THE PROPOSITIONS OF OWEN ROE O NEILE SENT TO COL. MONCK, And a Cessation for three months concluded between them: Together with a Letter thereupon, sent by a Gentleman at Dundalk to his friend at CORCK. Printed at Corck, in the year of our Lord God, 1649. Are to be sold at Roches building. The Propositions of General Owen O Neile, the Lords, Gentry, and Commons of the Confederate Catholics of Ulster: To the most Honourable and most potent, the Parliament of England. IN primis That all Laws, Statutes, Penalties made, past or concluded against the Roman Catholics their Ministers or professors their liberty or exercise of the said Religion, since the twentieth year of Henry the eight, be repealed, reclaimed and perpetually taken off, and that act to extend to the said party and their issues, and successors for ever. 2. The said General Owen O Neile desireth that an act of Oblivion be passed to extend to all and every of his party for all things done since the beginning of the year 1641. 3. They desire that General Owen O Neile be provided for with a Competent Command in the Army befitting his Worth, Place and Quality. 4. They desire that all Lands taken Illegally from the said party and every of them, or their Ancestors since 1ᵒ jacobi be restored to them. 5. That the said party be made capable and Entrusted, in all Commands Martial and Civil by Sea and Land. 6. That all Incapacities, inability, and distrust hitherto by Act of State or otherwise, against the said party be taken off. 7. That on both sides all Jealousies, hate and aversion be laid aside, unity, love and amity be renewed and Proclaimed between both parties. 8. That General Owen O Neile be restored and put in possession of his Ancestors Estates, until it be tried whether the same estates were illegally taken away or not. 9 That the said party be provided with and possessed of a Convenient Seaport in the Province of Ulster. That the Army belonging to General Owen O Neile and his party be provided for in all points as the rest of the Army shallbe. Copia Vera. Owen O Neile. SIR, I Have received yours of the 25. of April and I have seen your order given to Captain Hugh Mac Patrick Mac Mahon to treat and conclude a peace with me in the behalf of yourself and the Forces under your Command. I have perused your propositions and conceiving there are some particulars in them which at the first view the Parliament of England may scruple to grant, I have made a small alteration in some of them, being well assured that by it you will not receive the least disadvantage, but it will rather prove a means to beget an increase of their good opinion towards you and your party which I believe your reality, fidelity and action in their service will sufficiently merit, and in case you approve of them as I have revised and altered them, I desire you to send them to me signed and sealed by you that I may present them to the Parliament of England, to obtain their favourable answer in return of them, and in the mean time I desire that according to this enclosed paper, three months' cessation be condescended unto and agreed between us, and inviolably kept between our forces during the said time, Dondalke 26. April, 1649. George Monk. A second Copy of Owen Roe O Neile's Propositions as they were corrected by Colonel Monck & sent to the Parliament to be granted. 1. IN primis, That such as shall join with General O Neile in the service of the Parliament of England in this Kingdom, may have liberty of Conscience for themselves and their issue. 2. The said General O Neile desireth an act of Oblivion be passed, to extend to all and every of his party for all things done since the beginning of the year 1641. 3. They desire that General O Neile be provided for a competent command in the Army befitting his worth, place and quality. 4. They desire that they may enjoy all those Lands that were in their possession at the beginning of this war for themselves & heirs, during their fidelity to the Interest of England. 5. That all Incapacity, inability and distrust hitherto by acts of State or otherwise against the said party be taken off. 6. That on both sides all Jealousies, hate and aversion be laid aside, unity, love and amity renewed and practised between both parties. 7. That General O Neile may be restored and put in possession of his Ancestors Estates or some other estate equivalent to it in reward of his merit and the good service that he shall perform in the Parliament of England's service in the preservation of their interest in this Kingdom. 8. That the Army belonging to the General O Neile and his party be provided for in all points as the rest of the Army shall be. 9 That the said party be provided with and possessed of a convenient Seaport in the Province of Ulster. And I do upon receiving a Confirmation of those desires undertake and promise in the behalf of myself and the whole party under my Command, Faithfully and firmly to adhere to the Parliament of England's service in this Kingdom and to maintain their Interest hereafter with the hazard of our lives and Estates against all opposers whatsoever. Given under my hand and Seal. Colonel George Monck his Propositions to General Owen Roe O Neile. THat there be a Cessation of Arms between the forces under the Command of General Owen O Neile and the forces under Command of Colonel George Monck, for the space of three months' beginning the first of this instant May, before which time be ended I am certain to receive the Parliaments answer to your propositions. That upon all occasions during the said time we be ready to assist one another till a more absolute agreement be made and condescended unto by the Parliament of England. For such Creates as pay me contribution I shall be contented that they likewise pay contribution to the forces under General Owen O Neiles Command, provided that I may have liberty to bring in such Creates of the Province of Ulster under Contribution to me, who have not yet paid any to the forces under my Command. If any provisions arrive into any Harbour under my Command for the use of General Owen O Neile, or any under his command; that freedom be given to him to send and fetch those provisions thence with safety, provided he continueth an enemy to the enemies of the Parliament of England in this Kingdom. To my worthy friend _____ at Corck in Munster. SIR, YOu may wonder my obligations being so great towards you, that my returns of acknowledgement should be so seldom as they have been, but you must know there is no defect in my desires to be at your ears often, 'tis only the preservation of my liberty and safety in these parts that makes me forbear the frequency of such Intercourses. I