February 7th 1798, The Freeman's Journal editorial of the 1st echoes the fears of many Irish conservatives in querying "what would be our fate if the monstrous agents of "Those Daemons, with whom are leagued all the passions of Hell, and to whose enormities and the cruelties and sanguinary violences attending former warfare, have been in comparison but the sport of boys. Inured to plunder and to death, practised in the unrestrained use of conquest and the worst licentiousness of will . . . the French soldiers are wrought up to the eager execution of deeds, which the very Devil would hesitate to instigate."
The opinions of a prominent Cork United Irishman, `Mr T----n', allegedly "inflamed by such republican damnable doctrines as Tom Paine's", are criticised for holding that "moderate newspapers . . . are no better than almanacks, and that Cork must have one to fire the passions to achievements that will raise precious spirits like his to public elevation".
The death near Cork city of a "noted offender named Shanahan", a.k.a. "Captain Wright", is greeted as a positive development given that his associates plotted to kill Captain Ormsby "for his exertions in the North, against disturbers of the peace".
Cork's loyalty is advertised by the bestowal of the freedom of the city on General Abercromby just as the southern port's security is boosted by the arrival at Berehaven of seven more ships of the line.
The warships, attended by a frigate, two cutters and a fire ship, are said to render Munster impregnable to the French. Waterford is reinforced at this time by two companies of the Meath and Donegal militia which are redeployed from Kilmacthomas while the grenadier, artillery and remaining infantry companies of the Meath regiment are brought in from New Geneva barracks.
A shocking breach of discipline occurs in Dublin on the 3rd when an artillery man named McDermott, "a noted informer", shoots the pregnant wife of Bryan Maguire for refusing to serve him more drink. McDermott is lodged in Newgate where he will remain until brought to trial.
On the 6th, a press journalist supports the factual basis of a story contained in a new ballad entitled The Orange-man's con version, which purports to describe an event of the previous week in Carlow. The writer notes that a "poor man" alluded to in the song was under threat of having his house burned "by order of a vile attorney, who is one of our modern JUSTICES OF INSTRUCTION". The maudlin and improbable song relates how the "poor man" appeals to a soldier ordered to carry out the deed and prevails on him to "sustain the wretched, Or to die in Erin's cause".
The "modern" justice in question is Captain Robert Cornwall, an advocate of the Insurrection Act, whom, it is claimed, sent a 40-strong coroner's inquest to the tenders for recording a verdict of "wilful murder" against the killer of "a slaughtered peasant".
In the House of Commons, Thomas Pelham moves the vote for the military budget up to March 1799 which includes £1,102,938 for the 12,000strong standing army and the augmentation of 17,620 more. £294,190 is voted to maintain the yeomanry but no figure is recorded for the 26,680 militiamen under arms.