foil much below the average fertility of the kingdom a plain and irrefragable proof of the advantage which Ireland has derived from her connexion with England, to whom, whatever improvement fhe has acquired fince the days of her King Dermot, muft certainly be referred: which obfervation appears to be juftified ftill farther, by the fuperior order and improvement of the hither coaft of Ireland to the farther. The western divifion of Ireland is more purely Irish, which may have proceeded from the policy of Cromwell, who forced the ancient and native families to refidence beyond the Shannon; and though thofe parts of Ireland, originally of English fettlement, were perhaps the most disloyal and difaffected in the late rebellion, yet it must be remembered, that colonial establishments but feldom have had the merit of filial gratitude; and though the north of Ireland partook largely of the late confpiracy, yet the preferved her tranquility in a much greater degree than the zeal and ardour of the rebel leaders to make her the great refervoir of treafon gave foundation to expect nor was her conduct in the midst of the rebellion ftained with thofe enormities which were committed in the other parts of the kingdom; and which, for the honour of humanity, and pity for that unfortunate nation, ought not to be particularly ftated: but it is matter of duty to read to the world the great leffon of misfortune and punishment which are fure to follow the commiffion of crimes.

It may be further obferved, with refpect to the north of Ireland, that the circumftances of her profperity and her fuperior opulence formed the temptation for her feduction; that the lefs important parts of the kingdom might more eafily take the example of infidelity. The religious perfuafion alfo which prevails in the North having peculiar partiality to republicanifm, facilitated and predifpofed that country to meafures which manifeftly tended to gratify their favourite principle.

Frem

From the rebellion of Tyrone until the year 1641, Ireland appeared to have enjoyed general tranquillity; the interefts which divided, and the animofities which irritated, the different defcriptions of her inhabitants, appeared to have been fucceeded by union, fraternity, and peace. The new poffeffors of lands had diligently applied to their cultivation, and the much calumniated adminiftration of Lord Strafford had made great progrefs in the general improvement of the kingdom: thefe appearances, however, were delufive; more extenfive mischief was in preparation, which the intermiffion of actual hoftility gave leifure to improve and mature.

Among the reasons and causes which are affigned for this rebellion, is the great change of property which had taken place in Ulfter after the forfeitures of the fix countries under the act of James; and probably in the relentlefs temper of the h, the jealoufy of property which they had forfeited was peculiarly inveterate. The afcendancy of Pro: teftantism and theEnglish intereft, which each defeat had promoted, were without doubt the great and leading caufes of the rebellion of 1641, which, for indifcriminate and fhocking murders, had no precedent. The unfortunate fituation of the English monarch, the difaffection of his parliament, and particularly the fuccefsful rebellion of his fubjects in North Britain, gave occafion and opportunity to the execution of the defign. The Irish leaders faw clearly that a favourable moment had arrived for terminating the English dominion in Ireland; and that one great effort, no matter in in what way, would give emancipation to their country. The embarraffment of the King's govern,ment, and the difpofition of the British Parliament, augmenting inftead of removing public diforder, gave confidence to the caufe, and infpired high hopes of eafy and rapid victory. The defign, however, againft the capital was difcovered; the firft object of the rebels failed, but through the king

Ringdom a malfacre commenced too horrid to be dwelt upon.

