'Thus the wife was encouraged and empower. 'ed successfully to rebel against her husband. 'If the eldest son of a Catholic father at any

herent love of principle,—a principle of honorable, but, in this instance, most mistaken loyaltythat when this royal plunderer was afterwards driven from the throne by his British subjects, heage however young, declared himself a Protestook refuge in Ireland, and the Irish Catholic nobility, gentry, and universal people, rallied round him, and shed their blood for him with a courage and a constancy worthy of a better cause.

'tant, he thereby made his father strict tenant for life, deprived the father of all power to sell, or dis'pose of his estate, and such Protestant son became entitled to the absolute dominion and own

"Thus the eldest son was encouraged and, indeed, bribed by the law to rebel against his fa. 'ther.

'If any other child beside the eldest son de'clared itself, at any age, a Protestant, such child 'at once escaped the controul of its father, and 'was entitled to a maintenance out of the father's 'property.

Thus the law encouraged every child to rebel

§ 4. This section should be devoted to the trea-'ership of the estate. ty of Limerick. The Irish were not conquered, Lady, in the war. They had in the year preceding the treaty, driven William the Third with defeat and disgrace from Limerick. In this Irish victory the women participated. It is no romance. In the great defeat of William, the women of Limerick fought and bled and conquered. On the third of October, 1691, the treaty of Limerick was signed. The Irish army, 30,000 strong -the Irish nobility and gentry, and people, capit-against its father. ulated, with the army and Crown of Great Britain. They restored the allegiance of the Irish nation to that Crown. Never was there a more useful treaty to England than this was under the circumstances. It was a most deliberate and solemn treaty—deliberately confirmed by letterspatent from the Crown. It extinguished a sanguinary civil war. It restored the Irish nation to the dominion of England, and secured that dominion in perpetuity over one of the fairest portions of the globe. Such was the value given by the Irish people.

§ 5. By that treaty, on the other hand, the Irish Catholic people stipulated for and obtained the pledge of "the faith and honor" of the English Crown, for the equal protection by law of their properties and their liberties with all other subjects and in particular for the FREE AND UN

FETTERED EXERCISE OF THEIR RELIGION.

If any Catholic purchased for money any estate in land, and Protestant was empowered by 'law to take away that estate from the Catholic, and to enjoy it without paying one shilling of 'the purchase money.

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"This was Law.-The Catholic paid the mo'ney, whereupon the Protestant took the estate. The Catholic lost both money and estate.

'If any Catholic got an estate in land by mar. 'riage, by the gift, or by the will of a relation, or or friend, any Protestant could by Law take 'the estate from the Catholic and enjoy it him. 'self.

'If any Catholic took a lease of a farm of land as tenant at a rent for a life, or lives, or for any longer term than thirty-one years, any Protes tant could by Law take the farm from the Cath'olic and enjoy the benefit of the lease.

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'If any Catholic took a farm by lease for a 'term not exceeding thirty-one years, as he might 'still by Law have done, and by his labor and industry raised the value of the land so as to yield a profit equal to one-third of the rent, any Pro'testant might THEN by Law evict the Catholic, and enjoy for the residue of the term the fruit of 'the labor and industry of the Catholic.

• If any Catholic had a horse, worth more than 'five pounds, any Protestant tendering £5 to the 'Catholic owner, was by law entitled to take the horse, though worth £50, or £100, or more, ' and to keep it as his own.

'If any Catholic being the owner of a horse 'worth more than five pounds, concealed his 'horse from any Protestant, the Catholic for the 'crime of concealing in his own horse, was liable to 'be punished by an imprisonment of three months, 'and a fine of three times the value of the horse, 'whatever that might be.

'So much for the Laws regulating by Act of Parliament, the property-or rather plundering by due course of Law, the property-of the Catholic.

If a Catholic, whether a child or adult, at'tended, in Ireland, a school kept by a Catholic, 'or was privately instructed by a Catholic, such Catholic, although a child in its early infancy, 'incurred a forfeiture of all its property, present • or future.

'If a Catholic child, however young, was sent " to any foreign country for education, such infant child incurred a similar penalty—that is, a for'feiture of all right to property, present or pros'pective.

"If any person in Ireland made any remittance 'of money or goods, for the maintenance of any Irish child educated in a foreign country, such persons incurred a similar forfeiture.

Thirdly. PERSONAL DISABILITIES. 'The Law rendered every Catholic incapable ' of holding a commission in the army, or navy, or even to be a private soldier, unless he solemnly ' abjured his religion.

The Law rendered every Catholic incapable of holding any office whatsoever of honor or ' emolument in the State. The exclusion was 'universal.

