A

HISTORY

OF

IRISH AFFAIRS, &c.

As

this history commences in October 1779, it cannot be amifs to take a short view of the fituation of Ireland at that period. Whether we were, or were not, a conquered nation, is, in my opinion, no way material: We were men, and as fuch had a right to be free.-The 6th of Geo. I. was founded in power and in justice, for we had a right, in every shape, to the British conftitution, and that law deprived us of it: In. October 1779, it not only existed, but was exercised, and there were many British acts of parlia ment binding Ireland.

Here let us behold what was going forward beyond the Atlantic, for, it was

on

on the plains of America, that Ireland obtained her freedom: Great Britain, mad with power, and unjust, because she thought the might be fo with impunity, attempted to tax America: She had also involved herself in a war with the House of Bourbon, and their united powers were exerted against her: She had facrificed a trade that brought her annually, a balance of three millions in her favor; and in the wild purfuit of an ideal, and unjuft revenue, fhe had fquandered her treafure, and spilt her beft and deareft blood. That power, however, that had mifled her, was finking, and the day was approaching, when misfortune was to teach her juftice.

Ireland beheld with pleasure, the glorious ftruggle of the Americans-sharers in one common calamity, we could not behold her fate with indifference :-the fame right as to us, was openly avowed in the British senate, and we saw that if Great Britain fucceeded, in establishing

British

British fupremacy over the colonies, Ireland would be included,

Another confequence of the American war, and that with France and Spain, was the inferiority of the British navy.The coafts of Ireland were totally unprotected, and privateers infefted them from every quarter :-Our fea port towns were in danger, even from their crews, and might have been plundered with impunity. The military establishment had been fo drained to recruit the regiments in America, that it was totally inadequate to our defence. Hence, arofe Volunteers-it was neceffity that introduced them the glorious purpose of emancipating their country grew out of, but did not originate them.

The neceffities of the state obliged Government to fuffer, what it early beheld with a jealous eye; and in October 1779, they were a very confiderable body. About this time the once glorious fleet

of

of England was obliged to seek her ports, and leave the combined fleet triumphant in the channel.-The Irish administration trembling for our fate, delivered out to the people 16,000 ftand of arms, and thereby added to the Volunteers. The illegality of Volunteers was no longer talked of every day increased them in number, improved them in difcipline, and rendered them more formidable to all their enemies.

A free trade began to be loudly demanded by all ranks of people. The fituation of Ireland was truly dreadful. Her ships were taken, even in fight of her ports; her trade in almost every branch, tyrannically shackled by England; an embargo on the greatest of her exports, her provifions; her linens, lying upon the merchants hands; her imports and her abfentees taking all her and nothing, or almoft nothing, coming in, to fupply her exhaufted treasury. Thus circumftanced, her peafants, already a

money;

mong