the Unutterable Words, which, like the handwriting on the wall in the banquetting hall of Belshazzar, seemed ever to be appearing before the affrighted consciences of Ireland’s rulers.  Be it right or be it wrong, be it justice or be it murder, the act must now be upheld—­in fact, must not be alluded to.  There must be silence by law, on what had been done beneath the Manchester gallows-tree.

But here there presented itself a difficulty.  Before the government had any idea that the public revulsion would become so alarmingly extensive, the responsible ministers of the crown, specifically interrogated on the point, had, as we have seen, declared the funeral processions not to be illegal, and how, now, could the government interpose to prevent them?  It certainly was a difficulty which there was no way of surmounting save by a proceeding which in any country constitutionally governed would cost its chief authors their lives on impeachment.  The government, notwithstanding the words of its own responsible chiefs—­on the faith of which the Dublin procession was held, and numerous others were announced—­decided to treat as illegal the proceedings they had but a week before declared to be not illegal; decided to prosecute the processionists who had acted on the government declarations; and decided to prevent, by sabre and cannon—­by slaughter if necessary—­the further processions announced in Killarney, Clonmel, Kilkenny, and elsewhere!

On the evening of Thursday, the 12th December, Dublin city was flung into the most intense excitement by the issue of the following Government Proclamation:—­

* * * * *

   BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT AND COUNCIL OF IRELAND.

   A PROCLAMATION.

   ABERCORN.

   Whereas it has been publicly announced that a meeting is to assemble
   in the city of Kilkenny, and that a procession is to take place
   there on Sunday, 15th day of December instant: 

And whereas placards of the said intended meeting and procession have been printed and circulated, stating that the said intended procession is to take place in honour of certain men lately executed in Manchester for the crime of murder, and calling upon Irishmen to assemble in thousands for the said procession: 

And whereas meetings and processions of large numbers of persons have been already held and have taken place in different parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the like pretence, at some of which, and particularly at a meeting and procession in the city of Dublin, language of a seditious and inflammatory character has been used, calculated to excite discontent and disaffection in the minds of her Majesty’s subjects, and to create ill-will and animosity amongst them, and to bring into hatred and contempt the government and constitution of the country as by law established: