ce for
protection and were ready to take up arms against the crown.

[Sidenote: _REBELLION FOILED IN ULSTER._]

The government was determined to nip rebellion in the bud, and struck
first at conspiracy in Ulster, where it was mainly engineered by
protestant leaders. In the spring of 1797 the province was almost in
open revolt. Martial law was proclaimed, and on May 18 soldiers were
empowered to act without authority from a civil magistrate. An active
search was made for arms. It was carried out mainly by yeomanry and
militia, for the regular troops were few and mostly stationed in towns.
The catholic districts were ruthlessly harried. A fierce resistance was
made. Many outrages were committed by the soldiers, specially by a Welsh
regiment of mounted fencibles, the Ancient Britons. Houses were burned
and peasants were slaughtered. Crowds were imprisoned without process of
law and many were sent off to serve in the fleet. These severities which
lasted for several months crushed the life out of the conspiracy in
Ulster. The government was justified in using force to suppress
rebellion, but it was lamentable that the work should have been
entrusted to troops which were little better than banditti. An earnest
attempt was made to restrain them by Sir Ralph Abercromby, who succeeded
Lord Carhampton as commander-in-chief in November. He issued an order
declaring that the army was in a state of "licentiousness," and
forbidding soldiers to act without the civil authority. This order was
contrary to the proclamation of May 18, and gave great offence to the
party of repression in the Irish government headed by Lord Clare, and to
the British ministry. A proclamation of March 30, 1798, re-established
martial law; Abercromby resigned his command, and was succeeded by
General Lake.

The British government upheld the Irish ministers. Early in 1797 the
Prince of Wales wished the king and Pitt to send him to Ireland as
lord-lieutenant to carry out a policy of concession. If he had been
wholly different from what he was, such a step, though it would not
perhaps have averted the coming rebellion, would have probably rendered
it less formidable by detaching some of the leaders of the conspiracy.
The prince was not a man to be trusted, and his offer was refused. The
internal affairs of Ireland were not under English direction; the
ministers knew nothing of them except through reports from the castle
and left them to the Irish government. A