re-visit them, with the strongest feelings of satisfaction. His Majesty trusts, that, in the mean time, not only the spirit of loyal union which now so generally exists, will remain unabated and unimpaired, but that every cause of irritation will be avoided and discountenanced, mutual forbearance and goodwill observed and encouraged, and a security be thus afforded for a continuance of that concord among themselves, which is not less essential to his Majesty's happiness, than to their own, and which it has been the chief object of his Majesty, during his residence in this country, to cherish and promote." (Loud Cheers.) I have read this extract from this epistolary sanative of the evils which afflict this country.-But, in reading it, I found it difficult not to pause and break into exclamation, at almost every section of this piece of amiable diplomacy-for, in reading it, the events by which this utterly abortive admonition, unsustained by any practical measure for the conciliation of Ireland, has been followed, pressed themselves upon my recollection, and I could not shut out from my memory, the scenes of ferocious discord which succeeded, almost immediately after the departure of our gracious Sovereign, and the bequest of his benevolent recommendation. Let me be allowed to revert to the passage which I have read, and put it into a free but respectful analysis. The interpreter of his Majesty's sensibilities, my Lord Sidmouth, speaks of "the affectionate attachment" of the Irish people, and " of the deepest impression" which had been made upon his Majesty's mind. Well might he speak of the "affectionate attachment" which was manifested towards our Sovereign. Do you remember, (you cannot fail to do so) the glorious spectacle which was presented upon his arrival amongst us? I do not believe that in the annals of romantic loyalty,

and in all the records of the wild chivalry of allegiance, an example could be found of more high and unanimous enthusiasm, than was displayed by the universal masses of ardent and devoted population, which hailed the entrance of King George the Fourth into this great metropolis. If most of you had not witnessed that extraordinary scene, I might attempt to describe it:-but the reality is too deeply imprinted in your recollections, to admit of any successful delineation, and you could not fail to feel that any picture, no matter how richly tinted, must be greatly below the dignity and grandeur of that important national event. I will not, therefore, attempt to paint what is inlaid in such fresh colours in the memories of every one of you. I will not tell you in what a noble triumph of peace, in what an ovation of concord, the Sovereign of the empire, of which Ireland constitutes so large a department, entered this great city. I will not recall to you the array of myriads, who were assembled to greet him, and who, with uplifted eyes and hands, and with voices, into which their hearts were thrown, sent up their invocations for his welfare:-I will not tell you how George the Fourth looked, and must have felt, upon that lofty and almost sublime occasion. If I made such an attempt, you would stop and chide me-you would say, that I fell far beneath the glory and magnificence of the scene which I should endeavour to present to you.-It is enough, therefore, that I should make a simple mention of that singular exhibition of rational enthusiasm, in order to bring it back, in all its vividness to your minds. It is stated, that the "deepest impression" was made upon his Majesty's mind. I entertain no doubt of it. How was it possible that he should behold such demonstrations of affection and of fidelity, without a profound appreciation

of the qualities of the people from which those noble feelings derived their origin? How was it possible that he should witness what he beheld on his arrival-but above all, how could he behold what took place on his departure, without a profound and thrilling emotion? He stood upon the shore-he was surrounded by his people-he heard their prayers for his happiness offered up from hearts as honest as ever sent an orison to heaven-he saw the tears that flowed down many a manly cheek, and he beheld many a brawny arm stretched out to him in an affectionate farewell. He ascended the ship that was to waft him from the island, in which the traces of his footsteps ought to have been left in measures of benevolence behind. The winds filled the sails-the vessel went slowly and majestically through the ocean. He stood upon the deck, and thence looked back towards Ireland, and saw the hills by which she was encompassed, crowded to the tops by hundreds of thousands, who sent their benedictions along with him. Is it possible that at such a moment his heart should not have melted and dissolved within him? Did not the tears of a generous sensibility rush into his eyes, and, as the shouts of his people came from the receding shores, across the water, did he not exclaim: “I will—I will do something for Ireland." But, I forget myself. I am hurried away by the emotions which the recollection of those striking scenes cannot fail to awaken in the bosom of every one of us. I should resume a more sober and befitting tone of sentiment-and yet, even now, I cannot avoid relapsing for a moment into the feelings which had swept me beyond the limits of temperate discussion, and exclaiming: "What, after all, has he done for Ireland?" But I return. His Majesty proceeds to say that he hopes "that every cause of irrita

tion will be avoided and discountenanced." Alas! what imperfect views his Majesty must have taken of the real sources of the calamities of this country? How little he knew of the real character of the faction, which has so long trampled upon Ireland, when he conceived that his mere behest could have the effect of subduing the spirit of insolent domination, by which that ferocious confederacy, as long as they are sustained by the law, never can cease to be influenced! What took place almost immediately after his Majesty's departure? He left us his advice, and gave us nothing else. How did the Orangemen of Ireland fulfil it? at their civic banquets, the watchword of ascendancy was almost instantly proclaimed. The banners of Ireland's shame were unfurled in a still more ostentatious and offensive publicity. The Sovereign himself, was insulted in the person of his representative, and Justice, when called in to avenge the affront, appeared dressed in orange ribbons. The spirit of faction got possession of the public tribunals of the country; more vehement hatreds, and more relentless detestations ensued, than had ever before taken place, and the contending parties wanted but a pretence to rush, in a sanguinary conflict, upon each other, His Majesty hoped, indeed, "that every cause of irritation would be avoided." Did his Majesty then know so little of Ireland?-Had he himself learned so little from his Royal observation, or had he derived so few useful instructions from his early friend and adviser, Mr. Fox, as to think it possible that as long as the exasperating disqualifications, which disgrace, and brand, and burn upon us, are permitted to continue, that the causes of irritation could be avoided? His Majesty talks of "the continuance of concord." How can he imagine that concord can exist in a country where

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the law itself is the hot-bed of rancour, and foments and throws up nothing but poisoned plants? Does his Majesty conceive that his mere admonition is sufficient to divest the spirit of political domination of its insolence, and to take from the consciousness of deep wrong, the indignation which, in all generous minds, it cannot fail to generate? But, it is better, at once, to speak openly and unequivocally. I will no longer pursue the spirit of this letter throughout all its phrases, or dissect its syllables. Better to give a direct and undisguised utterance to the feeling which the perusal of that letter, with the commentary which events have furnished, cannot but create.-The King came here he was received with acclamations-he told us to live in union, concord, and peace-and he has done nothing to effectuate his benevolent wishes, and carry his own gracious injunctions into execution. What did our most gracious Sovereign mean, by directing his minister to indite such a document? I repeat the question -what did he mean? we are told "that our concord is as necessary for his happiness as for our own." Would to Heaven, then, that he had adopted some more effectual means of promoting his own felicity. Let him look at the condition of Ireland, and pronounce how far his beneficent aspirations for our welfare have been realised. Perhaps more deadly animosities exist at this moment, than at any previous period in those annals of discord, the history of Ireland. The two great classes into which the population is divided, are marshalled in a deep and well-disciplined array against each other. A most monstrous state of things has grown up, whose features of anomaly are every day becoming more enlarged and marked. Seven millions of the people of Ireland have become so much habituated to self-government, that they