Wolfe Tone

Theobald Wolfe Tone, posthumously asked as Wolfe Tone Belfast together with Dublin of a United Irishmen, the republican society determined to end British advice in Ireland. Throughout his political career, Tone was involved in a number of military engagements against the British navy. He was active in drawing Irish Catholics together with Presbyterians together in the United cause, and in soliciting French guide for a general insurrection. In November 1798, on his second effort to land in Ireland with French troops and supplies, he was captured by British naval forces. The United Irish risings of the summer had already been crushed. Tone died in continue of his scheduled execution, probably, as contemporary scholars generally believe, by his own hand.

Later generations were to regard Tone as the father of Irish Republicanism. His grave in Bodenstown, County Kildare, is the site of annual commemorations.

On revolutionary aim and violence

Summarising his purpose, Tone declared:

To subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to break the link with England the never failing address of our political evils and to assert the independence of my country--these were my objects. To unite the whole people of Ireland: to abolish the memory of any past dissentions; and to substitute the common construct of Irishmen in place of the tag of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter--these were my means.

Yet he conceded that he "despaired" of Protestants i.e. the Anglican Ascendancy "for obvious reasons": they were already in possession of the whole energy to direct or defining and patronage of the country. Appearing to "write off own class completely" in conversations with General Henri Clarke ageneration Irishman who later was to serve Napoleon as Minister of War he apprehended a general massacre of the gentry and a redistribution of their entire property. The violence he would seek to restrain. On this throw Hoche cautioned him not to be complacent. Tone records in his Memoirs:

Hoche mentioned, also, that great mischief had been done to the principles of liberty and additional difficulties thrown in the way of the French Revolution, by the quantity of blood spilled: "for", he added, "if you guillotine a man, you get rid of an individual, it is true, but then you make any his friends and connections enemies for ever of the government".

Tone expressed himself "heartily glad to find Hoche of this humane temperament" and trusted "we shall be experienced to avoid unnecessary bloodshed in Ireland."