o entertain a pique against a Roman Catholic, or sustained an injury
from one, had nothing more to do than send abroad, or get some one to
send abroad for him, a report that he had fire-arms in his possession.
No sooner had this rumor spread, than a party of these yeomanry
assembled in their regimentals, and with loaded fire-arms, proceeded,
generally in the middle of the night or about day-break, to the
residence of the suspected person. The door, if not immediately opened,
was broken in--the whole house ransacked--the men frequently beaten
severely, and the ears of females insulted by the coarsest and most
indecent language.

These scenes, which in nineteen cases out of twenty, the Orangemen got
up to gratify private hatred and malignity, were very frequent, and
may show us the danger of any government entrusting power, in whatever
shape, or arms or ammunition, to irresponsible hands, or subjecting one
party to the fierce passions and bigoted impulses of another.

The noise of their horses' feet as they approached M'Loughlin's house
in a gallop, alarmed that family, who knew at once that it was a
domiciliary visit from M'Clutchy's cavalry.

"Raise the window," said M'Loughlin himself, "and ask them what they
want--or stay, open the door," he added at the same time to another,
"and do not let us give them an excuse for breaking it in. It's the
blood-hounds, sure enough," observed he, "and here they are."

In a moment they were dismounted, and having found the hall door
open, the parlor was crowded with armed men, who manifested all the
overbearing insolence and wanton insult of those who know that they can
do so with impunity.

"Come, M'Loughlin," said Cochrane, now their leader, "you ribelly Papish
rascal, produce your arms--for we have been informed that you have arms
consaled in the house."

"Pray who informed you, Mr. Cochrane?"

"That's not your business, my man," replied Cochrane, "out with them
before we search."

"I'll tell you what, Cochrane," replied M'Loughlin, "whoever informed
you that we have arms is a liar--we have no arms."

"And right well they know that," said his son, "it's not for arms they
come, but it's a good excuse to insult the family."

His father (who, on looking more closely at them, now perceived that
they were tipsy, and some of them quite drunk) though a man of singular
intrepidity, deemed it the wisest and safest course to speak to them as
civilly as possible.

"I did'nt th