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The Anti-Union

To the PublicSource: The Anti-Union, No. 32 (Mar. 9, 1799), pp. 126-128Published by: The Anti-Union

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z26

Rude fVe:p eorharp, that lownward Wi:s,And 'moanamongfa ts tremblingftrngs.

Scar'dwith a f6undhe didnlot

know,Peace-loving fleep darednot to flay,

But fighingfor lerne's woe,He bent his noifelefs light away.

lerne flarting, paus'da-while:Too true, the cries, ye powersabove!

DreadDifcordComes romthat fair ifle,Where Ilill I look'dfor peaceand love.

Thought-raptfhe flood in dumb amaze,

WVhenn the wtflern mountain'sheight,To foundsferaphic, rofea blaze,

Of' mildly-beaming, heaiv'nlyight.

There

in.the.midf,. loofe-rob'd,was feen

Sweet Hope, that foothesour ev'ry ill,Beck'ning with calm

ainidmiljngmien,Poor, fad lerne up the hill-

The woe-begonethusHope addrefs'd:--

. " Liftup thy looks, lerne, cheer,

C For know we come at'heav'n'sbeheft,"'ITo footh hy forrowi check

.th)fear,

4CThy cares,,thy

dangers,Toon Thallceafe-:" Thy days,of tearsandf ghs aregone-

" Thy fouleftfeuds (hallturn to peace--" Thus thallthe will of heav'nbe done..

' Pluck fromthy'breaft.that

yew away," Be fleady, c6ol,' collreed, calnl;

" So fhaltthoufoona,

wreathdifplay" Of Shamrocwoven with the Palm.

Wo0s obland sew'sefcendingLifts the i&roopiiigilly's head,

Rais'd the fair lerne bending,FaireRflower iti Nature'sbed.

My ferdent fhanks, high heaven, flhecries,Be ever, ever, givento thee;

Thou'itchas'd'

myforrow, tearsand

fighs-;Thou'l fentarne.OPE and LIZRTrY.

TREBOR.

TO THE PUBLIC.

THE period'whiche at firftaffignedo our ahbours,has not yet arrived,. An IncorporatedUnion of

Ireland with Great Britain has been -propofedo the

Legiflaturesof both countries by their refpelive Mi-

nifrers, andthat meafure s not yet abandoned. A Par-liamentarydefeat, andthe opinionof thepeople,which

the Irifh 1Minfiler as acknowledgeds hofllile o anUni-on, havenot been fufficient o convince his underfland..ing, or to produce a permanent nfluenceon his con-

du&. Even when he wasmortifiedandhumbledby the

patriotifmof his native country, while he wasyet ago-

nizedhby he uprightnefsof itsfenate, andflill frmartingfrom the lafhof honefitand loquent nvedive, he has,with thatarro6ancewhichgenerally accomrpaniesnex-perience, declared his determiinationo perSeveren a

projct, which he"callsright, andthe wvifdomf the

:nation has.decided to be 'wrong. The'vanquiihedSb-

cretary has announced, even .at the momentwhen hewasoverthrown.thathe waits only for the acquitiiionof new ftrength,to repeathisattack. While the quelLItion, of Union rwmains-.thuscirciumilaneed,,

e would

bewell juffifitein continuingour exertions, which the

perverfenefsof ihe Minifferwill rot permitus to termi-nate. But knowingthe general

fentimrienton*this ftib.

je&,,and hdlding the IMinitierpledgednot to revive,duriing he pre!ent- efflio, the difciilion of thisquefti-on, we deem it expedientto fufpend'he ublication6fthis paper, udiil a futureoccafion hiabcall forourfer-vices. If therbhe faithor truthinhis Majefly'sMinif-ters, themeople of this country will enjoy at leafd he

repofe ofone.-year,

from the agitation of.that topic,

which, of all others, is molt likely-todifttfbrtheir uietforever.

Whenr tle Editors of the Anti-Unionfiwlt olicitedthe attention of the Public, this

king.nmwas threat-

ened with the greatelfcalamitywhichcan befa!a coun-

try, the lofs of its independence,the aboliiion of itsliberties.

