in the cause of Ireland. Let those who feel gratitude for the favings of honourable induftry-let thofe who roll in their chariots in the enjoyment of improved civilization, fnatch the fair, and honeft, and hard-earned reputation of the latter gentleman, "from a low, impotent, perfecuting fpirit, by which the flavish mind fhews its devotion at the expence of its understanding." No man in his youth took greater pains to hufband against his old age, the admiration of his countrymen, and the efteem of a magnanimous fovereign, (for the happiness of a fovereign, ought ever be infeparable from the happiness of his people.) But Belifarius begged his bread through the countries which he fubjected, and Cortes ferved as a common foldier on the coaft of Africa, after he had conquered for Charles the Fifth more provinces, than his father had left him cities. Merfus profundo pulchrior evenit. Though traduced and vilified for fuppofed motives, and on the hear-fay, ex parte evidence of a mercenary informer. "He will remember that obloquy [as was faid by an eloquent orator of a great man] is a neceffary ingredient in the compofition of all true glory, that it was not only in the Roman customs, but it is in the nature and conftitution of things, that calumny and abufe are effential parts parts of triumph, and these thoughts will fupport a mind which only exifts for honor, under the burthen of temporary reproach, and of apar tial, but malign, and envenomed fcurrility.". I vow to God, were I raised to the unpleasant fituation of a judge, whofe office it was to put down the flanderer, and rebuke the rancorous hiffings of envenomed partizans, I do not think that an imagination tortured to discover the fevereft punishments, could fuggeft to me one which I fhould conceive to be more difficult to bear againft, than if it were poffible, to impose on those who have no feeling for character themselves, the neceffity ef expe riencing the agonizing, the heart-rending, the diftracting fenfations of a man who has given his country a name and rank in the scale of nation and who has bent a life of the hardeft toil to perfect the very constitution which it was defirous to annihilate and to deftroy. But if the arts of his enemies fhould pour ruin on his devoted head, fuch a man as Mr. Grattan, will have enough to fup port, nay to adorn his adverfity-like the temples of the immortal Gods, his ruins fhall be hallowed, and every remnant of his past glory be held facred. I afk pardon for these obfervations; but when we recur to great C2 (4) 16measures, measures, we cannot forget the characters who were confpicuous in promoting them. The reader's wifhes cannot exceed my anxiety to get over this retrofpective view of our national occurrences, but I do affure him, that a knowledge of paft occurrences will be a neceffary fhield against the canting hypocrify, and plaufible treachery of a minifter, "whofe proud and fullen foul is enveloped in a faftidious admiration of himself, and an auftere and haughty contempt of the reft of the world; and on whom obligation has only the effect of enmity; and whofe hatred is best fecured by redeeming him from danger and difhonor." Notwithstanding what had been done for the foreign commerce of Ireland, the intercourfe between the two countries remained without alteration; this leads us to the fecond divifion of this enquiry-it involves two✨ heads. ft. the actual fituation of the commerce of Ireland at the time of the propofed bafis of an equitable and final adjustment be- * tween the two countries, and 2dly, the confideration of the fyftem proposed by Mr. Pitt in 1785. Certain political characters in Ireland have made the rejection of this heaven-born minifter's commercial propofitions the subject of very petulant, peevith and acrimonious cenfure; put cenfure and I call on the expanded minds... of the merchants of Ireland-I call on the im-... proved judgment of the nation to decide on the liberality or illiberality of Mr. Pitt's con duct in propofing, and the propriety or impropriety of the conduct of the Irish parlia ment in rejecting, thefe very celebrated, but little understood, propofitions, a page or two will exhibit them in all their unblushing de pravity. The principle which Mr. Pitt affumed was, that a treaty fhould be concluded with this country, by which it fhould be on a fair, equal and impartial footing with, Great reat Britain in point of commerce, with respect to foreign countries and to the colonies and as to the mutual intercourse between each other, that this equality fhould extend to manufactures, to importation and exportation and that Ireland, in return for this, fhould contribute a fhare towards the protection and fecurity of the general commerce, of the em pire. Obferye, reader, that Ireland had the foreign commerce as fully before this treaty as fhe could was carried into execution. This bus [Vide page 13.] However, a treaty was to beperfected, and to use Mr. Pitt's words" it was to enrich one part of the empire without impoverishing the other, while it , while it gave fstrength and stability to both" that like favorite attribute of heaven like mercy, the I "It It was twice blest; ADRA "It bleffed him that gives, and him that took." The commercial arrangement of 1785.12 ENGLAND. EQUALITY. To put a Ireland on a fair, equal footing with herself. WEST INDIES. IRELAND. RECIPROCITY. To contribute to the paval fupport of the general com merce. With relpect to the Welt Indies, Ireland was to agree to forego every market Ireland having but that of the British plantations to a free and unligive up the cheapeft for the deareft-to Loose the option fhe poffeffed of being fupplied circuitously through Great Brimited right to tain upon the low duties, if fhe found it not her advantage to apply to the di- trade with the impose not only equal port duties upon whole world, impose upon any fimilar article of her except the East own manufacture, fo that if Great Britain was to lay a duty upon the export of her linen to thefe colonies, which would Indies and the be of little injury to her, Ireland must do the fame, though the reverfe would be British market, the confequence. AMERICA. wowas to receive Instead of a trade to that whole con tinent without restriction or duty, but what the Irish parliament thought pro- as an equiva per to impofe, she was to into her Particmilar growth, prono of duce, or manufacture to them of the Bri- lent for fubfcritish colonies, or which were liable to be" Jhum odi imported from thence, but upon terms bing to thefe that Great Britain would dictare. AFRICA. |