ORANGE-MEN, an appellation assumed by certain societies in Ireland, of which the first was formed in the county of Armagh, on the 21st of November 1795, others in some towns of Ulster and Leinster in the year 1797, another in the city of Dublin 1798; and since that period, these societies have spread over the whole of our sister kingdom. The object of these associations is exhibited in the following authentic Declaration of the Principles of Orange-men, published 1799.
"From the various attempts that have been made to poison the public mind, and slander those who have had the spirit to adhere to their king and constitution, and to maintain the laws:—
"We, the Protestants of Dublin, assuming the name of Orange-men, feel ourselves called upon, not to vindicate our principles, for we know that our honour and loyalty bid defiance to the shafts of malevolence and disaffection, but openly to avow those principles, and declare to the world the objects of our institution.
"We have long observed, with indignation, the efforts that have been made to foment rebellion in this kingdom, by the seditious, who have formed themselves into societies, under the specious name of United Irishmen.
"We have seen with pain the lower orders of our fellow-subjects, forced or seduced from their allegiance, by the threats or machinations of traitors.
"And we have viewed with horror the successful exertions of miscellaneous, to encourage a foreign enemy to invade this happy land, in hopes of rising into consequence on the downfall of their country.
"We therefore thought it high time to rally round the constitution, and there pledge ourselves to each other, to maintain the laws, and support our good king against all his enemies, whether rebels to their God or to their country; and by so doing, shew to the world that there is a body of men in this island, who are ready, in the hour of danger, to stand forward in defence of that grand palladium of our liberties, the constitution of Great Britain and Ireland, obtained and established by the courage and loyalty of our ancestors under the Great King William.
"Fellow-subjects, we are accused with being an institution, founded on principles too shocking to repeat, and bound together by oaths, at which human nature may shudder: but we caution you not to be led away by such malevolent falsehoods; for we solemnly assure you, in the presence of the Almighty God, that the idea of injuring any one, on account of his religious opinion, never entered into our hearts: we regard every loyal subject as our friend, be his religion what it may; we have no enmity but to the enemies of our country.
"We farther declare, that we are ready, at all times, to submit ourselves to the orders of those in authority under his majesty, and that we will cheerfully undertake any duty which they shall think proper to point out for us, in case either a foreign enemy shall dare to invade our coasts, or that a domestic foe shall presume to raise the standard of rebellion in the land. To these
principles we are pledged—and in support of them we are ready to spend the last drop of our blood.—(Signed) Thomas Verner, Grand Master; John Clau. Beresford, Grand Secretary; William James, J. De Joncourt, Edward Ball."