people, that no reform of parliament will satisfy them which does not necessarily involve in it the subversion of all ecclesiastical establishments, Protestant or Popish, and the gradual separation of this kingdom from the British crown." And again: "Your committee further allude to the insidious address used by the same faction, in turning to their purpose the religious feuds, prejudices, and distinctions of the country, which were revived principally by their wicked machinations; at one time flattering the passions and hopes of the higher order of the Catholics, at the moment in which they meditated their destruction, and at another, stimulating the lower ranks to indiscriminate acts of outrage and vengeance against their loyal fellow-subjects." - Ireland was menaced with a dangerous convulsion, less from the volcano of revolutionary matter, than a conspiracy against her peace and independence more deeply laid, more dangerously devised. Political movements of the cabinet and smothered agitations of dark intrigues forboded the tremendous storm. The political atmosphere resembled the appearance of the natural before a hurricane, lurid, and still. The presence of a just, merciful, and enlightened Viceroy, it was expected, would dispel the gloom. On the Earl Fitzwilliam every eye was fixed; in his measures every heart anticipated the fulfilment of the nation's hopes and wishes. The cup of joy was lifted to the lip of expectation- and was dashed away. The minister had formed his plan. The good, the beneficent, the insulted Viceroy was recalled, and Ireland was sacrificed. Like the pacific Chesterfield, he was just shown to Ireland, and snatched away at the moment his presence was most need Arthur O'Connor particularly cautioned the United Irishmen against believing certain admissions inserted in the Report of the Secret Com ful and salutary. Of this disastrous removal of Earl Fitzwilliam a forcible and prophetic opinion was expressed by Lord Charlemont: "In spite of every wicked machination,” said he, 66 we had the mass of the people with us last newyear's day; and if we do not make some exertion, next Christmas-day we may see them in the hands of the United Irishmen."* The United Irishmen, The prediction was too true. deprived of their leaders by superior cunning, and welldirected espionage, were driven into premature action; the Orange system was brought into play; and the soldiery, let loose upon the people, commenced the work of death and desolation, covered the country with the horrors of a most calamitous war, and drove the innocent into cooperation with the guilty. All the ties of social life were torn up, and flung into one vast heap of undistinguishable ruin. The bayonet, whetted with religious rancour, was opposed by the merciless pike; whilst, at the same time, insidious but pitiless policy held out in one hand the olivebranch, and flourished the lash of torture in the other. It was not war, it was butchery. The contest was mad revenge, driven to desperation by exterminating pursuit. Let humanity throw her sacred veil over that unnatural and terrific scene, and bury in bottomless oblivion the remotest recollection of the sanguinary system that produced such horrors. By the dreadful event of the rebellion of 1798, Ireland was preserved to England, but lost to herself. The rage. excited by military execution and licentious havoc was subsiding, and industry beginning to repair the mischiefs of war, when a great political manœuvre deprived the *Hardy's Life of Lord Charlemont, vol. ii. p. 548. country of independence, and erased it from the list of nations. Mr. Pitt, availing himself of the confusion into which all parties had been thrown, secured the Union before the measure could be fairly understood; and knowing from experience how to obtain majorities in the Irish parliament, took that panic-struck body by surprise, and boldly pushed his favourite purpose to accomplishment. The exclusively loyal and the discontented were alike the dupes of the minister's over-ruling sagacity; he played the parties one against the other; his masterly penetration discovered the leading bias of each, and both were drawn easily within his toils. A successful charlatanry was at the same moment performed in the adroit and pliant palm of Lord Castlereagh, the able and indefatigable coadjutor and confidant of the British minister. They found the victory easy beyond hope; but they were lavish, even to profusion, of the means most likely to persuade. The Orange-men were cajoled into acquiescence by flattering their notions of ascendancy, and by some well-applied compliments of more solid kind. The calumniated, dispirited, and overawed Catholics had their fears allayed, and their hopes rekindled by an assurance of the longpromised boon of emancipation in its most liberal form; and all were promised boundless blessings, arising from the paternal cares of one presiding legislature, and a community of interests between the united kingdoms. Thus, by a suicidal act of her own corrupt parliament, was Ireland deprived of political existence: a painful experience, however, of more than twenty years, has falsified the showy promises that induced her degradation; and vain, if not ridiculously absurd, is every hope, to reclaim privileges so long misused, so criminally surrendered. with the prevailing causes of unhappiness in that country: its increasing population, acknowledged fertility, and adaptation to the purposes of agriculture and commerce, had removed every doubt of its prosperity; and my mind was led to indulge in a hope to that effect by a persuasion that all classes of the community had laid aside much of their imprudent animosities: and if they indulged in any difference of opinion, that it would be as to the most ef fectual means of advancing the interests of humanity, and the general well-being of society. But when the late disturbances in the southern and western parts of the kingdom came to be known, and the severe but, doubtless, necessary measures taken to repress them, were subsequently attended with famine and disease, all the ideas of that prosperity, so agreeably pictured heretofore, disappeared and left a painful subject for commiseration. Being desirous, however, of having precise notions on a subject, at once involving the happiness or misery of millions, as well as the character of the government from which that country had so much to expect; and being, moreover, anxious to witness the actual state of the people which could require the interference of British benevolence and liberality to remove the miseries of famine; and to see the manner in which that generous subscription had operated upon the class to which its relief had been applied; I availed myself of a favourable opportunity, and visited the greater part of Ireland. I now venture to submit a true and faithful view of what came under my immediate observation. It is "a plain unvarnished tale." PART II. CHAPTER I. NOTES OF A TOUR IN IRELAND. On the 25th of May, 1822, I left London for Liverpool. In the journey to the latter place nothing occurred worthy of notice some quarrelling, indeed, happened at every stage where we changed coachman or guard; this was caused by a north-country captain, who would never give more than sixpence, which was considerably under the perquisite expected, I had almost said demanded, on such occasions. The captain stated frankly, that "times were very bad, and as ships now made nothing, he neither could nor would give any more." This declaration, however candid and sincere, was neither received nor answered in the most courteous manner, by the coach servants, who took no pains to disguise their disappointment. Their insolence was met and repelled by the hardy captain, whose language, to do him justice, contained but little of politeness or compliment. At several places where we stopped, the peace was preserved only by the shortness of our stay. It may here be observed that this custom is an imposition which should not be encouraged: every traveller has found it inconvenient. It would be much better were coach-proprietors to pay their own servants, and include |