There had been a strong division of opinion in the Confederate clubs as to how the Government proclamation should be treated, the general feeling of the rank-and-file inclining to open resistance.

The leaders counselled a waiting policy until the harvest had been gathered, the arms to be concealed meanwhile.
This counsel prevailed against the remonstrance of one of the Dublin leaders that if heaven rained down loaded rifles they would wait for angels to pull the triggers.

If the insurrection could have been postponed until the harvest the counsel would have been sound.

The Young Ireland leaders forgot, however, that the Government had one powerful weapon in reserve with which it might force their hands--the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act.

On July 21st Meagher and his comrades and the Dublin leaders discussed and arranged the outline of a contingent insurrectionary plan for the autumn.