IRELAND.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

WHEN an Irish peasant was asked by a traveller, gazing with wonder on the flocks of children that everywhere met his view, how it. hap- pened that the inhabitants of the Green Isle multiplied with such ra- pidity, he answered, " Och, your honour, 'tis all the potato." We should be almost inclined twattribute, for want of a better hypothesis, some other peculiarities of the Irish to that productive root ; and as- sert that the pleasure which they display in killing and being killed, is " all the potato" also. There seems no other cause sufficiently power- ful or universally operative to account for the ardent affection that " the natives," in all tempers and at all times, display, for every grada- tion of infliction, from a bloody nose to a broken neck, and for every description of row, from the breaking of a window to the burning of a town. We are surprised that our contemporaries, some of whom have had even better opportunities of estimating the Irish character than we can pretend to, (our studies havinv: been chiefly confined to im- ported specimens,) should treat the present disturbances as if there was any thing approaching to novelty in them. When did a Twelfth of July pass over in peace ? When were not the Protestants insolent, and the Catholics resentful, on that memorable day ? When did they come into collision without damage to the one party or the other, or both, during the annual reign of the " Abbot of Unreason," which is regularly exercised over Catholics as well as honest men, front the Causeway to Cape Clear, for ten days before and ten days after I he anniversary of Aughrim ? To represent the Green Isle as on the verge of rebellion because it has displayed this year the same symp- toms that it has displayed, for aught that is recorded, every year since it emerged from the sea, whose first gem it is, seems to argue a very strange forgetfulness of logic as well as history. Far be it from us to speak of these chaudes-melees or their consequences lightly or incon- siderately. We lament their recurrence, but we cannot consent to look on that as new and amazing which is old and commonplace. Even were we to grant that on this occasion the issue of the conflict between the emancipist and his late lord has been more bloody than usual, we should not consider the cause as deeply hidden. It was but natural that the Catholic should bear with the exhibition of superiority while he felt its reality. While the law distinguished the Protestant by superior privileges, it was almost fair that he should boast of them. But when the privileges were abrogated; common sense said that the display should cease. " It must needs be that offences come, but woe unto them by whom they come." By whom have they come in the present instance ? The Ministry seem to have been somewhat puzzled: if they put down the Orange processions, they were sure to be told that it was unconstitutional to prevent men from meeting peacefully for purposes which had not been declared unlawful ; and not having put them down, they have laid themselves open to the charge of permitting violence which a very small exertion of timely activity might have prevented. The tardy proclamation is indifferently and not over justly drawn. The fact that the Catholics assembled to prevent the celebration of the battle of Aughrim is assumed. They do not appear to have assembled from indignation, but from fear. They had been told of the mighty things that the Orangemen were to do; and unhappily believed reports which the event has not justified. 'What the Lodges might have accomplished if not opposed, we cannot pretend to judge ; but that their conduct has been marked by the better part of valour in their various rencontres with the Catholics, seems evident from all the accounts that have reached England. The most serious affair, that of Dungannon, has not yet reached us in so definite a shape as to enable us to form an estimate of its extent. Some accounts speak of fifty, some of thirty, some of twenty, killed, in the fight that took place at Coal Island. We hope that even the lowest number includes those who have been" killed" Hibernicd. if - the other alleged atrocities of the Catholics we cannot better show the nature, than by putting down seriatim what they have done and suf- fered on the 12th and 13th, according to the statement of their accusers, RO AH IR, COUNTY OF LE T RIM.—About sixty Orangemen attended Church in this town on Sunday last. After service they were opposed by a . body of peasantry, to the number of several hundreds, who, during the morn- ' ing, had assembled on the neighbouring hill, provided with fire-arms and scythes. The Orangemen, who were unarmed, escaped with some difficulty to their homes in safety, owing to the active interference of Captain John- • son, of Friarstown, and Mr. Meredith, the Chief Constable, of Drumkcrin, with the few peace-officers of the district. Two guns and a pistol were taken • from the anti-orange party, which, on examination, were found to be loaded. We hare just heard thata party of upwards of three hundred persons came into Dromabair on Thursday, and dreadfully beat every Orangeman they could find ; and, moreover, took two or three stand of arms from Captain ' Johnson !—Sligo Journal.

