The Kentucky Gazette

CORK, Sept. 12.

Last Saturday night and on Sunday, the peaceable inhabitants of this city received the rudest dismay and the most barbarous treatment with ruffians and with mockery cruel, in a joint row ordered enemies country, after the citizens had been alarmed for two days, and interrupted in their business, their shops shut up by orders from the Chief Magistrate, and their lives endangered by the different regiments and their officers, the force, that had been called in to quell the insurrection proceeded to the most licentious acts. They ravished women on Saturday night in many quarters of the town attacked private houses, demolished windows, and cut and beat many people in the most desperate manner. The Louth militia and seventh dragoons were principally guilty of those shocking atrocities, as disgraceful to military discipline as they are grievous to unoffending citizens—but this was not all: about five o'clock on Sunday afternoon the seventh dragoons sallied forth into the streets, attacked the people indiscriminately at North Bridge, in Mallow Lane and in other streets, with drawn sabres; cut them in a miserable manner, and stabbed them most inhumanly. It was truly lamentable to behold an old man on North Bridge, endeavouring to run away, overtaken by one of these murderers, knocked down and pierced through the body! On Monday night the dragoons attacked men and women at an early hour. On Coal Quay they knocked down and stabbed a poor sailor—at Southgate they violated a woman, a virtuous woman, a married woman. A Mr Baxter of Grattan street, they ferociously cut with sabres at the end of Broad Lane. In the North main street, they attacked Mr. L. Connor and another gentleman on their coming from the play, who only saved their lives by the greatest intrepidity. They broke every lamp in Fishamble Lane, many in the South main street, and demolished some houses of ill fame. Such are the achievements of those who are paid at the expense of the public to preserve peace and defend persons and property! Such are the deeds that are allowed to be perpetrated in a garrison town during three days and three nights successively without control or interruption—such is the manner that the lives of citizens are sported with in a city numerously provided with constables, and where there are actually three staff officers! We shall not hesitate to assert that these barbarous, wanton, and bloody excesses are shamefully disgraceful both to the civil and military powers. Why were such butchers allowed to remain in the city after the hundred and fifth and hundred and thirteenth regiments had laid down their arms, on Saturday afternoon? Why, if a city must be cursed with such guests, were they not confined to their quarters? Or, why, if opportunely thrown on poor publicans, were they not disarmed? Why allow the peace of one hundred thousand English inhabitants to be disturbed for a moment, by the quarrels of infamous camps—paid by a very people they dare to insult and maltreat? By what law of justice, reason, or good policy, will an armed banditti be allowed to roam like tigers among multitudes dispirited and disarmed? These are questions that generals and magistrates may take time to answer at their luxurious tables; at the hour of five o'clock when the hang'd citizen is sliced by their myrmidons; but how will they repair the injuries, & cure the wounds that have been inflicted on scores, for their want of discipline and energy, we are at a loss to know.—Yet we will be told these are the friends of good order and the protectors of the people!!!