"The public-mind,exhautifed y thofe firongfeelings which had been:kept n continueda&ivityfor

fix months, by afanguinary ebellion, whidhit requiredall the courageand all the:.lrength. of the. -country,to

fupprers,wasfuddenly alledon by authority, to conft-derof furtenderingThlatorinfitution,iWhichhey hadIbdearlydefended; andof fubmittingthe liberties

aqdin-

-dependenceof Irelandto the mercy of faBritifhCegiC-'lature. The people of Ireland, d1unnedy a

flroketb

.unexpected,

and c'nftebled.by the extraordinary xer-tions they haidma!c, in defendingtheir exifling eita-'blifhlments,andthe.connexionwith the

-fifler .country,;heardhemonfIrouspropofition with a kind of' ilentalloniflhment,which,'tho' it.

expruffed ufEcicntlvthe

'horror which. they felt, yet prornifdto the infidious

enemy, b'tl too. o'af a triuuph. It wasapparent thenation waspanicftruck it was obvious that if it werenot roufed o thought,andexcited to view with a fleadyeye the precipice to which it was brought, all rnmube

loft. Among the firfl who undertook his arduous,but

neceffarytalk, were 'the Editors of this paper. Tho'exhaufled ike othersby thlofe evere'ferviceswhicheve-

ry loyal man in Irelandhadfelt himfelf boundto un-

dergo, they againrefolved o facrificeprivate nterefit,o

public duity; they came forwardto.warn, to animatethe people df Ireland to refiftl meafure,which,everyprudentman faw.,involved the degradation nd ruin of

the country.To effet thispurpofe, heyconfidered t the

raferand





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thewiterway oaddrefsheunderfLanding,he reafon,'and he honet paftlons f the Iriflhpeople, by a periodi-cal publication, confineidxclufively to thismotmentoustopic, than to fpeakto them thro'thofepolltited

canduf-

piciousvehicles, the public prints, in which -too often

fa&ionpurfueists foul purpofe, and irfinuates into thepublhcmind, rather

th6 pooifon f ffditicn, or the petfi-lent dofcrincsof defpotifm, thanthe wholeifomecffons'of political truth. It is now eleven

weeks fincetlhis work,

havingin view folely this objea, commenced. Whe-ther it has been carriedon duringthat period, with that

regardto decorum, tcdtruth, tothe honeft principlesof

enlightened andfleady loyalty, to a love of regulatedlibcrtdt,,of Britifh Conftititioniand BritHfliConnexion,

whieh it' fet' out with profefling,' it is for the publicalone tol jIdge, and to them#e appeal.

.Bforetheir

'tribunal we fhalalappear without trembling,conflcious'that if in anycafualinflancewe appearto have devia-

'tedfromthofe

land-marks y which we endeaVouredto

guide our courfe, the' deviatio6 hasbeen involuntary,and by the liberalandcandidwill beattributedrather to

'inadvertence: han to a.erelidion of thofe prihcipcwhich we have profeffed o love aridcherih ! ' Of the

-degreeof abilitywhichmay have marked herecompofi-tions, it would be flill more indelicate in

us.tojudge,

1than.even

of the mann(r in which the work has been

conduted.. To the impartial decifionof the public,Itherefore,we commit thisquelfionaifo, declaringhow-

ever, that whether in that refpec&l e publicopiniontlall be favourableoradverfe, we fhall fillIfeel pride n

reflurainghat ourtalents, whatever hey may be, have

been

devotedgratuitounilyo our country. 'What 'we

conceivedthe crifis calledfor, we havedone,i

irot onlyimawed.by the frown-of power, andun'feduced y the

rllhurenmentsf court favour, butunrewarded y-emo-lumeuitof any kind. Our labourshave beena fiee-willoff:ri.g, and whatever degree of perfornal nrorrve-nience we maybave fiufferedrom-thefeadyvand'faith-ful difchlarge f akduty which we impofet uponour-

felves, we feel amply repaidby the flattering patronagewith. wh ic our country has honoured us. Such s

the brief hiltoryof a'work which we arenow aboutto

clofe--Such' are 'the impreflions with' which weare about to withdrawfrom the awful.prefenceof the

public.Having Uhus hrotly flated our condut and our mo-

tives, andthrownourfelveson the juflice as well as tilhe

indulgenceof the public, we cannot 1elp advertijingrewe concludeour labours, to two quetffionswhich willprobably be put to us by our readers--The one,in, what. flate we leave the great queftion ofUnion ? The other, why we now

conchgideour ILbours

after having continued thornmo the prefentperiod?--'The two quftions areconneted, and we Thallanfwcrt' em together:-For the prcfent feflion,then, we havealready declared,we conceive the quitionof Union to

be at reft. The Parliament and the people of Irelandhave fpokenfoloudly and explicitly thcir difguftof that

mneasfure,hat even the temcrityof the Britift'Premier

will not immediately venture to'obtrude it again on their

naureated palate. But it is not long, we predit, that

the contiitution of Ireland will be fafe from his attacks.