A Catholic had no legal protection for life or liberty. He could not be a Judge, Grand Juror, 'Sheriff, Sub-Sheriff, Master in Chancery, Six Clerk, Barrister, Attorney, Agent or Solicitor, or 'Seneschal of any manor, or even gamekeeper to ' a private gentleman.

A Catholic could not be a member of any Cor'poration, and Catholics were precluded by law 'from residence in some corporate towns.

Catholics were deprived of all right of voting ⚫ for members of the Commons House of Parlia

Fourthly.-RELIGION.

To teach the Catholic religion was a transpor'table felony; to convert a Protestant to the 'Catholic faith, was a capital offence, punishable as an act of treason.

To be a Catholic regular, that is a monk or 'friar, was punishable by banishment, and to re⚫turn from banishment an act of high-treason.

"To be a Catholic Archbishop or Bishop, or to exercise any ecclesiastical jurisdiction whatsoever in the Catholic Church in Ireland, was pun'ishable by transportation-to return from such 'transportation was an act of high-treason, pun'ishable by being hanged, embowelled alive, and 'arterwards quartered."

§ 5. After this enumeration, will you, Illustrious Lady, be pleased to recollect that every one of these enactments, that each and every of these laws, was a palpable and direct violation of a solemn treaty to which the faith and honor of the British Crown was pledged, and the justice of the English nation unequivocally engaged.

§6. There never yet was such a horrible code of persecution invented, so cruel, so cold-blooded, -calculating emaciating-universal- as this legislation, which the Irish Orange faction-the"

the Shaws-the Lefroys-the Verners of the day did invent and enact. A code exalted to the utmost hight of infamy by the fact, that it was enacted in the basest violation of a solemn engagement and deliberate treaty.

§ 7. It is not possible for me to describe that code in adequate language-it almost surpassed the eloquence of Burke to do so. It had,' as Burke describes it; It had a vicious perfection— 'it was a complete syseem-full of coherence and 'consistency; well digested and well disposed in all its parts. It was a machine of wise and 'elaborate contrivance, and as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment, and degradation of 'the people, and the debasement in them of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the 'perverted ingenuity of man.'

§ 8. This code prevented the accumulation of property, and punished industry as a crime. Was there ever such legislation in any other country, Christian or Pagan? But that is not all, because the party who inflicted this horrible code, actually reproached the Irish people with wilful and squalid. POVERTY.

§ 9. This code enforced ignorance by Statute Law, and punished the acquisition of knowledge as a felony. Is this credible?-yet it is true. But that is not all; for the party that thus persecuted learning, reproached and still reproach the Irish people with IGNORANCE.

$10. There;-there never was a people on the face of the carth so cruelly, so basely, treated as the Irish. There never was a faction so stained with blood-so blackened with crime as that Or

ange faction, which, under the name of Protestant, seeks to retain the remnants of their abused created and continued the infamous penal persepower, by keeping in activity the spirit which cution of which I have thus faintly traced an outline.

It would be worse than seditious, nay actually treasonable, to suppose that such a faction can ever obtain countenance from you, Illustrious Lady, destined, as I trust you are, at length to grant justice, by an equalization of rights with your other subjects, to your faithful, brave, long oppressed, but magnanimous, people of Ireland.

CHAPTER VI.
YEARS 1778-1800.

§ 1. The persecution I have described-the persecution founded on a breach of national faith and public honor-lasted for eighty-six long years of darkness-of shame-and of sorrow.

It was intended to reduce the Catholic people of Ireland to the state of the most abject poverty, and by the same means to extirpate the Catholic religion.

Here a question of some interest arises :-What was the success of the experiment? Before the question is answered, let it be recollected that the experiment had in favor of its success the Crown -the Parliament-the Bishops and Clergy of the established Church-the Judges-the Army, the Navy-the Corporations-Mayors-AldermenSheriffs and Freemen-the Magistracy, the Grand Jurors-the almost universal mass of the property and wealth of the Irish nation. It had besides the entire countenance, concurrence, and support

of England and Scotland-not a tongue could utter in public one word against it, or if it so uttered even one word, it was stopped for ever not a pen could write one word in opposition. Yet, with all these tremendous advantages, what was the success of the experiment?

exceeding British bravery, rendered the 'meteor flag of England' once more victorious-crushed the naval power of the enemy-saved not only the West Indian colonies, but also the honor of the British crown, and strewed laurels over a peace which would otherwise have been ignominious as well as disastrous.

