FOREIGN NEGOTIATION OF THE CONSPIRA. TORS WITH THE FRENCH REPUBLICK FOR ASSISTANCE.

FROM the time of the failure of the French expedition to Bantry in December, 1796, the difaffected, to keep up the fpirits of their party, circulated reports, that the enemy were foon to attempt another defcent; and the executive directory of the Irish union, thinking that they were rather dilatory in their preparations, fent Mr. Lewins, their confidential agent, to urge the neceffity of being expeditious. In the fummer of that year, fearing that a premature infurrection in the North, before the fuccours from France arrived, would defeat their projects, they fent a fecond agent, doctor Mc. Nevin, in June, 1797, to prefs the French to haften the armament; but meeting with fome difficulty in going to Paris, he gave the minifter of the republick, refident at Hamburgh, a memoir, to be forwarded to the French directory. This memoir fhewed the defperate defigns of the Irifh confpirators, and their great anxiety left the vigorous meafures purfued by government in the North would difconcert their projects. This agent was authorized to affure the French republick of being repaid all the expences attending any future armament fhe fhould fend to Ireland, as well as of the last which mifcarried; and that the refources for that purpose were to be raifed by the confifcation of the lands of the church, and of the property of all thofe who fhould oppofe them. He was alfo empowered to raife, either in France or Spain, 500,000l. or at leaft 300,000l. A larger fupply of arms was folicited by the agent than the firft, on account, as he stated, of the encreafing number of their adherents,

Report of the fecret committee of the house of commons of 1798, p. 15.

rents, and the difarming of the North, where above ten thousand stand of arms, and as many pikes, had been furrendered to the king's troops.

It appears alfo, that an attempt was made at the fame time, to procure the affiftance of fuch Irish officers as were then in foreign fervice, as might be prevailed upon, by receiving high rank, to engage in the fervice of the union; but, from the overcaution of the agent, nothing was effected in that

way.

A fecond memoir was prefented by this confidential agent on his arrival at Paris, in which he endeavoured to fhew the French directory the neceflity of forwarding the invafion at that critical jun&ture, when the minds of the Irish were fo favourably dif pofed to join the French, and to co-operate with them in feparating the two kingdoms, and in eftablishing a republick in Ireland.

Though the Irish directory were defirous of obtaining affiftance from France, they were unwilling to admit fuch a body of troops as would enable her to conquer and keep it in her own hands; but the French fhewed a decided inclination to fend fo great an army there as would enable them to fubdue and retain it as a conqueft. †

The demands of the firft agent were, for any number not more than ten thoufand, nor lefs than five thousand, with forty thousand stand of arms, and a proportionate fupply of artillery, ammunition, engineers, and experienced officers.

Previous to this last miffion from Ireland, a confidential perfon was fent over by the French directory to collect information refpecting the ftate of Ireland; but having failed to obtain the neceffary paflports in London to enable him to go there, he wrote over to request

This was done in the civil war of 1641. See Borlafe and Temple.

+ Report of the fecret committee of the houfe of commons of 1798, p. 16, 17, 18.

Ibid.

request that one of the party might meet him in London; and accordingly a perfon repaired to him immediately with every neceffary intelligence; and the fecret committee of the houfe of commons have given it as their opinion, from various fources of information, that this perfon was the late lord Edward Fitzgerald. ‡

The directory gave the agent, fent to Paris, the ftrongest aflurances of affiftance; and accordingly preparations of a very extenfive nature were made, both at Breft and in the Texel, for the invafion of Ireland; and in the autumn, the executive of the Irish union received advice that the troops were actually embarked in the Texel, and only waited for a fair wind.

In confequence of this communication, great preparations were made by the Irish rebels in the beginning of October, 1797, when it was announced to the different focieties, that the fleet was on the point of failing. The French troops had been actually on board, commanded by general Daendells, but were fuddenly difembarked.

The Dutch fleet, contrary to the opinion of their own admiral, as is generally believed, was obliged to put to fea, at the inftance of the French government; which led to the ever-memorable victory of the eleventh of October, 1797, obtained by lord Duncan.

Early in the year 1798, the Irifh executive directory received advices from France, that fuccours would be fent to Ireland in the month of April; but notwithstanding the ftrong temptation prefented by the rebellion, which broke out on the twenty-third of May following, the French government never fulfilled their promife.

I fhall now return to the internal affairs of Ireland, and fhew the reader the means which the confpi

rators

Report of the fecret committee of the houfe of commons

rators pursued for forwarding the rebellion, having given him a brief account of their foreign nego

tiations.

On the eighth of April, 1797, a meeting was held in the Exchange of Dublin, fuppofed to confift of the freemen and freeholders of the city, convened by the fheriffs, pursuant to publick notice, for the purpose of petitioning his majefty to remove his minifters for ever; but the majority of that gregarious herd confifted of traitors, who wished to create difturbance and combuftion.

The question of adjournment was moved; but as a numerous rabble, who were not freemen or freeholders, fuddenly rushed into the hall, the fheriffs refufed to put the queftion.

The mob and their leaders nevertheless agreed to the petition, and it was prefented by meffieurs Grattan and Curran to the viceroy; who faid, that he would forward it, agreeable to their wifhes, but accompanied with a statement of the circumftances which took place at the meeting.

The freemen and freeholders, on leaving the Exchange, protefted against any proceedings which fhould be held there afterwards.

This meeting was brought about by the minority in the Irish houfe of commons, and the difaffected citizens of Dublin, at the inftance of the oppofition in the British parliament, for the purpose of promoting their own ambitious defigns, at the expence of the peace and fecurity of the kingdom.

On the twenty-fecond of April, Sinclare Kelburne, the noted demagogue of Belfaft, a prefbyterian minifter, was committed to Newgate in Dublin, with feventeen other perfons, on charges of a very feri

ous nature.

On the first of May, between fix and feven thoufand perfons attending a funeral, made a proceffion through a great part of the city. Having affembled in the earl of Meath's liberty, they went down Aungier-street and George's-lane, through Dame-ftreet,

and,

and, paffing by the caftle, they proceeded to James's church, where the corpfe was interred.

This device was made ufe of to infpire the lower clafs of rebels with confidence and courage, by fhewing them what numbers of their brethren could be collected in a fhort fpace of time.

In confequence of it, the lord mayor iffued a proclamation, prohibiting unlawful affemblies, under a pretext of attending funerals.

As the Belfast News-letter, a paper printed there, was moderate and loyal, and in fome degree qualified and counteracted the feditious doctrines diffeminated by the Northern Star, the difaffected frequently stopped the meflengers who went about the country to circulate it, tied them hard and foot, and robbed them of fuch papers as they had.

In the beginning of the year 1797, the county of Kildare was dreadfully convulfed by the united Irishmen, who committed robbery and affaffination on proteftants almost every night.

In the month of March, a motion was made by a member of oppofition for repealing the infurrection law, though the advantages derived from it in checking the progrefs of the confpiracy were univerfally acknowledged.

In the month of April, lord Caledon's houfe, in the county of Tyrone, was plundered of arms.

The county of Down was fo much agitated, that the magiftrates of it affembled at Hillborough, on the twenty-cighth of March, entered into ftrong refolutions against the nefarious proceedings of the united Irifhmen, and made a large fubfcription for fuppreffing them.

Ever fince the introduction of defenderism into the county of Cork, in the year 1793, its contagion continued gradually and filently to diffufe itfelf, and to poifon the minds of the lower clafs.

On the thirteenth of April, 1797, lord Bantry conveyed to the gaol of Cork four of thefe culprits, one of whom was the fteward of Roger O'Connor,