1745) expreffed their fatisfaction at the appointment of this great ftatefinan at fo critical a juncture, in an addrefs to the lord lieutenant;* in which they expreffed their fenfe of his majesty's favor and goodness towards Ireland in fparing from his councils in Great Britain, a perfon of his excellency's known and tried abilities for the good and advantage of that nation. The

commons

citizens and neighbours from falling into the fame errors, which had been fo fatal to their fathers ; and appealing to their reafon, convinced them, that their fituation was as advantageous as they could wish it to be, and that it would be the height of imprudence to engage in a dangerous caufe, to which neither interest did invite, nor confcience did oblige them." Reafon never fpeaks in vain; the most hardened are infenfibly foftened by its voice. The Irish priefts, fenfible of the gentleness of the prefent adminiftration, co-operated with their Proteftant brethren to maintain order and tranquillity. These paftoral letters, public difcourfes from the pulpit, and private admonitions, were equally directed for the service of government. The ill-grounded apprehenfions of the friends to the prefent fyftem were not lefs to be guarded against, than the enterprises of its enemies. This. was by much the most difficult task, but Lord Chesterfield was equally fuccefsful in encouraging the former and difarming the latter. By conftantly appearing to be afraid of nothing, he spread an. univerfal belief that nothing was to be feared; and by the ridicule he threw upon the violent meafures which were proposed to him, he manifefted his defire of abstaining from them till there was real danger. Thus (Notes to the Memoirs, p. 29 and 31) the fame author fays, that a zealous Proteftant, thinking to pay his court to the lord lieutenant, came to inform him, that one of his coachmen was a Roman Catholic, and privately went to Mafs. Does he indeed? (faid his lordship) well, I will take care he shall never carry me there. An inftance of his lordship's calmness and prefence of mind on this occafion has been given by the Bishop of Waterford. "I cannot (fays he) "forbear to mention a pun of his lordship's, which fhews his quickness at repartee, and that he had "the best information of the difpofitions of the Roman Catholics, and was not afraid of them. The vice-treasurer, Mr. Gardner, a man of a good character and a confiderable fortune, waited upon "him one morning, and in a great fright told him, that he was affured, upon good authority, that "the people in the province of Connaught were actually rifing. Upon which Lord Chesterfield. "took out his watch, and with great compofure answered him, It is nine o'clock, and certainly. "time for them to rife; I therefore believe your news to be true."

*4 Lords Journ. p. 594.

+4 Commons Journ. p. 506.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,

We the commons of Ireland in parliament affembled, beg leave to exprefs our fincere and unanimous sense of the benefits which we have received from your excellency's mild and prudent administration. His majesty's gracious acceptance of the duty and loyalty of his fubjects in this kingdom, has been particularly manifefted by his committing them to your excellency's care, in fo critical a conjuncture, when your zeal for the prefent happy establishment was of more immediate importance to our fecurity, and your eminent abilities could be more effectu ally exerted for our fervice. These uncommon talents, by which your excellency has been most juftly

commons were more tardy in expreffing their fentiments to the viceroy, though their addrefs, which was made on the 5th of April 1746, were more pointed, as being founded in the happy experience, and not in the anticipated confidence of his administration. The Earl of Chesterfield had the fatisfaction of feeing all his attempts to ferve the kingdom he was fent, in that critical moment, to govern, requited by the moft peaceful demeanour and enthusiastic gratitude of the Irish nation. He was univerfally admired on his arrival, beloved during his ftay, and regretted upon his departure. To perpetuate his virtues and the gratitude of the nation, his buft was placed in the cafile of Dublin at the public expence.*

The

justly distinguished, and which did in all times excite our admiration, must now more fenfibly affe&t us, when we have feen them through your whole administration, fo invariably directed, and employed with fo unwearied an application to support the dignity of his majesty's crown, and to prómote the true interest of his people. As upon the first appearance of the rebellion in Scotland, our zeal for his majesty animated us with a just resentment and indignation, and as our concern for the prefervation of our rights and liberties, fo dear to the Proteftants of this kingdom, could not but raise in our minds fome unquiet apprehenfions; we were ready, as we shall ever be, chearfully to concur in all proper measures, and to exert our utmost strength for the defence of the king's government, and the fupport of your excellency's authority under him. And we do now, with equal chearfulness, and with the utmost gratitude acknowledge, that the profound tranquillity, which, without any extraordinary increase of public expence, we of this nation have hitherto enjoyed, has been the refult of a wife and vigilant adminiftration over us; an adminiftration formed upon the principles and carried on by the uniform exercife of lenity without remifsnefs, and of firmnefs without feverity. We receive it as a particular mark of your excellency's regard, that when your assistance at his majesty's councils in this time of the most arduous and extenfive deliberations there, must have been fo neceffary, you have feemed to confider the bufinefs of this kingdom as the principal object. of your attention. Upon this account we think it almost fuperfluous to add our request, that your excellency would, on your return, reprefent us in the most favorable manner to his majefty, fince our experience of your paft conduct muft fufficiently affure us of the continuance of the fame good difpofitions towards us, and as we are most firmly perfuaded that your presence has not been more conducive to our fafety now, than your influence will hereafter be to our prosperity.

