truth; I do not exhort you to a general and manly co-operation in refifting the ruinous project of an Union, with all the virtuous and public spirited of your countrymen of all perfuafions, from the flightest apprehension, that you have ever warranted the foul flander uttered against you; for if I felt fuch apprehenfions, I would tremble at the thought of your alliance, and deprecate your co-operation. But I addrefs you as the great body of Irishmen, and implore you to confider seriously and anxiously the fate which threatens your country, and not fuffer any mean resentment or feminine jealousy to prevent you from averting it. This is no time for perfonal or fecondary feelings, the great caufe of your country is equally before all defcriptions of Irishmen, and I behold already with pleasure, good refulting from evil, and this defperate enterprize of government, promifing the abforption of all our inteftine and deplorable diffenfions in one generous oblivion of the paft, and in one vigorous and patriotic combination in defence of the liberties of this land.

The public have been already appealed to, and you have had the opportunity of feeing this projected Revolution canvaffed and examined; it is not neceffary, therefore, to exhibit to you here, the folly, the treachery and danger of the meafure, I fhall only, in a word or two, remind you of its particular relation to yourselves. You have long defired to participate in the Conftitution of your country

and

and is it poffible you can be duped into acquiefcence or neutrality, upon a measure which is fpecifically recommended to your enemies, upon the exclufive merits of filencing your pretenfions for ever. Read the work of the minifterial advocate for an Union, that work which introduced this fubject to the nation, and obferve his account of the ftate of your claims at this moment; obferve him seeking to terrify your Proteftant brethren by the pertinacity of your expectations, and obferve in their unanimous indignation, that your Protestant brethren are not terrified by him. "Whilft Ireland continues a feparate kingdom, "the Catholics will not drop their claims, nor "the argument of numbers in their favour. σε So far from dropping their claims, they have already renewed them; and the Catholics of Waterford, in an addrefs to the Lord Lieu"tenant, have repeated their demand for po"litical equality, and advanced it on a plea "of merit. They have ftill, and will ever “have, electioneering partizans in parliament, "and fpeculative advocates in England, to "feed their hopes, and they will be fupported "by every open oppofer and fecret ill-wisher "to the government." You may take the word of the Author-his pofition is too obvious and plain to be affected by his authority, and it is true, though he has faid it. An Union must be the extinction of your hopes-Until that political death overfhadows you, your pretenfions as they did before, may

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work their own way; time must at last heal the lacerations of the public mind: the human intellect naturally advances to justice and liberality in spite of cafual interruption; the activity of the bad paffions fatigues itself, and bigotry and uncharitablenass are tyrants of the heart, which do not reign for ever. A new ministry, a new Parliament, a peace, a great event, or a flight change may each, or all decide upon your ultimate fuccefs. But learn from the minifterial oracle, that an Union is the grave of your hopes, beyond which there is no redemption, Learn alfo from him the maturity of your cause at this moment, and that the fruit is ready to drop into your hands, unless the tree be cut up by the roots. “Who "will be a guarantee of the Proteftant Af"cendancy, and whom will it content? A "party of Proteftants in Ireland term it unjust " and abfurd, another party in England term "it by fouler names; great leaders in oppofi“tion, poffibly the future ministers of Eng

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land, may condemn it; and some members "of the British Cabinet are fuppofed to be “adverse to it. Its ftability may reft upon accident, upon the death of a fingle character upon the change of a Minister, on the temper of a Lord Lieutenant, AND THE FO66 LICY OF THIS SYSTEM IS MUCH DOUBTED BY THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND." I do proteft to God, whether I confider the natural tendency of the measure itself, or the principles and declarations of its promoters, I am at

a lofs

a lofs to fee any one object which it muft fo completely effectuate as the permanent fubjugation of the Roman Catholics of Ireland. And what is hinted to you as the premium for this eternal furrender? The penfioning of your Clergy, in dependence upon Government, and an intimation that in the new order of things fome open may be left for you. And yet, you would be difgufted if you knew the language which this very Government, who have thus acted by you, and written of you, speak now in the hopes of your preferving a fulky neutrality upon this great national queftiou. (I fpeak not of Lord Cornwallis, when I mention the Government-his conduct to you, and to Ireland, has been magnanimous.) It little avails, (fay your old task masters,) what the Bar, or the mercantile community, or the city of Dublin may declare; the Catholics have not yet spoken, and theirs is the voice of the people. Alas! Catholics, can it be for good, that the men call you the people to-day, who yesterday denied that you were fo, and to-morrow will treat you as if you were not fo? Depend upon it, they feek to make your refentments, at which they will laugh hereafter, the inftruments of their politics, but I rely upon you for a different conduct, and expect that you will fet the example of a magnanimous forgetfulness of every thing but the honour of your native land. This conduct will reclaim the prejudices of thousands, and the liberality which you practife, you will infpire.

If you are not to be moved by fuperior confiderations, I would in vain appeal to you for confiftency, yet I cannot but remind you that in the year 1795, when the recall of Lord Fitzwilliam snatched your hopes from your grafp, the Catholics of Dublin, in a numerous and most respectable meeting at FrancisStreet Chapel, unanimously resolved" that they would not accept of Emancipation upon the terms of an Union."

He who takes the liberty of thus addreffing you, is one of that party of Proteftants in Ireland, who, (as the Secretary has told you) thinks your exclufion from the Conftitution unjust and abfurd. He has always thought fo. Many years ago, tho' an humble and obfcure man, he afferted through the prefs, the juftice of your pretenfions, even in the infancy of your demands :—He fought no emolumental reward, and denied himfelf even the pardonable indulgence of reputation. He looks forward fteadily to the fame object, and relies confidently for its accomplishment upon the progreffive illumination of the human mind. He hopes to fee his countrymen of all perfuafions, one great, profperous, happy, and loyal nation, and he trufts that the Catholics of Ireland will not contribute to its becoming a degraded and divided province.

December, 20th, 1798.

AN OLD FRIEND.

FINI S.