 30, 1643. "Ordered, that the adventurers of this house for lands in Ireland, and the body of adventurers in London, do meet at the Grocers' Hall, on Thursday, in the afternoon, at two of the clock, and take into their serious consideration, by what ways and means the British army in Ulster, opposing the cessation, may be maintained and encouraged to proceed in prosecution of that war of Ireland against the rebels."392

390 Leland, III. 331, 392 Idem, 353.

389 Carte, I. 463.
391 Journals, III. 248.

* Supra, 58.

formance, replete with sophistry and declamation, they have the hardihood, we had almost said the blasphemy, to assert, "in the face of high heaven," that "a cessation of arms" would, by a suspension of religious persecution, "provoke the wrath of a jealous God!"* Well may we exclaim, "Why sleep the thunders of heaven?" when wicked men, perpetrating the worst of crimes, varnish them over with such miserable imposture, to delude and deceive mankind! Never did the mind of man conceive, or pen or tongue express, a more abominable or execrable idea than is here unblushingly advanced for if there be any thing peculiarly calculated "to provoke the wrath of a jealous God," it must be, not "a cessation" of the progress of slaughter

*"The Lords and Commons have reason to declare against this plot and design of a cessation of arms!!! as being treated and carried on without their advice; so also because of the great prejudice which will thereby redound to the Protestant religion, and the encouragement and advancement which it will give to the practice of Popery, when these rebellious Papists shall, by this agreement, continue and set up with more. freedom their idolatrous worship, their Popish superstitions, and Romish abominations in all the places of their command, to the dishonouring of God, the grieving of all true Protestant hearts, the violation of the laws of the crown of England, and to the provoking of the wrath of a jealous God; as if both kingdoms had not smarted enough already, for this sin of too much conniving at, and tolerating of antichristian idolatry, under pretexts of civil contracts and politick agreements."393

393 Rushworth, V. 353.

and desolation, but the wanton waste and destruction of man, made to his own image and likeness.

"One to destroy is murder by the law,

And swords uplifted keep the wretch in awe;
To murder thousands takes a glorious name,
War's sacred art,—and strews the road to fame."

Let us add a most singular and disgraceful fact; that, by this cessation, which afforded the only chance of retrieving his affairs, Charles lost some of his most devoted followers, whose rancorous and murderous spirit of hostility towards the Irish Roman Catholics, outweighed even their ardent attachment to their monarch, and their idolatrous veneration for the old regime.*

This conduct merits serious consideration. A devouring civil war rages through a country, and renders it a fit abode for devils incarnate; mercenary soldiers spread havoc and desolation around; nothing, sacred or profane, escapes their rage; the altars are sprinkled with the blood of human victims; Humanity turns aside from the hideous and loathsome scenes, and finds it not wonderful that "it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth." How infuriate then must be the

*"Several of the king's adherents ascribed the cessation to the counsels of the queen and her favourites. Some regarded it as a contradiction to those solemn protestations, which Charles had frequently made against Popery; and declared, that after this fatal discovery of his real sentiments, they could no longer continue to support his cause!!!"'394

394 Leland, III. 245.

« ForrigeFortsæt »