two dissentients :-"Holding the right of private judgment, in matters of religion, to be equally sacred in others as in ourselves-Resolved, therefore, that as men and as Irishmen, as christians and as protestants, we rejoice in the relaxation of the penal laws against our catholic fellow-subjects."*

The consequence was, that the English cabinet saw it necessary to give another extension to the trade and freedom of Ireland, and to relax the catholic penal laws still further. The successful resistance and independence of the American States, had lowered the pride of the English ministers, and finally drove Lord North and his party from the helm of government.

The death of the Marquis of Rockingham broke up the whig ministry in England, and a new lord lieutenant (Earl Temple) was sent to Ireland. Another change of ministry taking place, Lord Temple was recalled, and, in June, 1783, Lord Northington was sent in his room.

But still the late measures were only palliatives, granted by the English cabinet reluctantly, and evidently against the grain. A great complaint in both countries is, the inadequate state of the representation of the people, and the gross corruption of parliament, the majority of which is either the creatures of the peerage, or the pensioners of the treasury.

The many fruitless applications of the people to parliament for the correction of abuses; the inadequacy of their representation; the large portion of the house of commons composed of boroughs the property of the peerage;

It should not be forgotten, that the volunteers of the north of Ireland were nearly all presbyterians, and that with these men originated the idea of a general right of suffrage. They had the courage to overcome ancient habits and religious prejudices, and declare "that the catholics were their brethren, and ought to be admitted to the rights of men and citizens."—It is certain, that the presbyterians did not receive the approbation of the establishment for their conduct on this occasion; on the contrary, government now beheld them with marked dislike and jealousy. Whether the catholics themselves looked upon the measure in its proper point of view, or what use they would have made of power if they had got it into their hands, has not yet been developed.

and the uniform corruption of administrations, who had the treasury always at their disposal-These considerations pointed out the necessity of a grand endeavour to purify the representation of the people, and to bring the constitution to the practice of those beauties, of which it boasts so much in theory.

To obtain this great and necessary object, county, city, town, and even parish meetings were held. The greatest orators in parliament, viz. Mr. Flood, Mr. Grattan, Mr. Curran, &c. exerted their splendid talents-but in vain-government always contrived to frustrate their measures, and at last beat them down by force, and passed laws to prevent the assembling of freemen and freeholders!

About these times, the Duke of Richmond, Mr. Pitt, &c. called themselves "the friends of the people, and advocated a reform of parliament-but no sooner did they step from the ladder of popularity to the treasury bench, than they changed their sentiments, or feebly supported what it was visible they did not wish to succeed.

The Earl of Charlemont had hitherto been the chief head or leader of the volunteers. At a review at Belfast, when they addressed him, expressing their satisfaction at the decay of religious prejudices, and their wish that all men of all professions should be entitled to the right of suffrage, his lordship was pleased to dissent from these opinions! The man who had hitherto gone alone with the volunteers in so many patriotic efforts, suddenly stopped short when they talked of religious liberty, the very essence of all liberty!-Thus, religious bigotry, protestant bigotry too, like an evil genius, stalked in to baffle the generous wishes of an enlightened people. The schism was fatal ;-from this time every patriotic measure proved abortive, and disappointment and discontent took place of hope and expectation.

The payment of tithes to the established clergy also continued to be a source of very general discontent, particularly

in the western and southern parts of the country, where a vast majority of the inhabitants are Roman catholics, and where they are poor and depressed almost to the lowest state of human wretchedness. As a due respect to religion, and the rational practice of it, are most important benefits to the community, the maintenance of its ministers ought to be liberal, and becoming their station and character-but in the tithe system, under a proud and high-minded hierarchy, the proctor, like the middle-man, is too often the scourge of the indignant peasant ; unmoved by the inability of the cultivator, subject to a thousand accidents, he treads upon the heels of providence, and seizes with a greedy hand, what the judg ments of heaven may have left to the unfortunate farmer.

Mr. Grattan, at different times and seasons, proposed several measures in parliament, towards ameliorating the condi tion of the poor farmer as to this hateful burden-but the church and state party were ever too strong, and rejected all modifications whatever.