§ 6. The relaxation of the year 1782 was a se

land.' It was a noble instalment. It enabled the Catholics to acquire freehold property for lives, or of inheritance. But it did more;-for the first time after ninety years of persecuted learning, it

Illustrious Lady-it failed-it totally failed. A just estimate would state that the Catholics went into the persecution about two millions in num-cond instalment of the debt of Justice to Ire ber; the Protestant persecutors-for, at that day, they were all persecutors-were about one million. The Catholics have increased to nearly seven millions-the Protestants still scarcely exceed the original million. The comparative in-enabled the Catholics to open schools and to edu. crease of the one under persecution is enormous -the comparative decrease of the other whilst persecuting is astounding; in the first instance the Catholics were at the utmost only two to one in the second they are near seven to one:

"Thus captive Israel multiplied in chains." Blessed be God! So may persecution fail in every country until it shall universally be admitted to be as useless for conversion, as its exercise is debasing and degrading in those who employ it.

In

2. The time for a relaxation of the "Penal Code"-that was the technical name given to the persecuting code-had at length arrived. 1775 the obstinate refusal of the British Government to do "justice to America" was checked by blood. In 1777 a British army, in its "pride of place," surrendered at Saratoga to the once despised, insulted, and calumniated "Provincials." It was in 1778 too late to conciliate America. She proclaimed her independence, and America was forever lost to the British crown.

§ 3. The ancient enemies of England in Europe armed, and assailed her. The English Government in their adversity learned one lesson from fatal experience; they for the first time tried conciliation to Ireland. The Penal Code was relaxed in 1778. Conciliation succeeded as it always will with the Irish people. America, it is true, was lost by refusing to conciliate-but Ireland was preserved to the British crown by conciliation.

§ 4. The relaxation of the "Penal Code" in 1778 was, in its own nature, a large instalment of the debt of "Justice to the Catholic people of Ireland." It restored to the Catholics the same power and dominion over the property they then held as the Protestants always enjoyed; and it enabled the Catholics to acquire as tenants, or as purchasers, any interest in lands for any terms or years, though they may be as long as one thousand years. But still they could not acquire by purchase, or as tenants, any freehold interests. The Catholics wisely accepted the instalment, and went on with increased security and power to look for the rest of the debt of justice:

cate their youth in literature and religion. The Catholics wisely accepted that instalment, which restored in full their rights of property, and gave them the inestimable right of education. They gratefully accepted the instalment, and wisely and with increased power, commenced a new struggle for the rest.

§ 7. The admission of the Catholics to the te nancy of lands in 1778, increased considerably the rents of the Protestant landlords in Ireland. The permission to the Catholics in 1782 to purchase estates, enhanced enormously the value of the property of all the Protestants of Ireland. Concilia. tion and prosperity went hand in hand, and that which benevolence alone would have suggested, was proved by experience to be the best means to increase the value of their property, which the most rigid and the most selfish prudence would have dictated to the Protestant proprietors of Ireland.

§ 8. There were other events in 1782, which merit more than the passing glance I can now be stow upon them-events of the deepest, the most soul-stirring interest. For the present, suffice it to say, that the Irish Parliament which asserted the legislative independence of Ireland was not only the most advantageous to its constituents, but was at the same time the most loyal to the British crown, and the most useful to the British power. It was that Parliament which voted and paid the twenty thousand Irish Catholics who rushed to man the British fleets, and contributed to Rodney's victory. Ireland never had a Parliament. more attached to British connexion than the Irish Parliament which asserted Irish legislative independence.

§ 9. Ten years followed of great and increas ing prosperity in Ireland-but they were years of peace and power in England, and there was no occasion to conciliate or court the Catholies of Ireland. Accordingly no further advance was made in their emancipation. The Catholics however shared in the universal prosperity of Ireland. § 10. The year 1792 found matters in this condition. The prosperity which the Catholics en§ 5. In 1782, England stood alone in a contest joyed in common with their other countrymenwith the greatest power in the world-the com- the property which they were daily acquiring, bined fleets of her enemies, as one of the rare in- made them impatient for political rights. They stances in her naval annals, rode triumphant and therefore petitioned the Irish House of Commons unopposed in the British channel. Accordingly that the profession of the law might be opened to the Penal Code' was once again relaxed-con-them, and for the elective franchise. It was with ciliated Ireland poured twenty thousand seamen and active landsmen into the British navy-ena. bled Rodney to pursue the French fleet to the West Indies; where, in his action with De Grasse, Irish valour, emulating, and, if that were possible,

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difficulty one member could be procured to move that the petition should be laid upon the table, and another to second it. The motion was opposed by the member for Kildare, Mr. Latouche; he moved that the petition should be rejected-there

was no danger apprehended from its rejection. It was accordingly rejected, all the members of the Government voting for that rejection.

