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    ties , and of various descriptions of Whiteboyisni , and of much illegal violence , arid many minor crimes , as well as horrible outrages and murders . Now , setting aside for the present all other objections , we will ask you whether any good has been ever"produced by such nroceecfinscs or atrocities ? You must

    answer in the negative . —You must J > erceive that the people have never derived any benefit from them . Many individuals have suffered long imprisonment by reason of them—they have caused multitudes to be severed from their families and nearest connexions—they have crowded the decks of the transport vessels , and they have thronged the gallows with

    victims . Theie are other evils which have attended Whiteboy and Ribbon disturbances ; and , in particular , the innocent frequently suffered for the guilty . When property

    is burned , or otherwise destroyed 3 the value is levied off the parish , barony , or county . The persou intended to be injured , gets as high l and frequently a higher price for his property than he probably would otherwise obtain for it . But * who

    are they who pay for it ? Why , ninetenths of them must be persons who had no share in the crime *—and who is it that can make restitution to the innocent people who are thus obliged to pay their money ? What a load of guilt does not

    this bring home to the persons who commit the crime they can never make adequate restitution for ! And how can they ever expect to obtain mercy from the alljust Providence , while they are the means of uncompensated injustice ?

    Again , wherever Whiteboy or Ribbon offences are committed , many innocent persons will inevitably be convicted of crimes which they never committed . How many innocent persons have been known to suffer transportation ! And how many have we seen suffer death by reason of Whiteboy crimes ! Some may blame the administration of the laws for these

    frightful results — but good sense will soon convince every dispassionate man , that they are the necessary results from the passions which are naturally excited by Whiteboy and Ribbon outrages and crimes , and from the rewards which at such periods are justifiably offered to informers ; amongst whom will be found the very basest of mankind .

    Fellow-countrymen , we tell you nothing but the truth . No good , no advantage , no benefit has ever been produced in Ireland by Whiteboyism or Ribbonisni , or any other species of secret association . Such associations are forbidden by the law of man—and , aa they are ueceBsarily productive of crimes , they

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    are more powerfully forbidden by the ) command of God ; By the law of the land , any matt wn <* joins a secret association , bound together by an oath , or any engagement or promise whatsoever , is liable to be transported . Any person who joins such a meeting by day is liable to fine , imprisonment , ; and ; whipping . Any persou who joins them by night is liable to

    transportation . Any person who joins them by ui ^ ht , in rapping at a door , or even verbally demanding arms , or aimnunition , or horses , or uses any threats or menaces against the inhabitants of the dwelling-houses , is liable to be executed quite as much as if he had committed robbery or murder . And . besides all

    these punishments in the regular course of the law , there is the Insurrection Act ^ which can be applied by the Government to any disturbed district , and by the means of that Act , any person who is out of his dwelling-house from sun-set to sun-rise , may be transported without Judge or Jury .

    We have given you this brief abstract of the legal puuishments that await the disturbances produced by secret societies ; Every act done by them is illegal , and liable to punishment . We deem it a duty we owe to you , to put you on your guard against incurring either the guilt or punishment .

    There is another and a more important object . These secret societies , and the outrages which they generate , are forbidden by the awful voice of religion . Your religion directs you to be submissive ta the laws—it orders you not to do an injury to any man whatsoever- —it tells you that you are not to commit any crime

    whatsoever , however small , evea though such crimes were to produce the greatest possible good . Your religion informs you , that if you take and injure the property of any man , you cannot obtain forgiveness of the offence , without making restitution to the full extent of all the

    property you are possessed of . We need not tell you how your religion abhors every thing that approaches to robbery , murder , or blood . You cannot really be Catholics ^ -you cannot really be Christians * if you do not feel and know , what we say to you is literally and exactly

    true . There are other matters which equally deserve your ; attention — these disturbances not only have never produced anygood effect , but they can never possibly be successful ; they usually produce some robbery of arms , some plundering of houses , the destruction of corn , cattle , and other property , and they also cause many murders ; but no human being

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    In telligence . —Address of Catholic Associatio n to the People of Ireland . 37 #

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1825, page 379, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2537/page/53/