Drum Dhu; nor disturb him with their barbarous torments on the bed of
death--and glory be to God for that!"

Many of our readers may be led to imagine that the terrors of Mary
O'Regan were altogether unproportioned to anything that might be
apprehended from the approach of the officers of justice, or, at least
to those who came to execute the law. The state of Irish society at that
time, however, was very different from what it is now, or has been for
the last twenty years. At that period one party was in the ascendant and
the other directly under their feet; the former was in the possession
of irresponsible power, and the other, in many matters, without any
tribunal whatsoever to which, they could appeal. The Established Church
of Ireland was then a sordid corporation, whose wealth was parcelled
out, not only without principle, but without shame, to the English and
Irish aristocracy, but principally to the English. Church livings were
not filled with men remarkable for learning and piety, but awarded to
political prostitution, and often to young rakes of known and unblushing
profligacy, connected with families of rank. The consequence was, that
a gross secular spirit, replete with political hatred and religious
rancor, was the only principle which existed in the place of true
religion. That word was then, except in rare cases indeed, a dead
letter; for such was the state of Protestant society then, and for
several years afterwards, that it mattered not how much or how little a
man of that creed knew about the principles of his own church; and as
it was administered the less he knew of it the better--all that was
necessary to constitute a good Protestant was "to hate the Pope." In
truth--for it cannot be concealed, and we write it with deep pain and
sorrow--the Established Church of Ireland was then, in point of fact,
little else than a mere political engine held by the English government
for the purpose of securing the adherence of those who were willing to
give support to their measures.

In such a state of things, then, it need not be wondered at, that,
neglected and secularized as it was at the period we write of, it should
produce a class of men, whose passions in everything connected with
religion and politics were intolerant and exclusive. Every church, no
matter what its creed, unfortunately has its elect of such professors.
Nor were these confined to the lower classes alone--far from it. The
squire and noblema