Although the catholics had been relieved from certain pains and penalties on account of their religious tenets,* yet

*Two heavy charges have been brought against the catholics, viz. that "they consider their obedience to the bishop of Rome as paramount to all allegiance to any king, prince or government whatever," and "that there is no salvation beyond the pale of their church" If these charges be true, the catholics must be unsafe subjects in any free country. The genius of the catholic religion is favourable to despotism; whereas protestantism promotes inquiry, and is friendly to liberty. The English and Irish catholics have been at much pains to deny and explain away these charges Liberal and well informed catholics cannot believe such doctrines; but with the ignorant and the bigoted, they have had, and may again have, the most dangerous ef fects. In the times of popish power, we know that these were the tenets of the catholic church; and two circumstances have lately taken place, that gave at least a colour that they are yet believed: - The gradual restoration of the Jesuits to their former spiritual and temporal influence. 2. In the month of October, 1804, previous to the pope's setting out to Paris to crown" his dear son in Christ, Napoleon. Emperor of the French," in what 's called an allocation to the sacred consistory, amongst a number of reasons

they were still kept in the back ground, like a proscribed people in their own country-they had received favours, but they were bestowed reluctantly and ungracefully. Repeated efforts were made in parliament in their favour, by Mr. Grattan and other popular members; and Lord Fitzwilliam came from England, with powers, as he imagined, to give them, at once, full and ample emancipation. To his surprise, he found himself opposed by a secret influence, and by the prevailing aristocracy, who, under the imposing title of the protestant ascendancy, not only thwarted all his projects, but had him recalled with something like disgrace !* This disappointment sunk deep into the minds of the catholics, and inclined many of them afterwards to enter into desperate measures of revenge-no less than the separation of Ireland from the dominion of England.

From this rapid sketch of the history of Ireland, the American reader will be able to understand the rise and progress of those parties and distinctions, which have unhappily continued, for so long a time, to distract one of the finest countries in the world-a country which, whether we consider its geographical situation, the salubrity of its climate, or the abundance of its productions, is admirably calculated (if not obstructed

which his holiness is pleased to assign for going on such a mission, he gives the following, viz. "his gratitude to that powerful prince, who has put forth all his authority for the good of the catholic church, which is the only ark of salvation."

* It was a matter of much surprise, that so wise a man as Lord Fitzwilliam should go to Ireland on a business which he did not understand. It is now known that Mr. Pitt was then for catholic emancipation, but that the king was and is decidedly against it. Mr. Pitt has sacrificed his honour and consistency for the love of place, and by voting against his own principle. To the disgrace of the British commons, on the late application of the catholics, (May, 1805,) only 124 men out of 658 voted in favour of this just and necessary measure. Mr. Fox's speech, on this occasion, is one of the best he ever delivered his history is accurate, and his `arguments are incontrovertible.

by the evil policy of man) to yield more than every necessary enjoyment and comfort to its inhabitants.*

The happy termination of the American struggle for liberty, the then flattering appearance of the French revolution, the increase of knowledge, and the consequent decay of religious prejudices-all combined to render the conduct of the English government odious to a great part of the Irish nation. Hence, when the catholics found themselves disappointed by the recall of Lord Fitzwilliam, that they were not to expect any amelioration of the grievous tithe laws, and that a reform of parliament was not to be obtained, then arose the society of UNITED IRISHMEN, who, by a bond of union, and a brotherhood of interests, brought together all men, of whatever religious profession, who were desirous of emancipating their country. They entered into communications with the then rulers of France,† who flattered them with the hopes of a powerful assistance. The French did send a fleet to Bantry Bay, but, whether through accident or design, the scheme miscarried. Shortly after, the Irish malcontents tried the business on their own strength, which brought on that most dreadful of all conflicts, a civil war, wherein many brave and good men on both sides lost their lives, and infinite misery, in every shape and modification, ravages, rapes, robberies, burnings, whippings, hangings, and every species of torture, fell, with tenfold fury, upon a long depressed people! What was to be expected, when one side was actu

* There is a strong similarity betwixt Ireland and Sicily, both celebrated for the fertility of the soil, and the beauty of the country-but both being situated in the neighbourhood of powerful and ambitious nations, they are constantly kept in a state of foreign subjection.

† It is necessary to remark, that the Irish directory (as they were then called) stipulated with the French directory for only a certain number of auxiliaries, in like manner as did the American congress: but they never came at a seasonable time, or they came in such small numbers, that they only fell a prey to the English force.