The loss on the part (Alpe Catholic army in this terrible collision seems to have been two guns and one pistol, loaded, capt tired by Cap- • tain JOHNSON and three assistants ; their reported gain, the recapture of two or three of the stands of arms from the redoubtable Captain JOHNSON, by a detachment of three hundred men. The beating of every Orangeman they could find is a bit of pleasantry: the whole herd, as above stated, escaped four days before. '

MAN 0111EA MILTON.—At an early hour on Tuesday several hundreds of Pro- testants assembled and walked in procession to Church. After which they' separated quietly. On Wednesday this town was infested by a numerous body of Roman Catholics; and great apprehensions were enlertained.—Sliv Journal, Both parties in this affair seem to have vindicated the character of - their country. The Orangemen who walked to church on Tuesday the 14th, to commemorate the anniversary of the 12th, were put in great bodily fear in their loyal procession by a band of Catholics who ins vested the town on Wednesday. DALLYBAY..--A blacksmith, described as brother to the Roman Catholic priest, took off his neckerchief, shouting through the streets, that he would beat any Orangeman ! A Roman Catholic priest (we know not if the blacksmith's brother), is also described as walking through the town, and when he came opposite to the house of an Orangeman, or passed an Orangeman, he would give a greet cough, and wheeling round spit out. A noted blackguard of the same town was purposely intoxicated by the papists, and sent through the streets, shouting that he was a Ribbonman, and to hell with the Orangemen and Brunswickers."—Dublin Warder.

The case of Ballybay, as the Warder well observes, "requires par- ticular notice." A blacksmith, with his neckerchief loose, swearing he will beat any Orangeman ! a priest coughing and spitting in the actual presence of an Orangeman's dwelling !!—and, to crown all, a no- torious drunken blackguard professing his Ribbonism publicly, and shouting the Orangemen and Brunswickers to —!! ! Well may the Sligo Journal ask " what will they do next ?"

Aroslikon.—In this town there was a procession, some rioting, a man stabbed and sent to the Infirmary, several of the rioters sent to gaol, and a Mr. Gerald Tyrrell district master, committed to take his trial at the ensuing assizes, upon a charge of firing a loaded pistol in the streets.—Arcwry Telegraph.

This is a puzzling account: Was the man stabbed a Catholic or a Protestant ? On which side were the rioters, and the gentleman who flied the pistol ?

Casri.swELLAN.—The Castlewellan and the Clarkhill lodges of Orangemen left this town on Monday morning, about eight o'clock, for Downpatrick. They returned between seven and eight in the evening, sober, orderly, and peace- able. When they reached the Market House, where an immense number of town and country people had assembled, they were received with loud cheers, or rather yells, and one fellow rushed forward, seized the Orange flag, and a general riot ensued. The Orangemen, however, retreated as quickly as pos- sible out of town, followed by the rabble. The latter afterwards smashed the windows of several houses in the Blue-row. Several shots were fired by the Protestant party, but I have not heard that th ey took effect.—Nezery Telegraph.

The damage on each side at Castlewellan seems to have been pretty nearly equal : the Catholics captured a flag, and the Orangemen tried to shoot a few Catholics, in revenge of which the latter broke several windows.

NEWRY.—At the Sessions, on Tuesday, Mr. S. Corry stated that, Mr. Henry and be, at a late hour in the evening with a small military party, proceeded to Monk's-hill, where they met the evening, marching to town in proces- sion, with drums, musical instruments, &c. They remonstrated with Mr. Ellis on the impropriety of such conduct, and requested his aid in advising the Orangemen against walking in procession through town. Mr. Ellis at length declared, "that he had already obeyed the Magistrates too much," and "that he would insist on his men going to town in the order in which they were." It was not thought prudent to put Mr. Ellis under arrest.—Newry Teleg-raph.

We do not know which most to admire at Newry, the gallantry and good sense of Mr. Elam, or the extreme prudence of the ma.-istrates in permitting that gentleman to disobey them lest a breach of the peace should ensue from arresting him.

RATIIDOWNE.Y, QUEEN'S COUNTY.—The Cummins' faction had lurked about Grogan-hill, and at six o'clock in the evening they attacked the town of Rathdowney; the Darricks collected, and the battle became general : there were about five hundred men engaged, mostly armed with clubs : a few had fire-arms. At night fall the Cummins' party retreated, leaving one man killed and two mortally 'mounded. Both parties, Cummins' and Daniell*, are Roman Catholies.—Dublin trarder.

