[Willy Reilly by William Carleton]@TWC D-Link book
Willy Reilly

CHAPTER XXIV
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Put down Popery by argument, by fair argument, but don't murder those that profess it, in cold blood.

As the Attorney* General said, let us make it our own case, and if the Papishes treated us as we have treated them, what would we say?
By jingo, I'll hang that fellow.

He's a Protestant champion, they say; but I say he's a Protestant bloodhound, and a cowardly rascal to boot." "How is he a cowardly rascal, Bob?
Hasn't' he proved himself a brave man against the Papishes?
eh ?" "A brave man! deuce thank him for being a brave man against poor devils that are allowed nothing stouter than a horse-rod to defend themselves with--when he has a party of well-armed bloodhounds at his back.

He's the worst landlord in Ireland, and, above all things, he's a tyrant to his Protestant tenants, this champion of Protestantism.

Ay, and fierce as he is against Popery, there's not a Papish tenant on his estate that he's not like a father to." "And how the deuce do you know that ?" "Because I was head bailiff to him for ten years." "But doesn't all the world know that he hates the Papists, and would have them massacred if he could ?" "And so he does--and so he would; but it's all his cowardice, because he's afraid that if he was harsh to his Popish tenants some of them might shoot him from behind a hedge some fine night, and give him a leaden bullet for his supper." "I know he's a coward," observed another, "because he allowed himself to be horsewhipped by Major Bingham, and didn't call him out for it." "Oh, as to that," said another, "it was made up by their friends; but what's to be done?
All the evidence is against him, and we are on our oaths to find a verdict according to the evidence." "Evidence be hanged," said another; "I'll sit here till doom's-day before I find him guilty.


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