It requires niofagacity to perceive that .a fyftematic planis formed, or to forefee that attempts- will-be made, to

rmerge this ill-fated countryin

the great mafs of theBritif empire.- For a defeat of rirchattempts,,whenever

they fhall'be made, we look with cenfidence to that fpiritand virtue in the people and their reprefentatives whichhave been already exerted with fuch fignal fuccefs.1That it is intended

to.reprefs that fpirit and curb that

virtux it 'would perhaps be feepticifin to doubt; butwhatever means may be reflorted to for thofe.purpofes,if 'the people' be but temperate and firm, if they carnlearn to' forget their divifions and cultivate in unifon

that love of independence in which muff ever confifTthe true and only fafeguard of the conflitution, thofe

means mut tfail-for we cannot be perfuaded that the

intellcetof

Irifhmen,barbarous and uncultivated-as it

has been reprefented, can ever be deceived by the feeble

fophniflrywhich reprefents an Union with Great Britain

as confifflnt with the freedom or.promotive of the inte-

rcts of Ireland ;-they. cannot then become a. prey to

the ambition of any minifler until they confent to facri-

flee liberty to party vengeance, or ceafe to think that

liberty worth dcfending. Convinced, therefore, that

there exifts no prefent danger of an Union, however,

likely it may be, that the perfevering policy of the mi-

nciferwillat a futtire day again try his ffrength with the

people of Ireland, it firikes us that the continuation of

apayer

exclirfively appropriated.t to he- expofure andrefiflance of that meafure would be

f'uperfluous.

While

the danger was imminent it was neceffary to be vigilantand aCtive. 'While it appeared rather to be concealed

than to have vanifhed it .was the duty of thofe whohad 'flood forward to :refiil it to -continue at their

pofl. But when the enemy has withdrawn from our

gates, though 'but to return, perhaps.with

recruited vi-

gourat a future day, it would be an idle wale of trengthand vigilance to harraf'sthegartifon with unremitted duty.

We have already faid that the people if I"reland ave

decided on this meafure,' and that 'to the decifive tonein which they fpoke their reprobation of it, Ireland isnow indebed for its political exiflencz. ':Corruptio!,however, has affeced -todifb.lieve, and has had the bold-

nefs to deny, that 'the public fentiment on this quctfignhas been declared, becaure a great portion of the peo-ple have remained filent., But

,ho that knew thle fitua-.

tion of'this country at 'he momentwhen.

the Eritifhminifter fo cruelly forced the

quclfion 'of Union on a

convulfcd people, could ratipnally have hoped from themail

rootendanduniverfal abhorrence of tihAmcafure o

guneral a declaration againfi it'?

Could.it

have been ex-

pcEted; that men engagecd in protecing their propertyand their lives againil the attack of a powerful and dif-

guifed rnem:, in the brfiom of their country,at the very

doors, fhould have laid-down their arms nn! afl'embnledtoditoufsa political topic, which even the minififerhimnfeih

declarcs to be of great iatricacy and caltihg for cool, and





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feiiois, .'ariddeliberite'confideratiion? Couldt it havebeen ho'pid,ha.t ticountieswiheiehot only a rebelforce

kept the iiThibitantsn iaate of perpetual ativity and

alarm,,but whdrethe exiftence of maitial law redecredoet cry meeting of the peopledangerousf not inpra&i-

cable, the freeholdersfiffpending heirfears andforget-ting th'eir danger ffihoildhave bravedevery obifaclein order o dedlarean opinion hoffile to the executivegovern ient,;

and, of courfe rendering hem itill more

obnoxious' to the Tevere inflition of military?.Yet ei'en in this flate of the country, power convulfed,alarmed, fmiartimg,under military execution and

dreading every evil which an imienfe militaryforcecouldinfli&, Thas.henation been filent? No,! From

every proviice,. frdma gieat proportion 'of the cotin-ties of Irelanid, roumthe smetrrpobs, he feat_ f go-yernment. anidunderthe immediate and firong influ-ence of the'catfle, the'public 'detetation-of this bafe

projet&has been decliarednot vaguely or coldly, butwith rn expOlicitnergy which hasappalled anddefeatedthe m'oftbold andehterprifing niifiter which evei. heldthe reins of our government. Whathave e - een on the

other hand?What'his thefophifttyofMr. Pitt, the enor*trious patronageof the caile,7 and all the aCtivity, the,arts, the thfeats and the

promifesof" ts nUimerousmif-faries, been ibleto effet.? -'In the wide extent of the

kingdoin of Ireland they have procuredone folitaty dicclar'iioiiof aflent to the meafure Hethat in thde cir-ccunftances

afferosto doubtwhether' he ferifdofthe na-

tion:his beendeclared,requires to convihncehim ade..

gree'of pioof whichi'theordinary courfe of humanaf-

fairs tanihdt affordhim,. It wefe, to infult the under-flandin-' t f.the phiblicto fuppofe(hat they entertained

anyfecruplesn fuch a cafe.

