1801.

upon the first intimation of Mr. Pitt's intent to
resign his situation to their avowed enemies, and
to support those enemies in all their measures of
Government. This was known in Dublin in the
first week of February; and so apprehensive was
Lord Cornwallis* of immediate disturbances and other
bad effects from the accounts from England, that im-
mediately on receipt of the first public reports of
that transaction, he gave to Dr. Troy a paper, to be
instantly circulated amongst the Catholics to prevent
them. His Lordship retained his situation nearly
four months, (the precise duration of his Majesty's
disorder) after these accounts had arrived from
England, and exhibited symptoms of marked
anxiety to persuade the Catholics of his sincerity
in their cause, sensible, unquestionably, that this
early dereliction of it and coalition with their
enemies, must have thrown it under suspicion.
In the next month, therefore, he wrote his dis-
claimer of the dedication of Sir Richard Musgrave's
Memoirs of the different Rebellions in Ireland,†
as being a work tending to revive the dreadful
animosities, which it was the duty of every good
subject to endeavour to compose. In the like spirit
of giving an air of sincerity to all his efforts in
favor of the Catholics, it was his Lordship's wish
to receive an address from their general body, before
he quitted Ireland, expressive of their satisfaction
and gratitude for his countenance and kindness to

* Vide his Lordship's letter to the Author, p. 47.
+ Vide the History of that transaction, Introduction p. 107.

them, during his viceroyalty.

To procure such an address, some of the Catholics, who were the best received at the castle, and knew most of his Excellency's personal feelings, proposed to and canvassed several of their brethren to convene meetings in different places. The proposal was coldly received, and so many circumstances had then concurred to open their eyes to the deceit played upon them, that no address was signed.

1801.

Lord Hard

of Lord Cornwallis.

The Earl of Hardwicke arrived in Dublin to as- Arrival of sume the reins of Government on the 26th of May. wicke and departure The Marquis Cornwallis arrived in London on the 3d of June. He was a man of very moderate talents had a prepossessing address. Under the apparent frankness of the Soldier he concealed the duplicity of the Courtier. In Ireland he certainly fulfilled the mission, upon which he was sent by Mr. Pitt. He put a temporary stop to the bloody system of terrorism by checking the open barbarities of the Orangemen, and thereby closed the rebellion without further effusion of human blood. He passed the Union by openly favouring the Catholics, and through the means of his tool, Lord Castlereagh, by privately flattering and preserving the Orangemen, and by courting every Protestant, whose influence or vote in Parliament he could ensure by flattery or favor. Throughout all the profligate manœuvres of that fatal measure he proved himself the trusty tool of power and deception. In no instance did he display the great Statesman or General. After his return to England, he was

1801.

never known either in public or private to have at tempted to forward the emancipation of the Irish Catholics, to which however he ever affected to have sacrificed his situation. The public can be now no longer duped by the insidious practices of Mr. Pitt's systematic management of Ireland. Every page of her Post-Union History teems with evidence of his having forced a Rebellion, in order to drown her independence in the blood, and bury her felicity under the ashes of the Country, in the wicked (perhaps fruitless) hope of preventing her resurrection by the immovable tomb-stone of Legislative Union. Mr. Pitt's malice to Ireland extended beyond the grave. With a view to raise an eternal bar to Catholic concession, he introduced an apparent system of justice and conciliation, to furnish an argument, that the Catholics might be happy and prosperous, as he foresaw they would be tranquil and loyal, without emancipation. At the same time he secretly laboured to establish, strengthen and perpetuate the Orange Societies, which he well knew to be incompatible with and essentially destructive of the peace, concord and prosperity of the Country. In that work of deception Mr. Pitt's prime and most efficient instrument was Marquis Cornwallis*.

* The Irish Annalist would step beyond his bounds, were he to follow that Nobleman, and attempt to draw his portrait in the character of a General or Statesman in America, or India, or at Amiens.

1801.

A

HISTORY OF IRELAND.

CHAPTER II.

Administration of the Earl of Hardwicke.

of the new

stration.

Mr. Pitt having selected Ireland as the only part Principles of the British Empire, which furnished him with a Adminiground of liberal policy for retiring from office, at a crisis, which demanded a Government of all the talent and virtue, which could be brought to act in concert, it followed, that the new Administration was formed of such persons only, as were ready to follow up Mr. Pitt's plans of Government in every particular, with the ostensible exception of Catholic emancipation. The condition of enlisting under Mr. Addington's banners was not the abnegation of Mr. Pitt's professed opinion, that the measure was necessary for the salvation of the State, but a pledge to oppose that necessary measure, as long as the Placeman should hold his situation. Under this tenure or condition Mr. Addington boasted of having accepted of the Premiership; it is generally believed, that Lord Eldon took in hand the management of the King's conscience; and it is

1901. doubted by none, that every inferior station, which was thought of sufficient consequence to be taken on pledge, was in like manner holden. The forced scruples about the Executive assent to a bill, which the Lords and Commons might advise for the salvation of the State had been lately forced upon his Majesty's mind and feelings in the unresisting moments of actual disease, and rivetted upon gradual and precarious convalescence. Although Mr. Fox, as every liberal patriot, were ready to support the wise and just measure of putting an end to Catholic thraldom in Ireland, and extirpating all intolerance and religious dissention, yet from a sense of their inability to carry it, none of them had brought the subject before the public. From Mr. Pitt had it latterly originated; yet he permitted, at least he neither discouraged nor prevented his creatures from setting afloat the most malicious and senseless charges of pressing the violation of the sworn compact with the people, upon the tender conscience of a convalescent, though relapsing, Sovereign, as his piety encreased with infirmity and age. Whilst Ireland remained legislatively independent of Great Britain, there might have existed some pretence, however slight, for considering the Irish Government independent of the British Cabinet; but since the Union the Viceroy of Ireland could be viewed in no other light, than as a leading Member of the British Ministry. As therefore it was notorious, that Mr. Addington had accepted of the arduous charge of a distressed and perplexed Govern