pectation, that there would be no breach of faith when an Union was fettled. Because an

incorporate Union, if it takes, place is a daring and a fcandalous violation of the most folemn legiflative ftipulation, It would be the height of folly to refrain from a determined oppofition to a Union in the first inftance; under the idea that the evil which it might occafion, muft in time find its own remedy, for furely before fuch remedy may take effect, the mischief may preclude the poffibility of relieving ourselves, and make us the miserable victims of our rafh confidence and blind fecurity.

In the interior regulations of a state, the landed and commercial interefts are frequently compofed of jarring jealoufies and difcordant materials; but on the queftion of an incorporation, there can be no difagreement-the former muft fink with the latter. With regard to the value of the produce of land, and the rents at which land will let to the tenant, nothing can be more certain than that the great confumption of every kind of produce of land is greatly increased by thefe many working hands and tradefinen, who live by thofe manufactures; and if that fource is dried up in any confiderable degree, whilst the poor workman is ftarving for want of his ufual employ, the landlord must lose his rent for want

of

of the tenant finding his ufual market; and it is utterly impoffible to conceive, that any improvement in the further cultivation of land, could in any fhape produce fuch additional demand for the produce of the fruits of the earth, or fuch a means of paying a good price for them, as would make good the deficiency. It is idle to fuppofe, that commerce should flourish under a diminished home confumption of every article of life, and under the depreffion which man must feel at great augmented difficulty, The arguments of Smith are fo conclufive on this part of the fubject, that I fhall quote them.

&

"The capital which is employed in the home "trade of confumption, is that which is moft "beneficially employed, and which contributes "moft to national opulence; the fame capital "in this branch of trade multiplies in a dupli

cate ratio the powers of productive labour; "the money expended in one part of the king"dom, in collecting the raw materials of manu"facture, and which are tranfported to another, "in order to be wrought up into marketable "commodities, finds work for two different "claffes of people, and confequently duplicates "national induftry. This branch of trade is "more beneficial to the country, than the di"rect foreign trade of confumption. A part of

"the

"the capital employed in carrying on the latter, is neceffarily expended abroad, and serves as

an encouragement to foreign produciye labour. "The carrying trade is the leaft beneficial trade "of the three." I afk the Merchants of Ireland, can an Union encrease the home confumption I put the queftion-let them anfwer it.I feel all the pride of power fink, and all faith in the wifdom of improved and cultivated minds melt and die away, when I hear this odious innovation applauded and admired.

I am perfectly aware, that in political œconomy, there are many refpectable patrons of opinions unfriendly to the encouragement of manufactures; as I have no doubt, if an Union took place, but that the depreffion of the manufactoring part of the Community, would leave Ireland no refource, but in the agricultural fyftem, the provision trade, and the ftaple manufacture. I fhall proceed to examine the arguments which

oft probably would be advanced in fupport of their agricultural fyftem; requesting the reader to fufpend for the moment, his opinion as to the probability of our being underfold in the home market by the British merchant. Of all the modern publications which I have read on the fubject of political economy, I do not recollect one which has afforded me in fo few pages, equal

information

information as the report of the fecretary of the treasury of the U. States of America on the fubject of manufactures, prefented to the House of Representatives in 1791.. I should be very happy that the day was arrived, when thofe employed to write by the government of Ireland, would, instead of fitting down to libel, to vilify, to degrade, and to calumniate an entire nation by a wanton, fcurrilous, malicious, and contempti ble publication, direct their political knowledge, and whatever little literary talent they might poffefs (like those in under-departments of ftate for America) to the advancement of a nation which pays them with an unme, rited prodigality. The intereft of focial ar rangement is a truft in the hands of the exift ing generation; and as none but bad men would justify it in abuse-so none but traitors would barter it away for partial advantage. Something more than a canting, hypocritical, double-faced manifefto, hammered out in an English forge, and tranfinitted for re-publication to Ireland, "T or the vapid, defultory, and plausible sophistry of an English Clerk, employed to pander for. his country, will be neceffary to perfuade a thinking and honorable nation of the policy and advantage of a legiflative incorporating Union with Great Britain. It is not the authority of

thofe

thofe who would make a mechanical knowledge of the political depravity of your countrymen, the foundation of exclufive favour, and official pre-eminence, that I fhould ever refpect on fuch a queftion as the prefent; I would as foon make the fcreams of an Ouranoutang, the oracles of political wisdom, as difturb the focial arrangements of the world, or be induced to make a market of my duty to my country the prefumptuous ignorance of a man who conceals his name from the community, left, when known, his publication might not run through an edition for want of fome previous qualifications, to demonftrate to the world his competency to expand his mind to the confideration of empire. I might dread the influence of an idle farrago of abfurdity on the unthinking part of the community, if it was not that the very stench of its arrogance and prefumption was fufficient to repel any delicate mind, from the killing languor and laboured laffitude of wading through fo monftrousa medley of unnatural rights, commercial abfurdities, and unconftitutional principles. I loath abufe, and abominate feverity, but if the infirmities or frailty of man can ever be pardoned for tranfgreffing the bounds of delicacy, it is when a benevolent mind expanded by education, awed into reflection by

A

the