§ 11. But before the close of 1792, a new scene was opened.-The French armies defeated their enemies at every point. The Netherlands were conquered, and a torrent of republicanism, driven on by military power, threatened every state in Europe. The cannon of the battle of Gemappe were heard at St. James's-the wisdom of conciliating the Catholics was felt and understood; and in the latter end of that same year 1792in the early part of which the Government had ignominiously rejected the Catholic petition with contempt-that same Government brought in a bill still further to relax the "Penal Code;" and early in the next year brought in another bill, granting, or I should rather say restoring, greater privileges to the Catholics

§ 12. By the effect of both these bills, the bar was opened to the Catholics-they might be. come barristers, but not King's counsel they could be attorneys and solicitors—they could be freemen of the lay.corporations-the Grand Jury box and the magistracy were opened to themthey were allowed to attain the rank of Colonel in the army and still greater than all, they were allowed to acquire the elective franchise, and to vote for members of Parliament. This was the third great instalment of public justice obtained by the Catholics of Ireland.

British dominions. It would, by conciliating your Irish subjects and attending to their wants and wishes, render the separation of Ireland from the lawful dominion of your crown, utterly im. possible.

§ 16. No country ever rose so rapidly in trade, manufactures, commerce, agricultural wealth, and general prosperity, as Ireland did from the year 1782 until the year 1798, when the" fomented Rebellion" broke out, and for a space, a pass. ing and transitory space, marred the fair prospects of Ireland.

CHAPTER VII.

THE YEAR 1800.

§ 1. THIS year would justify a volume to itself. It was the year that consummated the crimes which, during nearly seven centuries, the English Government perpetrated against Ireland. It was the year of the destruction of the Irish legis. lature. It was the fatal, ever to be accursed year of the enactment of the Union.

§ 2. The Union was inflicted on Ireland by the combined operation of terror, torture, force, fraud, and corruption.

§ 3. The contrivers of the Union kept on foot and fomented the embers of a lingering rebellion. They hallooed the Protestant against the Catholic, and the Catholic against the Protestant. They carefully kept alive domestic dissensions, for the purposes of subjugation.

§4. Whilst the Union was in progress, the Habeas Corpus act was suspended-all constitutional freedom was annihilated in Ireland-MARTIAL LAW WAS PROCLAIMED-the use of torture was frequent-liberty, life, or property, had no protection-public opinion was stifled-trials by court-martial were familiar-meetings legally convened by sheriffs and magistrates were dispersed by military violence-the voice of Ireland was suppressed-the Irish people had no protection. Once again, I repeat, MARTIAL LAW WAS PROCLAIMED-thus the Union was achieved in total despite of the Irish nation.

13. But it should be recollected that these concessions were made more in fear than in friendship. The revolutionary war was about to commence-the flames of Republicanism had spread far and near. It was eagerly caught up amongst the Protestant and especially among the Presbyterian population of the north of Ireland. Belfast was its warmest focus; it was the deep interest of the British Government to detach the wealth and intelligence of the Catholics of Ireland from the republican party. This policy was adopted. The Catholics were conciliated. The Catholic nobility, gentry, mercantile, and other educated classes, almost to a man, separated from the republican party. That which would otherwise have been a revolution, became only an unsuccessful rebellion. The intelligent and lead-John Russell is reported to have stated some time ing Catholics were conciliated, and Ireland was once again, by the wise policy of concession and conciliation, saved to the British crown.

§ 5. But this was not all-the most enormous and the basest corruption was resorted to.

Lord

ago, at a public dinner, that the Union was carried at an expense of £800,000. He was much mistaken, speaking as he did merely from a vague § 14. Illustrious Lady-the Rebellion of 1798 recollection. The parliamentary documents will itself was, almost avowedly, and beyond a doubt show him that the one item of the purchase monproveably, fomented to enable the British Gov-ey of rotten and nomination boroughs, cost no ernment to extinguish the Irish legislative inde. pendence and to bring about the Union. But the instrument was nearly too powerful for the unskilful hands that used it, and if the Catholic wealth, education, and intelligence, had joined the rebellion, it would probably have been suc.

cessful.

less a sum than one million, two hundred and forty-five thousand pounds. The pecuniary corruption amounted altogether to about three mill. ions of pounds sterling.

§6. But this was not all-the expenditure of patronage was still more open, avowed, and profligate; Peerages were a familiar staple of traffic§ 15. One word upon the legislative indepen- the command of ships of the line and of regidence of Ireland-that which is now called a ments the offices of Chief and Puisne Judges, Repeal of the Union." It is said to be a sever- the stations of Archbishops and Bishops, Commisance of the empire-a separation of the two coun- sionerships of the Revenue, and all species of tries. Illustrious Lady, these statements are Collectorships-in short, all grades of officesmade by men who know them to be unfounded. the sanctuary of the law and the temples of reliAn Irish legislative independence would, on thegion, were trafficked upon as bribes, and given in contrary, be the strongest and most durable con- exchange for votes in parliament in favor of the nexion between your Majesty's Irish and your Union.