DAVE MANS6LL .,,, r; in zeal and fer:ocity the revolutionary spirit to which it was counterpoised. What the British government could not neglect either, however, was that it had been the summoning of the Orange spirit which had precipitated the rebellion among the Catholic peasantry by driving them into the republican camp. Once the rebellion was over the British government hastened to defuse the situation and secure the island against any possible use by the French. (The French had landed in support of the rebellion but far too late). The Orange was now an embarrassment to the government, and the British viceroy had to sacrifice his popularity in checking the excesses the Orange men were trying to indulge in. Even though he managed this, the Orange Order had become so involved in the government service that they could not ave been removed without dismissing the greater part of the placemen and disbanding the yeomanry and militia. The government's main scheme for stabilising the island contained two proposals: union of Ireland with England, and a promise (by Pitt) of emancipation for the Catholics. Bv this time most of the Ulster peasantry were apathetic about Union since it affected their plight neither one way nor the other; many of the previously radical Presbyterian and Protestant middle classes were so horrified bv the prospect of Catholic domination presented to them by the Wexford jacquerie that they did not oppose Union; and the opposition turned out to be the « placemen » in the Dublin parliament who did not look forward to their profitable offices being abolished, and, ironically, in the perspetive of later history, an influential section of Orangemen under pressure from the Dublin corporation and the gentry, who also feared the loss of their privilege. Most of the Catholics favoured Union because of the promise of emancipation. The main obstacle to the Union, the « placemen » who lived off the corruption of officewere soon persuaded to change their minds about Union by means of substantial bribes. Despite the Orangemen's opposition, the Union went through, but the provisions of the act did not include emancipation for the Catholics since George 1 refused to countenance any soon measure. Thus, Ireland entered the 19th century in a new political posture: for the first time in its history it was totally integrated with the rest of the British Isles; in the North-East the spirit of Protestant suprematism had found an organizational form, the Orange Order which would outlive all subsequently formed 70
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