profligately confiftent, are led to oppose the present government, by the fame motive which induced them to support all paft ;-by corrupt selfishness,—not public fpirit.

Such, whilft they make an uproar about their loyalty, in fact refift Union for no other reafon, but that though it may advance the commerce of their country, they are well aware it muft extinguish theirs. British connexion they confider as a fort of ftate commodity, for which England ought to deal, on their own terms, with them. They promise to supply this article of prime neceffity, so long as they are permitted to vend it to the fifter country, and to monopolize the emoluments of the fale: and though of late the crops have been but forry,—yet aided by the firong hand of coercion, and continuing to manure with Irish blood, they make no doubt of having permanent and abundant harvefts; and think it hard that their exclufive traffick fhould be fpoiled, by Britain's beginning to purchase from the whole Irish nation, and while she employs the people indifcriminately to cultivate the connexion, by paying their labours with the British conftitution.

Such reasoning may be forcible, but it is not patriotick; and I fhall not waste my time by addreffing those who use it; but must apply myself to another, and very different clafs, whofe principled loyalty I both acknowledge and admire, and whom therefore, I grieve to find inadvertently in array-against the profperity of their haraffed country.

I will ask them, and with the question, (almost) conclude this tedious Letter, What are their expec

tations

tations in oppofing Union? Do they hope to fee that order of things revived, which fome have defcribed as a colonial fyftem? Can they hope that the ftrength of Government will cooperate to restore a fyftem, the defects of which they have been neceffitated to difclofe, and for which they fee no effectual remedy, but Incorporation? Will Adminif tration, to accommodate these gentlemen, recur to the plan of extorting by coercion, a precarious allegiance from a poor, ignorant, discontented, and mifguided multitude,-inftead of watching perfever ingly, for the moment to make a change, which fhall render loyalty the unforced, and ready offering of a profperous, an inftructed, and contented people? Is it to be expected, that for the mere gratification of a loyal party, a Government which rightly eftimates the affections of the subject, and feels them to be the beft fecurity of the throne, will for ever abandon a measure fo deliberately propofed, and fo explicitly declared to be in their opinion indifpenfible? a meafure too, which has been folemnly called for by the common Sovereign, and approved of in one of the Parliaments of the Empire? Is it to be imagined, I fay, that administration will relinquish fuch a measure, and permanently substitute a fyftem in its room, where, in order to guard the conftitution from attack, we are obliged to ftrip it of every principle which fecures the liberty, and excites the zealous loyalty of the people? Can we fuppofe that the British government will lay afide all thoughts of Union, and cordially readopt a Regime, which fomenting civil difcord and difaffection, and rendering Ireland the

theatre

theatre of factious cabal, or ftern and fullen defpotifm, muft keep the empire vulnerable in a vital point,-and tempting the vigilant enemy to our fhores, make this Country, instead of being a refervoir of Imperial force, an embarraffing drain to the resources, and a defalcation of the strength of Britain? No fuch hopes it would be idle to entertain. Government, if fruftrated for the prefent in its honeft plan, would not enter into the views of thofe to whom I allude, but merely wait a more favourable moment, for accomplishing the profperity of the Irish nation. This loyal clafs must therefore be content, in the alternative, either to further thofe intentions of Government, which I have defcribed; or (fince alone their party would be too fmall to make any head,) if they would refift, muft form a junction with that party, to which they are now most unnaturally allied,-and cordially promote the wishes of a faction, whofe defperate projects they look upon with dread; and whofe political opinions they habitually abhor.

I conjure them to weigh all this maturely, before they perfift in their oppofition to a measure, fo emphatically neceffary at the prefent moment, to fruftrate thofe attempts at feparation, in refifting which I know they would be ready to fhed their blood.

Let them discountenance that most unconstitutional and defperate experiment, of consulting, on a great political fubject, not the property, intelligence, or loyalty of the country, but that giddy, wretched, and uninformed multitude, which, if it have any original and genuine fentiment at all, is averfe from uniting with Great Britain-only because it would rather incor

porate with France. Rejecting the authority of a clamorous and difaffected mob,-a nata in vanos tumulius gens,-which, compofed chiefly perhaps of traitors, pardoned, and unreclaimed,-is at once the dupe, and echo, of a few factious leaders, (whofe opinion it would be the fhorter, and fafer wayto afk directly,) let them prudently decline reforting to the affiftance of that barbarous and lawless power, which having first aided in refifting a measure which they diflike, would end by overwhelming both them, and the Constitution.

Let them examine with generous fhame, in the mirror which history holds up for their inftruction, the difgraceful nature of that conduct, which fome enemies to their honour would prevail with them to imitate.

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They will find that, in Scotland, "the party who oppofed Union, finding the majority in Parliament against them, ftudied to raise a storm without doors, to terrify them. A fet of addreffes against "the Union were fent round all the counties, in which those who opposed it had any interest.* There came up many of thefe, in the name of counties, and boroughs, and at laft from parishes. This made fome noise abroad, but was very little confidered there, (in Parliament,) when it was known by whofe arts and practices they were procured." † They

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will

A refemblance (fay the metaphyficians) may fometimes be fo close, as to be rendered ludicrous by its exactness.

The Hiftorian adds that "when this appeared to have little effect, pains were taken to animate the rabble to violent attempts, both at Edinburgh and Glasgow." See the Irish Letters miffive, paffim.

will find, I fay, that near a century ago, expiring faction had recourfe to fuch expedients; and will fcorn to follow fo vile and mifchievous an example.

Thus much, at least, I expect with confidence from their loyalty. I only wonder they will not let me hope for more. I only lament that they will not co-oporate with the government, to reconcile a connexion which they value, with a conftitution which they love; and obtain these combined bleffings for their country, by a Union. I have the honour to be,

SIR,

Your obedient and

very humble fervant,

WILLIAM SMITH.

DUBLIN, Feb. 10, 1800.

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