* Doctor Maty has elegantly and concifely painted the halcyon hours of Lord Chefterfield's government. (Sect. V.) “As it was owing to the lord lieutenant's vigilance and refolution that the "French and Spaniards did not attempt to land any troops in Ireland during the time of the rebel"lion, it was likewife an effect of his prudence and moderation, that the horrors of a civil war did

not reach that country. Diftinctions of parties feemed to be abolished, and animofities to be "forgotten as well as prejudices and fufpicions. Religion became what it ought to be, a bond of "union instead of an inftrument of difcord; fuperftition was enlightened, and fanaticks disarmed. "Hence a phenomenon took place, not often beheld in times of tranquillity. Proteftants and Roman

PP 2

The fhort adminiftration of the Earl of Chefterfield furnishes reflections highly important to the welfare of the Irish nation. It was a practical demonstration of the utility of a fyftem of lenity and liberality, not only to Ireland, but to the whole British empire. It was a conclufive evidence, that Great Britain well knew how at any time to enfure the happiness of her fifter kingdom, though unwilling at most times to promote it. The danger of Great Britain drove her to do juftice to Ireland for the few months during which that danger lafted; and her fecurity brought with it repentance, at the momentary, though neceflary interruption of the ancient fyftem. It is lamentably remarkable how thriftily Great Britain dealt out this transient justice to Ireland, as if the counted reluctantly the hours of its enjoyment. On the 19th of Auguft, 1745, the standard of rebellion was formally erected in the Highlands of Scotland: a courier was dispatched to haften the return of the king, who was then in Hanover: he arrived in London before the end of Auguft: and on the 31ft day of Auguft, the Earl of Chesterfield was appointed lord lieutenant and chief governor of the kingdom of Ireland. On the 16th of April, 1746, the defeat of the Pretender at Culloden by the Duke of Cumberland put an end to the rebellion; and on the ninth day after that event, Ireland was deprived of her favorite viceroy; for on the 25th of April, 1746, Primate Hoadley, Lord Chancellor Newport, and Mr. Boyle, the speaker of the Houfe of Commons, were appointed lords juftices, and vainly did Ireland figh for the return of her short-lived felicity: Great Britain was out of danger and Ireland could fecurely be put again under its former regime.* In order effectually to cut off all hopes of the return of Lord

"Roman Catholics, natives and ftrangers, well-wishers and enemies to the Pretender, all alike influ“enced by the example of their benevolent governor, indulged, respected, and would have loved one another, if he had continued a longer time among them.

"It is the province of hiftory to perpetuate the tranfactions of an adminiftration, which it will ever be the intereft of future lord lieutenants to study and to imitate."

* It appears to have been a fatality peculiar to Ireland, that her greatest civil bleffings have been unexceptionably obtained under circumftances, that to say the leaft of them, deprived Great Britain. of the merit of voluntary, cordial and gracious acceffion. Thus fhall we have to note in proper time and order, the fituation of Great Britain, when the independence of Ireland was recognized in 1782, which Mr. Burke observed, was the true revolution to the Irish, and when she became united with Great Britain. For the honor of the people of Great Britain, it were to be wished, that neceffity had not forced, but reafon and liberality had proffered the boon: yet that very neceffity proves its excellency; and its excellency will enfure its continuance and fuccefs.

Chesterfield

Chesterfield to Ireland, on the 13th of September the Earl of Harrington was appointed the new lord lieutenant.

We are now arrived at that period of the Irish history at which Mr. Burke obferved,* the English in Ireland began to be domiciliated, and to recollect that they had a country. The English intereft at firft by faint and almost infenfible degrees, but at length openly and avowedly, became an independent Irish interest, full as independent as it could ever have been, if it had continued in the perfons of the native Irish. The new lord lieutenant, when he met the parliament in October, 1747, particularly complimented them on his majesty's continuance of his paternal regard and affection to a dutiful and loyal people: and recommended a continuance of the fame good conduct and vigilance, which, under God, had prevented the communication of fo dangerous an infection (i. e. the Scotch Rebellion) to that kingdom.