am confident these letters, this Messenger, and the enclosed papers, which I here send you, (containing a true Copy of the Propositions and Letters of Agreement between Owen Roe O Neile, and Col. George Monck) will be able to give you some account of the passages in these parts, and will make you assured that I do not forget the respects I own unto you. I must confess to you, that (as you ever conceived) I never could imagine that the Parliament proceed would have advanced to so high a degree of rage & wickedness, as I see they are now come to, and are resolved to Act by. But being amazed at the King's Murder, And seeing the Gangreane doth so cruelly spread, I will impart to you my resolution. That I am resolved to get into your parts with the first conveniency, & adhere to you there, whose actions are more conducing to the preservation of our Religion, Law, and common Interest, than any where else, that I can find. But that this my so sudden resolution may not be conceived the fruit of some vain fear, miscarriage in myself, or light desires to abandon my former principles. I shall give you a right understanding of all the motions and passages of my soul, since I was acquainted with this late treaty between Colonel Monck and Owen Roe O Neile, that thereby you may judge of the ground of these my designs and distastes and my resolutions taken thereupon. And before I consider the particulars of the treaty, the thing itself is so Odious unto me, that if they could have made the best bargain to be imagined for the English safety, The manner of it, would have appeared to me very unsavoury. For although it cannot be denied that almost the whole Irish party (in regard of their Confederacies and combinations) have not been innocent in all particulars, of that vast Ocean of English blood that hath been shed. Yet it is most clear that the plotters and contrivers of this Treason, and the unnatural and butcherly executioners thereof, are that party principally, which are now headed by Owen O Neile. For although many of the Pale, with others of Conaught, Leinster and Munster, entertained the design, when they saw it was so far spread, and the English so much weakened in their persons and possessions, yet it cannot be denied but this Kingdom had still many moderate-minded men, that loathed their countrymen's barbarity, and could never be drawn to adhere to their party in their least consent. Now for the Parliament Agents to gather up these men (and these only) that have been drunk with the blood of their brethren, and to fortify them with Arms, Counsels, and conjunction of forces, that thereby they may preserve to themselves the Triumphs of their cruelty and Treachery, and to lap them up in their affections with promises of reward, if they will persevere to act with them the ruin of the King & Monarchy, the destruction of the remnant of the English Protestants, and the ancient Irish who have now declared their loyalty, and submitted to, and consociated with them, are things that I much loath, and can no way embrace. Besides if you consider the passages of the Treaty, you will easily be drawn (I suppose) to cast away your former entertained scruples, and not condemn me for being out of love with mine. For first: The title to Owen Roes propositions excludes all other of his Nation but such as will join with him, though they be far more capable of peace and pardon then himself or his party. 2. He and his party who in a late paper of theirs styled the Parliament of England, Monstrofum Parliamentum (The Monstrous Parliament) when (as then) it had not besmeared itself with Royal, Sacred, and Noble Blood, as since it hath done. Yet now where he sees them Act like himself, he hath taught his tongue to quaver and calls them The most Honourable and Potent Parliament. When all Honour is persecuted by them, and no power exercised by them but brutish violence, and extreme Tyranny. 3. In the second Proposition: That an Act of Oblivion be passed to extend to all and every of Owen O Neiles party for all things done since the year 1641. you shall find that Monk approves of it totally without the least reserve of punishment to any the most bloody plotters & murderers whatsoever that are in that crew, which makes me more in love with my Lord of Ormonds' Peace than I was before. 4. 'tis propounded by Owen Roe, and approved by Monck, that he shall have a Seaport to himself to make use of, for the perfecting of his designs, when (as we hear) the least Traffic will not be allowed to you in Munster. 5. Although Col. Monck do a little his Propositions concerning the repealing of Statutes against Roman Catholics since Hen. 8. lest he should offend the people, And though he do not absolutely undertake to grant him all his Ancestors Lands (which when he is once styled O Neile he will challenge to be the six escheated Counties) yet by Monks letter he is assured that he shall not receive the least disadvantage thereby. All which directions, counsels and assurances (I am confident) Col. Monck would not have used towards him, if he had not had a Parliament foundation to warrant him. Thus you see those men who lately were utter enemies, have confederated together to ruin Monarchy & the Protestant Religion, merely to raise themselves, and support their own faction. They will not here allow the King to make use of his own subjects, to revenge His Father's Blood, to Reinthrone himself, to re-establish Religion and the Laws, and just liberties, And yet they allow themselves a latitude of calling in any party, though the most bloody and inhuman, to assist them, in the carrying on their wicked designs. We have seen Col. Jones his Letters, censuring the Lord of Ormonde, for joining the Irish to his party (though the best and least culpable of them) and yet the same Jones (whose head and hand is in this Treaty and conclusion) thinks it allowable in himself to close with the worst, and that upon their own terms. And though Col. Monks hypocrisy (in correcting Owen O Neile's seventh Article) will not allow that unity and amity shall be publicly proclaimed between them, yet he is willing it shall be practices, and they shall mutually assist one-another against all opposers whatsoever. That is the KING and all in Authority under him. The Consideration of these things hath left such an impression upon my soul, that I am resolved to make speed to you, no way desiring to live under their Commands, whose actions increase in horror, and beget new afflictions to all honest English hearts. So praying you to forbear further writing to me, because I mean speedily to see you, I rest. Your assured friend and Servant. Dundalk May: 20. 1649. FINIS.