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9

THE FAITHFUL WOUNDS OF A FRIEND

In February 1792, after a hiatus of nearly two and a half years, Martha resumed her regular correspondence with her brother. She marked her epistolary comeback with a substantial letter to her ‘beloved’ Will. Unfortunately, the news she had was not encouraging. She began her missive in an urgent tone of near panic which continued throughout.

You are attacked in the public paper, in your character, your religion, your head and worst of all your heart, and by whom, that man who by being for years cherished as your friend, ought to have known its value ... he knows, everyone here knows you were the author of the test – and it is with pain I add, that as such, I fear you are generally reprobated by those you most esteem here ... some who have gone so far when in their cups, as to wish to see the promoters of this work hanged – and at a time they knew you to be the chief one.1

William Bruce, probably Drennan’s most valued friend and confidant of many years, attacked the United Irish test in a sermon at Rosemary Lane, from the very pulpit which Drennan’s father had once occupied. The congregation at which Bruce’s harangue was directed included Martha, Sam, Drennan’s mother and many of the friends of his youth. Not content with confining his opinions to the Meeting House, Bruce also published his Strictures on the Test taken by certain of the Societies of United Irishmen in the Belfast Newsletter.2

Martha felt that Bruce had ‘stepped out of his way into the pulpit and into a public paper to fix a stigma on a number of his townsman and his oldest friend’.3 She also had no doubt that whoever had spread the report of Drennan, saying that the Catholics had acted with duplicity, was engaged ‘in a wicked design to blast and damage’ her brother. She worried that he ‘might be hurt in his profession – be termed a fine writer but a dangerous and rebellious man’.4

Martha goes on to ask him how he intends to react to Bruce’s attack? While claiming that she would not presume to advise him, she goes on to do precisely that. She suggests that Drennan should consider a public answer to Bruce which she hoped might do him and his cause honour.5

Drennan started writing straight away and within a few days sent a paper to Sam which he wished to be shown to Martha and Samuel Neilson before being sent to Joy’s Newsletter and to Neilson’s new paper the Northern Star.6 He gave Sam permission to change any word or phrase that might be too sharp. He knew it was too long but he had not the time to make it shorter.7 From early February 1792 to the end of March, the two old friends engaged in a bitter public paper war, with Bruce assailing the test and Drennan robustly defending it.