Once more the priests interfered and openly remonstrated against the course Mr. O’Brien had proposed.  They tried every means, entreaty, expostulation, remonstrance, menace, but without any considerable effect; and Mr. O’Brien left the town with a large multitude, directing his way to Ballingarry.  The village of Ballingarry is about four miles distant from Mullinahone; and the inhabitants of the latter accompanied Mr. O’Brien to the boundaries of the former parish, whose inhabitants in turn assumed the duty of his escort and, if need be, of his defence.  When the cavalcade reached the village, they took up their position in the chapel-yard, and summoned the neighbouring people by the ringing of the chapel bell.  A great number of people answered the signal, and Mr. O’Brien explained to them his purpose and his hopes.  He did not then propose any plan of immediate offensive operations, but stated in general terms that his object was to protect himself from arrest, while the country would be engaged in organisation, and the crop coming to maturity.  An idea prevailed among the people that he only wished to be protected for a time, and they seemed incapable of appreciating either his object or his motives.  I reached the spot as the assembly was breaking up and the people retiring in small groups to their respective districts, some four or five hundred who were partially armed, remaining in the village.  I was accompanied by Thos.  D. Reilly, who made his way to me on that morning.  We had entered into arrangements with certain men whom we met in the morning as to a joint movement, for which the followers of Mr. O’Brien seemed but ill-adapted and prepared.  Our first care was to take counsel as to the future.  We detailed mutually to each other the respective circumstances which had shaped our movements so far, and with which it was our duty then to contend.  But one thing seemed quite clear; namely, that the country demanded a delay of at least a month.  Although the sincerity of the motive on which this demand was founded seemed questionable to many, there was no way of counteracting its effect or denying its universality.  The question then was, how was the demand to be complied with without compromising our liberty or the position we occupied?  It was argued that the necessity of our condition would justify any act which would reassure the minds of the people in reference to the apprehension of starvation, which was so sedulously inculcated, and that a proclamation should forthwith be published confiscating the landed property of the country, and offering it as the gage of battle and reward of victory, and another proclamation directing the people to live at the expense of the enemy.  This proposal was resisted on the ground that it required an aggressive act on the part of the Government to justify so sweeping a proceeding, which, if attempted by us in our then position, would be regarded as an act of mere plunder, unredeemed by any of the stern necessities of war.