A political question was about this time started in Ireland, and carried on with extraordinary virulence by the contending parties. Mr. Lucas, a medical gentleman from Corke, upon a vacancy having happened in the representation of the city of Dublin by the death of Sir James Sommerville, attracted the notice and fecured the warmeft fupport of the patriots of that day, by publickly attacking the abufes, that had lately prevailed in the elections of members for the city of Dublin, by which the commons were deprived of the power of chufing the city magiftrates, and that power was placed in the Board of Aldermen, fubject to the approbation of the lord lieutenant. The prefs teemed with letters, anfwers, replies, addreffes, appeals, counter-appeals, and every engine, that could be employed to add rancor, fting, and fuel to the heats of the contending parties. It was no longer an electioneering fquabble between two rival candidates: it became a trial of strength upon popular principles of civil liberty between the patriots and government. It kept the Proteftants of Ireland in a flame of civil difcord for

*Letter to Lang. p. 45.

† It was natural, that the Irish Catholics, who were formally excluded from any active or paffive representation in parliament, should be indifferent to those contests for civil rights, which could not end in admitting them to the enjoyment. The first periodical publication of Mr. Lucas was the Cenfor, against which Sir Richard Cox (under the title of Anthony Litten) wrote his appeal to the public, abufing Lucas (he was a Presbyterian) as an incendiary and a Papift; and treating the Catholic body of the Irish nation with the moft contemptuous and rancorous hoftility. Against this Appeal of Sir Richard Cox, Mr. O'Connor wrote his Counter-Appeal, to fhew, that

fo

for feveral years. Mr. James Digges La Touche, who had formerly been an intimate friend of Mr. Lucas, and ftrongly united with him in political principles, on this occafion abandoned his former principles, and propofed himself as a candidate for the city of Dublin, in direct and violent oppofition

fo far from being addicted to flavish opinions, the Irish nation had, on the contrary, laboured long under a complication of evils refulting from licentiousness, and that it was their greatest political misfortune and the source of all their calamities, that the excefs of liberty, which prevailed among them was not tempered by Ariftocracy in such a manner as to afford a folid support to monarchy on the one fide, and freedom on the other. This pamphlet was dated from the town of Londonderry, September 30th, 1749. It was written in a hafty manner, merely for the conteft and passion of of the day, and Mr. O'Connor never would acknowledge it to be his, until his correfpondence with Reily, the editor, obliged him to acknowledge it.

"Your inflammatory counter-appeal (fays Reily) has been roared about "the streets here all this day, and fo inflaming it is, that Walter Harris, the historian, told the printer (Kelburne) he would be fummoned to the Bar of the House, and fent to Newgate; for "that it is of a more dangerous tendency, than all Lucas's papers together. The best of it is, that "Kelburne himself cannot guess at the author: fome fay it is Brooke, others Lucas himself; but "let them guefs on while you are fafe. You muft guard against all Sir Richard's friends, he is not "only warm, but malicious against Lucas.

Dublin, October 10th, 1749.

"Yours, &c. &c.

"CIVICUS."

Mr. O'Connor to Civicus.

"Your hints are friendly, and demand my thanks, but I am by no means interested, nor is any of our unfortunate people in this affair of Lucas, into which we are dragged by violent and wanton malevolence; I have even some disgust to Lucas, on account of his Bar"ber's letters; a true patriot would not have betrayed fuch malice to fuch unfortunate slaves as 66 we. But those boafters, the Whigs, are in fearch of liberty, just as Herod was of Chrift, to "crufh it in its infancy, and have all to themfelves.

October 28th, 1749.

Yours, &c. &c.

"C. O'CONNOR."

It is obfervable, notwithstanding Harris's menaces, that the most objectionable paffage in the counter-appeal is this: "Can it at this time of day be a matter of doubt whether we Irish have a right to the laws and conftitution of our fathers, or are we to live fubject to the dictates of an incompatible legiflation?"

The bugbear of Jacobitifm, which was fo fuccefsfully played in these bigoted times, rendered all publications favorable to Roman Catholics very dangerous to their authors; any thing that could tend to foften the rigor of the penal code was highly alarming, and every poffible step was taken to prevent the governing party's granting the smallest degree of toleration to their Catholic country

men.

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