This case speaks for itself: sooner than allow their hands to get " out of use," the Catholics will at any time slaughter each other. We have kept the most serious engagement for our last extract :— DERRYLIN.-011 Monday last a vast crowd of persons assembled at Derry. lin, (about seven miles from Enniskillen,) but for what purpose could not be asentained. Lord Enniskillen, having been apprized of the circumstance, repaired to the spot, but his efforts to make them disperse, aided by the priest, were ineffectual. In the evening they marched from Derrylin to Knockninny, and a false alarm being given to an Orange lodge, (that had dined too-ether at Dromaine-bridge, in that neighbourhood,) that Lord Enniskillen and the police were attacked, a few of them sallied forth, as they supposed, to his lord- ship's assistance. When they came near a place called Maeken, they observed a crowd on a hill, and a man near them, who was known to the Protestant party, one of whom advanced to him, and lifting his hands, said, "Merciful God, are we not all fellow Christians, and why will we kill each other?" He begged of the Roman Catholic to make the multitude retire, and he consented, and was, when he would go to the top of the hill, to give a signal to that effect—but the treacherous man I he gave a contrary signal, and beckoned them to come on, when about 800 armed men with pikes, scythes on poles, pitch-forks, &c. &c. &c., attacked the Protestant party, killed poor Mealy on the spot, who had advanced to make peace, and wounded seven others mor- tally, three of whom are since dead, and the remainder despaired of. The names of the persons dead are Mealy, Price, Robinson, and Scarlott.—Fer- managli Reporter.

This, be it observed, (for the results of the encounter forbid us to treat it without seriousness) is called an assault on the Orange party! They themselves report the case, and to what does it amount? That a parcel of misguided peasants assemble on a hill ; that in their pride of insolence the Orange lodge march to oppose them, and order them to disperse ; that they answer the order by charging, as it is termed, their enemies, and four men were killed in consequence. Now, who authorized the carousers of the Orange lodge, without a manis- trate, without a constable even, to sally out for the purpose of 'dis- persing the Catholics ? If really and truly they wished the peace to be preserved, why did they not disperse themselves?

The affair of Coal Island, which we subjoin, is not from an Orange authority, but it seems quite as impartially given asif it were.

DUNGANNON, July I8.—" I cannot, indeed I believe no one can yet, speak accurately of the number of killed and wounded in the affair of Coal Island. There cannot be less than thirty, I should think. Both parties were and are tolerably well armed. The Cumberland men, as some people call the Orange- men in this part of the country, came on with the yeomanry arms, and the King's bullets and gunpowder. The others having been for a fortnight be- fore aware of the intention of the Cumberlanders to attack them, prepared themselves as well as they could. They are a mountain race, as you know, very hardy and athletic fellows. All the powder in Dungannon was boughi up, and it is said that the shopkeepers in Armagh and Omagh say they never had such a demand. The Papists took up a defensive position, and it was agreed that they should not fire a shot, until the Duke of Cumberland's men began. They had not long to wait : when the parties came in sight, though not within musket-shot, the Cumberlanders fired a volley. The others re- served their fire, not being so well provided with ammunition, until their enemies approached. The battle then began, or a sort of skirmishing, by which seven or eight of both parties were killed, and upwards of twenty wounded. An express was sent to Armagh, and though the town was in a state of great disturbance, all the army in the place was marched out. The people who were fighting at Coal Island heard of this, and they desisted; the Papists retiring to the hills, and the Orangemen returning towards Armagh. Both sides claim the victory, but I think the Papists had the worst of it, though they were more numerous. On Thursday there was some skirmish- ing, and a few more lives were lost. It is a difficult country, and hard to reach the fellows on the hills. The state of terror in which this part of the country is, is beyond description. I have just heard that more army is coining in."

The correspondent of the Times adds, that both parties are to be disarmed. It is time theywere. We hope we shall never hear of another celebration of the victory of the Boyne: there will always be ample occasion, in the divisions of the wise, for the best attention of Government—it is quite unnecessary to draw upon it for the purpose of arranging the differences of the foolish.