The forts and garrifon towns were affailed, and the kingdom was fhaken to its centre. The reftitution of property, the domination of the Catholic religion, and deliverance from English fupremancy, were the great and facred objects which were to fanctify, by their attainment, the wickedness of the means. Such were the inducements to lead, and fuch the hopes to animate the family of the ancient proprietor, the ignorant and bigotted crowd, and the numerous clafs of Lords and Princes who delighted in the ambition, but felt not the miferies of private war. The idea fuccefsfully propagated at that time among the body of the people was the danger of their religon; they were made to believe that the English Parliament had determined on the abolition of Popery in Ireland, arthatthe Scots were to be the zealous inftruments of this perfecution. There was no foundation for this alarm; the ignorance, credulity, and fuperftition of the lower Irish, made it unneceffary: they were already difpofed to the most unfavourable fufpicions of thofe whom, under the influence of long and fyftematic delufion, they had been made to confider as enemies. The afcendency of Prefbyterianifm, and the influence of the Scots, at that time gave colour and pretext to the fears and infinuations which the deceiver was every where fuggefting. The moft violent animofities raged between the churches of Rome and Scotland, which confirmed every fear. and magnified every danger which the credulity of one might apprehend from the fanaticifm of the other. The divifions between thefe bodies of men in doctrine and affection were extreme, inveterate, and implacable: fo wonderfully does man pervert the beneficence of his God in educing difcord, and creating differences, from the very religion which came from heaven to harmonize and unite. The leaders found in this prejudice of the people

3

the

the direct key to infurrection, which at this hour locks up the minds of the lower Irish, or opens them to rebellion. The leaders of the late confpiracy adopted the clue of their predeceffors in 1641, and with the fame fatal effect. After this great lapfe of time, the common people in Ireland are found equally credulous and bigotted; they were made lately to believe, that the Catholic religion was in imminent danger, and that its perfecution impended from that government, which fince the acceflion of the King, has breathed the mildeft influence on fectaries of every denomination, and which has not only tolerated the Catholic fubject, but removed, the reftraints of former times, and given him conftitutional rank.

The Prefbyterian not having now afcendancy in the ftate, and being fraternized with the Catholic, the artifice of 1641 could not be repeated; fome new object therefore was to alarm, fome new enemy to be fuggefted; and the common people of Ireland were impreffed with conviction that certain focieties which arofe in the North, and afterwards were formed throughout the kingdom for the protection of their families and properties, had been actually commiffioned by the Government to put down the Catholic faith, under which pretence, and most wicked and groundless infinuation, were the Catholics raifed, as it were, to protect their altars from profanation, and af-. fail the public authority by force of arms. must be remembered alfo, that as the misfortunes of Charles the First, and the distractions of the British Government, marked the period of the rebellion in 1641, the confpiracy of 1798 was formed and carried into effect, when Great Britain was involved in a war the most difficult, varied, and extenfive fhe ever waged, and when the enemy The had to combat was the most active, infidious, and deadly, and that in co-operation aad confede racy with that enemy, the Irifh rebels laid their fcheme of maffacre and ruin,

It

From

From the extinction of the rebellion in 1641, by the force and perfeverance of Cromwell, we come to the period of the Revolution. The unconftitu tional acts and fuperftitious bigotry of the House of Stuart had removed it from the throne of Eng land, which removal, by the law of England, and an exprefs act of the Irish Legislature, equally applied to Ireland, but the fuperftition of James found adherents in the ignorance of the Irish, and all those who wifhed the feparation of the countries were united in his caufe. The rivalry of the Catholic and Proteftant was this time at its height, and as the former had predominated much in Ireland, and the Revolution established the afcendancy of the latter religious as well as political confiderations infured the abdicated Monarch the fupport of Ireland; and though loyalty and affection for the Houfe of Stuart may be advanced to juftify the conduct of the Irifh, and that attachment to the reigning family is highly meritorious; yet it is too plain, that it was the religion of James, and not his relation to the throne of England, which recommended him to Ireland. The British Legislature, on true and found conftitutional principles, alone, was competent to create and fupply the vacancies of the throne; and by the exprefs provifions of ftatutes in both nations, the fovereignty of Irelaud neceffarily and immediately followed that of Great Britain; and therefore, by adherence to the Houfe of Stuart, after the determination of the English Parliament, Ireland broke her conftitutional engagagements, and divided herfelf from the empire.

1

It is true, that the then chief governor of Ire land, Lord Tyrconnell, who was alfo at the head of the army, and a very confiderable number of perfons in official stations under the Government, were in the interefts of James, and bore arms in his fupport; and that, however great and national the question then at iffue was, affection to a family long in poffeffion, and the violence. to old prejudice in its fudden expulfion, and

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