ITS CONSEQUENCES.

15

ing by, with several hundreds of men, to protect the speaker and his confederates from the natural consequence of such language, addressed to loyal law-abiding men as if they were so many assassins. It cannot be said that the Government did not know such language would be used, for at every meeting held by the Land League, treason, sedition, and outrage were preached. A leader here or there telling the people not to commit crime, deceived no one conversant with the depth of criminality into which the Land League had plunged. The leaders knew well in these days that the League would not have existed for a month without the despotism it exercised by murder and other crime.

I was sent on this kind of duty upon several occasions during the last three months of 1880; but it will suffice to give the reader a general idea on the subject, if a single other instance is selected for record. It was announced that on Saturday the 1st January 1881 a monster

16

DUNDALK AND DROGHEDA.

meeting of the Land League was to be held at Dundalk, for the purpose of inaugurating the organisation in the county of Louth. On the following day a second meeting was to be held at Drogheda for the same purpose. A very strong sworn information was drawn up by the police authorities, to the effect that bloodshed and crime would result therefrom, and this was submitted by the magistrates to the Government, accompanied by a vigorous representation on their own behalf against permitting the meeting to be held. The other resident magistrate at Dundalk agreed with me in urging the same view. The Government, however, issued a proclamation prohibiting the meeting at Drogheda; but it was notified that the one at Dundalk was not to be interfered with. The troops at Dundalk were confined to barracks, and large numbers of the constabulary were drafted into the town for duty. The local leaders of the Land League at Drogheda having given an assurance to the resident magistrate there that no attempt

ما

LOCAL EXCITEMENT.

17

would be made to evade the proclamation, the town was denuded of police for employment at Dundalk.

At about 1 P.M., as the contingents were coming in from the country, intelligence reached us at Dundalk by telegram that Drogheda was the scene of much excitement, as large green placards had suddenly appeared upon the walls of the town and throughout the adjoining country, calling the prohibited meeting for that very day at 2 P.M. It had been arranged that we should proceed the following day to Drogheda, and see that the meeting was not held in violation of the Lord Lieutenant's proclamation; but in consultation with my colleague, it was now decided to regard the present action of the Land League as simply an attempt to evade and stultify the authority of the executive. There was no time to refer to Dublin, so, taking a special train, which was fortunately secured, with the county inspector and a hundred men of the constabulary, I

B

18

A PROCLAIMED MEETING.

started for Drogheda at 2 P.M., and arrived there at 2.30 P.M. While crossing the railway bridge over the Boyne, we could see the meeting actually being held in a square on the banks of the river. It seemed from a distance to be of very large proportions. We marched rapidly down towards the square, in a street off which the county inspector of constabulary, Mr Stevens, drew up his men. The ground seemed densely packed with people, who were being addressed by one of the many occupants of a large brake. Amongst the number were Mr Davitt, whom I knew by appearance, and Mr Healy, M.P., whom I had not previously had the honour of meeting. The latter individual was speaking at the time of our arrival. Mr Stevens, a gentleman of large stature, made a way for me through the mass of people up to the brake. On reaching it, I asked who was chairman of the meeting, and was referred to a priest standing beside Mr Healy. I informed him that the meeting was being held in violation of the Lord Lieuten

DEFYING THE GOVERNMENT.

19

ant's proclamation, and that it could not be continued. My authority was demanded, the only answer to which was, of course, a reference to the proclamation posted on every wall. It was no time or place, however, to enter into a discussion; the people were getting excited, and ominous sounds were coming from behind me. I therefore again intimated that the meeting must at once disperse, and I appealed to the priest to use his influence on the side of order. He asked me if Mr Healy might tell the people to disperse, a request of course acceded to on condition that no further remarks were to be made. Mr Stevens and I had then to work our way out of the excited throng, and while doing so, I heard Mr Healy in a loud voice telling the people that "the cursed Government had sent their men with bayonets and buckshot" to mow them down. Some one from the brake, calling out, "We have held our meeting in defiance of the Government," told the people to disperse. A scene of wild confusion and uproar followed.