tish Minister's, amount to a plain declaration, that the Cabinet of England and the English Nation are determined to make the daring attempt, of robbing you of that Conftitution, which your ancestors had long struggled for, which the Volunteers of Ireland at length obtained, and in defence of which, my countrymen, you yourselves have fo lately rifqued both your lives and properties. What then, will Irishmen tamely fubmit that Conftitution to be taken away from them, which their renowned forefathers looked up to, and confidered as what was moft valuable? Will Irishmen at the close of the eighteenth Century, give up their freedom and independence? Will Irishmen filently deliver up their civil, political and religious liberties? Will Irishmen fubmiffively furrender the management of their trade and commerce, to English rapacity? No, my countrymen, no, you cannot, you will not thus facrifice your deareft rights and privileges. The right of Legislating for yourfelves, independent of any foreign interference or control, is a right which no human power upon earth, can with juftice deprive you of a right as unalienable as the foil, which gave you birth. This is the noble prize the Swifs fought for and gained, when they found themfelves oppreffed by Auftrian tyranny, what the Dutch fought and bled for, when they threw off the yoke of wicked Philip,, And 'tis the

prize Irifhmen now poffefs, and will never furrender but with their lives.

It requires no great ingenuity to point out, nor any extraordinary depth of political fagacity to observe, that when once your Farliament is no more, your name as a nation, your independence, your glory, honour, intereft and welfare perish along with it. And if we may judge of what is to come, from what is past, you will find, alas! this fad prediction of mine too fully ve rified, if ever this unfortunate event take place. But turn over the page of Irish hiftory, my countrymen, mark there diligently the tranfactions of this country, obferve well the general courfe of conduct of the British miniftry and merchant towards Ireland and Irishmen, and what is it you behold? Why on the one hand, such an uniform fcene of plunder perfidy and oppreffion, as integrity fhrinks back from, and good faith dif owns; whilft on the other hand, you behold, fad fpectable! poverty, mifery, difcontent and wretchednefs. They have moreover, with all the infolence and offenfiveness of a Moorish defpot, added infult to oppreffion, and heightened our calamities by fcoffs and revilings. And why? Because you had demanded that liberty which is your birth-right, and that independence which alone can fecure you happiness. No abftract reasoning, my Countrymen, no declamation, no arguments are here neceffary to prove

to you the truth of these affertions. Facts ftand alone, and facts ftare you in the face, hiftory. and tradition broadly declare them to you; to quote a few inftances of English conduct will be fufficient for the prefent. Look then to the Policy and cunning of the, British Cabinet on Irish affairs fo far diftant as the period of the rebellion and revolution. What was it? I'll tell you the forfeitures to the crown, at that time were immenfe, but the laws refpecting thefe forfeitures were never rigorously put in force; the reafons are evident, fhould we, faid the wife and liberal men of that day, confifcate the whole of the property of those who have tranf greffed the laws, the confequences will be fatal to our own caufe and intereft; for we would drive the unfortunate Irish to despair, and fo difpirit and harrafs the Catholic, that emigrations to an alarming degree, must infallibly ensue, at the fame time, fo many proteftants will enter into and fettle in the kingdom, as to deftroy that nice balance betwixt those two diftinct and oppofite interefts, which we must always preserve in order to keep Ireland fubordinate to and dependent on England. Such I fay, was the language aud policy of the miniftry of that day, and fuch is the language and policy of the miniftry of the prefent, behold their motto

"Divide et impera."

Falling over feveral unjuft laws made as to dif ferent articles of trade, and cruel enormities com

mitted against this nation, let us go on to the reign of Geo. ft.-Here you find an act of the Britith Parliament laying an embargo on the exportation of your provifions to the utter detriment and deftruction of the Irish Farmer.-Here is an act to prevent the Irish manufacturer from working and manufacturing his own wool, merely to gra tify English rapacity at the expence of Irish happinefs and Irish profperity. Good Heavens! could there be any thing more unjust, more cruel, more impolitic; thus to leave the wretched weaver and family to brood over their melancholy fate without any means of redrefs, and pine away from want and penury.-And drive the hardy farmer from his peaceful cot, in queft of a foil free from tyranny and more congenial to happiness.-But let us leave these gloomy fcenes.-Let us pafs over in filence the various oppreffive laws enacted by our fifter country, fuch as an A&t entitled the better to fecure the dependency of Ireland on England.-Several laws as to commerce and manufactures, favourable, to the welfare of Britain, but ruinous to Ireland, fuch as that made with regard to Paper, Glass, and many others, during the period that elapsed from the reign of George the I. till the American war. Let us come on now my Countrymen, to the most memorable and glorious Æra in the Irish Hiftory-Behold the year 82 ever dear to Irifhmen-You were then declared a free and Independent Nation.-Your virtuous Parliament at that period procured for you LiberB

ty and Commerce.-But did the British Legiflature and the British merchant grant you liberty and free-trade with good heart and will? No, no, noThey were forced to give them you-They gave them you with reluctance-but they found it to be their own intereft to hold up a good correfpondence with the Irifh-their own fituation too was critical; and the Volunteers of Ireland were in arms, a fet of men as unrivalled in fame, as they are renowned for true Patriotism and public fpirit. When England deferted them, when the British Minifter ordered away that army which Irishmen paid for, and which, by compact was to remain for the defence of Irifhmen, and left the kingdom to the mercy of any foe formidable enough to feize and deftroy it.-Infpired with a national pride, and provoked and disgusted at the ungenerous and unworthy treatment of Britons, the people of this country boldly stepped forward, and refolved to defend themselves-Yes, my Countrymen you did do fo-happy period for IrifhmenThey were then firft made fenfible of their own ftrength and importance, they found themfelves able to refift the encroachments of any power foreign or domeftic, and thus firm and united, and made fenfible of the dignity of Men, they acted like Men, by afferting that liberty and independence which they were confcious they had been fo unjuftly deprived of.-And here would I not be juftified in saying that a wild political phrenzy has feized both Miniftry and People of England in