308

UNION WITH IRELAND.

CHAPTER VII.

A. D. 1798 TO 1800.

THE great subject which at this time occupied public attention was the projected legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland. This measure was recommended first to the Irish Parliament, by the Lord Lieutenant, at the opening of the session, January 22, 1799; and to each of the two houses here, four days afterwards, in a message from the King, expressing his wish that means might be provided in both kingdoms for their common security, and of consolidating, as far as possible, into one firm and lasting fabric, the strength, the power, and the resources of the British empire.

In England the proposed union was favourably entertained, both in and out of parliament. The resolutions brought forward by the ministers were vigorously opposed by Mr. (now Lord) Grey and Mr. Sheridan; but the speeches of those orators made so little impression, that in the division only fifteen voices could be numbered against the proposition. In the house of lords, the triumph of Government was still more complete; the measure being carried without any division, though not without debate. Among its supporters, the bishop of Landaff, Dr. Watson, particularly distinguished himself. The learned prelate, in the course of his elaborate speech, took the oppor

SPEECH OF bishop WATSON.

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tunity of observing, that when the late Duke of Rutland was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, certain propositions were brought forward in parliament, which certainly met with his approbation. Writing at that time to the noble Duke upon the subject of them, he observed, that his Grace would immortalize his name, and the names of all who acted with him, if he could but accomplish a legislative union between Great Britain and Ireland. The Duke in his answer used these words, "I perfectly approve of your idea concerning a union: but I must tell you, that any man who could be found bold enough to propose such a measure here at this time, would be tarred and feathered."

The bishop concluded with predicting, "that the union, if carried, would enrich Ireland, without impoverishing Great Britain; and thus render both countries the most powerful in the world."

It was not easy, however, to persuade the Irish people that such would be the beneficial effects of the proposed sacrifice of their shadowy independence. National pride is not always to be considered as the sign of true patriotism. ..

In the present instance, the effervescent zeal of the Irish against the union had the appearance of keen sensibility for the honour of their country. Previous to the meeting of the parliament of that kingdom, public associations were formed, the object of which was, to prevent the consolidation of the two legislatures, and to instruct their representatives to oppose any such measure in every stage of its progress.

Accordingly, after a contest in which all the power of eloquence, and all the virulence of passion, were called into exercise, the anti-unionists defeated ministers by

310

VIOLENT OPPOSITION.

the small majority of five votes-the numbers on the proposed address being one hundred and six for the clause in favour of the measure, and one hundred and eleven against it.

The ebullition of joy excited by this pitiful triumph, where the chances were so nearly balanced, did little credit to the judgment or the feelings of the people. The unionists were vilified and insulted as the enemies of their country; while the popular orators, who had distinguished themselves by their speeches in parliament, were lauded with the most extravagant panegyric, as genuine patriots, who had saved Ireland from destruction. Meanwhile, men of sober minds, and serious reflection, took a larger view of things; and, therefore, were not surprised when, shortly after the subsidence of this ferment, they saw the political current pursuing an opposite direction, and the union carried triumphantly through the same Parliament by which it had been proscribed. On the 2d of July, 1800, the royal assent was given to the bill for incorporating the two kingdoms, the first day of the ensuing year being fixed as the commencement of the new era.

This, unquestionably, was a great victory; and the management by which it was effected, displayed masterly skill and penetration in the application of means for removing those obstacles, and subduing those prejudices, which ordinary men would have regarded as insurmountable.

The same motive which governed and impelled the opponents of the union, was now drawn effectually to its service, by the magical influence of that power which softens the sternest will, and converts the declared enemy into an effectual assistant :

PICTURE OF IRELAND.

"Ille admirans venerabile donum

Fatalis virgæ."

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"The rich oblation reconciles the god,

Who bows with reverence to the golden rod."

But a change from one extreme to another, and that within so small a space of time, will not appear extraordinary, if the following picture of that part of Ireland, bordering on the capital, be taken as a specimen of the rest. It was written in a private letter to a friend, just before the union :

"I am just returned," says the writer, "from an excursion through the counties of Dublin, Kildare, and Carlow; and in which, I am sorry to say, I found the vestiges of the late rebellion, not more visible in the demolition and burning of houses and villages, than in the conversation, sentiments, and character of the inhabitants. I had known those counties, and the dispositions and manners of their people, long before the commencement of the rebellion. I had known them to be gentle, humane, and possessed, perhaps, of more of the milk of human kindness than the lower order of people in most countries possess. I found them, if it be fair to give a general character of the people from the experience of an individual, with quite a new set of feelings: they had become familiar with cruelty; they could talk of torture and of death-not the death of an individual, but the slaughter of thousands -with the same apathy and listnessness as they would have spoken of any every-day incident. Death and suffering, indeed, seemed for them to have lost all their horror; and I have heard them relate the fall of hundreds

312

NATIONAL DEGRADATION.

Now, the most

of their townsmen with a degree of circumstantial and cool accuracy, which proved that they felt in the relation the most perfect indifference. It was at a time when the assizes were holden in these counties, that I happened to visit them. Some convictions had taken place, and the criminals were executed during my stay. On former occasions of this kind, an execution would have set the town and its vicinity in motion, and have excited the lamentations and the curiosity of the peasantry for several miles round. dreadful sentence which human laws can inflict was executed by the sheriff and his officers, with as little bustle and interest as would have attended his giving possession of a farmhouse, under an ejectment. The unfortunate victim of offended justice was drawn to the place of suffering, through a county-town, and scarcely attracted in his progress the attention of a single passenger; or excited, in one instance, those expressions of pity or of sympathy, which are so natural, and so common, on such solemn occasions, in countries where the feelings of humanity have not been blunted by the frequency of scenes of still greater horror.

"It has been the custom of these counties, since the rebellion, to exhibit to public view the heads of such as have suffered capital punishment for the part they took in those disturbances, by fixing them up in some conspicuous situation. On the gaol of Athy are fixed two of those heads; but they are placed at such a height as not to shock the passenger by too near a view of human degradation in this state of corruption. The front gate of the new prison, however, which they have erected in Carlow, is not more than fifteen feet high, and, at that short distance from the traveller's eye, are exhi