Wte cannot allow: ourfelves 'to take leave 'of,the 'publicwithout offering our congratulations,and.

edprefflig:ttieproudfdatisfationwe have felt from fome

events to 'which 'this quieftionhas given birth. We.had'beenaccutomed tobhear the corruption'pfifarlia-ment. ant ihe influibncIof the -drowhmadecmbhmon

lfubjeC1s,

as well for the declamation of honeft but'de-.

fpohiding.pbliticians,-as for the cahtumny

f feditious

demagogues welknew lihow eldom'the king'sminif-(ters had been effecqulily iefifled, but we confidently

cherifliedhe

hopethat'our 6nflittitioncontained within

itfelf anenergy equal to its own pritfcration. ecentI

experience had taughtus thaitthe voice of the'people.cofi'fllitionally expreffd'is awful and commanding.We knew that theie was in the legiflature nuch'rmanlyand ihflcxibleintegrity, andwe thoughtthaIteven cor-

ruptionitfelf"might revbltrr6m 'the meafureof an in-

corporatedUniodn-.The event hasjufitified ur reafon-

kgnd rrc'alized.ur *hopes; and we may ventureto

predi& hatitfhall' not be forgottei, whilethe conffitu-tion of Irelandendures, that the death-blowwhich wasait2ed atits exiftence was wardedoff by the ieprefenta-tives of thepeople.

.Triue

to theflcired truffrepofed n

thnm;,the

majteflyof

that bodyrefilled

the powerand.withilood the feduaions of the minifler. The efforts

of t'lofe who filffaired the- honourablecharaCterof

championsof their country on the evenings when pa-

triotifm obtained to fplendid atriiiuph ffhall livi

in the memory .and gratitude of their fellow.

fubjeats and pofterity. Supekior ii talent as in

integrity, they difplayed powers equ4al o the occa-

fron,land their eloquence, arderitand irrefiflible, was

.worthy,of men engaged in 'f6 Momentous a conteftf.The magnitudeof thequeffion will perpetuate the re-membranceof an incidenttriovelandunprecedented nthe 'hiftory of parliamentarydebate, anid it. may be

ufefulto future times to'know that the force of govern-mentwasunable to bear

fo.unequala confliE6t,ndthat

the minifler faw with a 'melancholy oncern many ofhis adherents defert even in the heat of battteto the

flandard of truth and reafon. Thus, the Commons

Houfe of. Parliament ;hasproied, tfelf to be not merelywhat

fa'tion-isfond of reprefentng it-, a theatrefor the

exhibition'of,adrama, the incidents andcataftropheofwhich are preconcerted,but that t is what the founders

of our conflitution:iptended, a.deliberative affembly,in which the membersregulate their condua by thedonviationof their underflandings. Thus, alfo, we

hihevfeeefn.thatommon calumny refuted, which accufes

the repyrefentativeodyascarelefsof fhe welfareand re-

-ga;dlefs of-the fentimentsof-the conflituent, and we

.deefivea'new.love for the

confli.ution,from obferving

bothclaffes6o-operate in its prefervation,That coriflitution,we are of the number of thofe

who have alhway fincerelyand rationally.admired-we

'loved'it riot only becaufe exi t is found to

feeure..,to man the greatefl degree"qf thofelblef-

fings Whiich ociet.v s inflituted o prote&t,but becaulfe

alfo it appearedfrom its Itruture,, fromr he' niceadaptation of 'its. parts, but above. all from its

being founded. on the broad bafis .of the :. peo-pie, to be mote likely to refilltwith effe&t,thofe affaultsof arrbition.under vwhich llconflitutionshave, fooneror later,,perifhed.. Recent 'events 'confirm us iri our

attachment, for recent events havet'aughtus,.:andwe-fondly

.hope

will convince Irifhmen,'that.evenunder he

exifting andenormousweightof patronage andcorrup-tion, the oniflitution et lives, and

lives'wiihan energy

which' will long enfureits exiftehce. A;minifter pof-Teflingmore,'power, more

oinfluenceand lefs principle

than any whom, hiflory has marked as the enemyof

Britifhliberty,has

grappledwith

:that conftitutionwhile'labouringonderthepreffure f circumrritanceshe

mofl.inaufpicious that the imaginatiorican conceive.

Did it.ruccumb in the contefi ? 'No Though mana-cled,bylaws whi'ch

fuzpeodedall thefunctionsof free-

dom ; thoughproftratedbefore..a militarygovernment,which the 'melancholy ircum(lancesof the times forcedintoexitlerce ; the Genius of the

Conflitution.,roufedby the irifolencewhichprefumedhat its paflivenefs-wasd&bility,and its'patience amenefs, rofe in its might--the conibinedforce of two. miniflerswielding the .pa-tionage of. two countries, "and exerting' it' with

.the mnoftunbridled:licenfe,.-was forced .-to flhrinkfrom the cbnteft.-they retired defeated and' difgracedfrom the confliCt,and reludantly left to the'peoplethat

liberty and independence which they vainly hopedto

extinguifh for ever.E N D.

Dublin: lrftePbe 3uwrsaoorre,45E Cao3ge1green,





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