Clutchy very much, because on Lord
Cumber's arrival to canvass the county, it would look as if his
Lordship's interests had been neglected; and he feared, too, that the
withdrawing of the men from his corps might lead to investigations
which were strongly to be deprecated. After a day or two's inquiries,
therefore, and finding that from eighteen to twenty of his youngest
and most respectable yeomanry had not only returned him their arms and
appointments, but actually held themselves ready to be enrolled in the
Annagh Corps--for so Hartley's was termed--he sat down and wrote the
following letter to Lord Cumber:--

"Constitution Cottage, June--

"My Lord:

"Circumstances affecting your Lordship's personal and political
interests have recently occurred here, and are even now occurring, which
render it my painful duty to communicate with you on the subject without
loss of time. I am sorry to say that the conduct of Mr. Hartley,
your well known opponent for the county, is not that which becomes a
high-minded man. The Cavalry Corps of which your Lordship is Colonel,
and which, by the way, has rendered good service in the firm discharge
of their duty, has been very much damaged by the extraordinary conduct
which that gentleman is pursuing. The fact is, that he has taken it
into his head, aided and assisted of course by his friends and political
supporters, to raise a corps of Yeomanry Cavalry as it were, in
opposition to ours; and this, no doubt, he has a right to do; although
I am quite certain, at the same time, that it is done with a view to
secure either the support, or at least the neutrality of government;
which neutrality would, as your Lordship knows, be a heavy blow to
us. However, as I said, he has as good a right as we have to raise his
corps; but I do not think he is justified in writing private circulars,
or in tampering with the men of our corps, many of whom he has already
seduced from their duty, and lured over with honeyed words and large
promises to the body he is raising. The fact is, my Lord, if our
men were not so devotedly attached to my son and myself as they are,
Hartley's unjustifiable interference would leave the corps a mere
skeleton. As it is, he has taken eighteen of our very best men from us;
by best, I allude only to youth and physical energy, for I need scarcely
say, that all the staunch and loyal fellows remain with us. I am
sorry to add that Mr. Hickman, as I predicted he would, is vigorous