10 Irish commons resolved upon commercial redress. when all other means failed, resistance, he should ever hold, was perfectly justifiable."

3

It may be briefly observed upon the doctrine contained in this extract, that it is one more calculated to produce injury than benefit. When any body of men, acting together for the attainment of one common purpose, are told from high authority, that armed resistance-in other words, rebellion--is justifiable if all other means have failed, it is not difficult to conceive they will dispense with the if, assume the proposition as proved, and act upon the assumption of a general principle directly subversive of all government, and hostile to the foundations of civil society. A more moderate, a more practicable, and a safer system to inculcate would be to refer the alternative of seizing arms only to extreme cases, clearly and definitely proved.. The warmest admirers of Mr. Fox, however, must admit, that his notions of liberty and freedom partook somewhat too largely of republicanism, which seemed in him, to be grafted upon the pure stock of whiggism. His conduct during the French revalution proved this.-To return, however, to Ireland and her concerns.

So determined were the Irish commons on the redress of commercial grievances that they spiritedly resolved to vote the bills of supply for the first time for only six months; and they were transmitted to England, where, however mortify

ing to ministers, they were reluctantly passed. The house likewise unanimously resolved, that the exportation from Ireland of its woollen and other manufactures to all foreign places would materially tend to relieve its distresses, and thus advance the common strength of the British empire; and that a liberty to trade with the British settlements abroad, in like manner as coinmerce was conducted between Great Britain and those settlements, would be a most affectionate mark of the regard of Great Britain for this country, and give new vigour to the zeal of the Irish to stand forward in the support of his majesty's person and government, and the interest and dignity of the British empire. So determined, indeed, was the Irish house of commons to assert and maintain their rights, in defiance of the endeavours in England to destroy them, that they carried, by a majority of 170 to 47, a resolution, that at this time (1779) it would be inexpedient to grant new

taxes.

Such an effect was produced on the government and people of Britain by the resolutions of the Irish parliament, by the declaration of the armed bands, and by the general agreement which had been entered into for the non-importation of British manufactures, that in Nov. 1779, the house of commons being then in a committee on the affairs of Ireland, Lord North opened his three propositions relative to the allowing Ireland

a free export of wool*, woollens, and wool flock; a free exportation of glass, and all kinds of glass manufactures; and a freedom of trade with the British plantations on certain conditions, the basis of which was to be an equality of taxes and customs upon an equal and unrestrained trade. Bills founded upon the first two propositions were brought in, passed both houses with the utmost facility, and received the royal assent before the recess. third, being more complex in its nature, was suf fered to lie over during the approaching holidays in its state of an open proposition, to afford time for consideration in Ireland, and to acquire knowledge of the effect which the measure was likely to produce there.

The

The progress of an enslaved people in their attainment of liberty is slow but regular. Sometimes, as in France, a sudden explosion overthrows existing institutions without substituting any thing durable in its stead; but when a nation proceeds by steady and constitutional steps to throw off the chains that fetter them, they advance by gradual progression, and establish upon firm foundations every acquisition they make. Such was precisely the career of Ireland. She had now extorted from England an acknowledgment of a principle vitally important to her interests;

* Hutchinson, in his valuable Letters upon the Commercial Restraints of Ireland, shews in a forcible manner, that all her distresses arose from the destruction of her woollen trade.

and though the concession could not be immediately beneficial, for a trade once thoroughly crippled and destroyed cannot speedily revive, yet it produced much joy in the country. It produced also another effect. It afforded a practical proof of what might be accomplished by perseverance and a determined effort after just privilege and right. There was one feature, indeed, that marked the concession, which could not be very acceptable to Ireland. Lord North, in order to conciliate the sordid jealousies and narrow commercial views of the British traders, had represented the measure as a boon resumable at pleasure; and consequently a very general apprehension was entertained that it would be, at some time or other, resumed; perhaps at that very moment when its operative influence began to exhibit itself in a flourishing trade, an improved revenue and thriving manufactures.

The danger being clearly visible, the next step was to consider what mode of averting it remained to be adopted; and the first that suggested itself was that very obvious one of an INDEPENDENT LEGISLATURE. While it was competent for England to enact laws that might bind Ireland, it was utterly impossible that Ireland could ever be securely free. That which might be granted one year, might be taken away the next; and their dearest interests would be subjected to the fluctuating policy of a foreign legislature. From this view

of their condition they soon learned to direct their thoughts and endeavours towards its amelioration.

The volunteers took a noble and decisive part in this crisis. The original purpose of their formation seemed already to be forgotten, and they now formed themselves into battalions on a system of regular communication. They had bravely contributed to the acquisition of a free trade for their country. In 1778 they amounted to 30,000 men; they had been regularly increasing from that period, and while they submitted to all the most rigorous duties of military discipline, arming themselves at their own expence, they laboured unremittingly to infuse into their whole mass one common feeling as to the political condition of their country, and the necessity of emancipating her. They were successful: the generous enthusiasm spread from corps to corps, from town to town, from county to county, from one end of the kingdom to the other. In the beginning of the year 1780 they entered upon the plan of general organization; they appointed reviews for the ensuing summer, and chose their exercising officers and reviewing generals. They openly declared their opinions upon the state of public affairs; the newspapers teemed with the resolutions of the different corps, all speaking the same language, all asserting the native independence of Ireland, all declaring a fixed determination to establish that independence..