Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/460

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CAULFIELD was still going on in various counties. Mr. Pelham retired to England, leaving Lord Castlereagh at first as his tem porary substitute; but shortly after that young nobleman avowed himself as his successor in the secretaryship to his maternal uncle, Lord Camden. The flames of civil war raged every where unabated; and, finally, Lord Camden was recalled, and a military chief governor, Lord Corn- wallis, sent in his stead. The rebel armies being at last disconcerted, Lord Cornwallis, as the best mode to stein the further effusion of blood, loyal as well as rebellious, proclaimed an amnesty and full pardon to all the rebels who should within a month lay down their arms, swear allegiance, and return to their homes. This had the inm mediate effect of terminating the conflict; but not the private vengeance of the victorious loyalists, still smarting under their calamities and, the slaughter of their friends. But Lord Cornwallis, the chief object of whose mission was the restoration of peace, and the re-establishment of la and justice, announced his determination of punishing with equal severity the aggressions of parties on all sides; and strictly denounced all emblems and ensigns of party principles, as calculated only to excite new hostilities and 449 perpetuate mutual vengeance. The French government, desirous of aiding the insur- gents, had dispatched an expedition, consisting of a sbip of the line and seven frigates, with a body of troops officered in a great degree by Irishmen, to effect a landing in Ireland. Of this number only seven hundred men, un- der the command of General Humbert, landed at Killala, where, by arraying in French uniforms and arms great numbers of the rebellious peasantry, and propagating ex- aggerated statements of their real force, they threw the country into much alarm for about three weeks. Lord Cornwallis, however, marched against them, collecting in his way such troops as could be spared from garrisons, to the amount of fifteen thousand men; and general Hum- bert, and his whole force, after a short action, surrendered prisoners of war. On another part of the coast, namely, VOL. I