The National Register.
London, England, 1814-07-10 00:00:00

It will be seen by our Parliamentary report, that Govern-
ment have been obliged to apply to the House for new pow.
ers to strengthen the Executive in Ireland :—To attribute the
state of the country to the Catholic Board alone, we think
is conferring too much honour on the popularity of that
despicable faction. There must be an error more radical
somewhere, and which perhaps would be best investigated
by the appointment of some persons duly qualified to probe
the evil, and to administer to it. 'We, however, fear that
Ireland will never be thoroughly tranquil until the great pro.
prietors of estates give up their time and attention to the
affairs of their native country, and spend smile part of the
immense revenue derived from Ireland, in the 'amelioration
and improvement of the condition of the lower orders of the
people. For this purpose, instruction cannot be too sedu.
lously promoted amongst them, as the best and only anti-
dote to the uses which designing men arc constantly makin;
of their present lamentable state of ignorance.

For some time to come little can occur in foreign politic;„
and the little we receive must come through a channel too
impure to make up our judgments upon; yet we cannot
help feeling much anxiety for some authentic news from
Spain, that may enable us to form an opinion upon the
merits of its present proceedings. As friends to rational li-
berty and the principles of our own government, we cannot
be indifferent to the violence and despotism betrayed by
Ferdinand : his whole conduct is destructive of all social and
moral improvement, and will most likely have the effect of
exciting that popular commotion, which, at the commence-
ment of the French Revolution, swept every thing before it,
and which no longer excites a figure of speech, but supplies
a data to all the miseries of the last twenty years.

The time perhaps that has elapsed is too short to determine
the character of what may be the ultimate fate of the Conti.
nent as to manners and government. But that a singular
change has taken place is allowed on all hands, and that the
change so spoken of, is by no means favourable to the revival
of despotic power. The ideas of men are certainly very
loose and undefined as to particular forms of government ;
yet even in France liberty is certainly looked up to, rather
indeed as an avenger than a healer, but equally fatal in its
operations, if once called forth again, where there is nothing
left to restrain or modify its extravagancies, and where every
thing is contemplated at the point of the sword.
Nor let us remit any part of our attention to France. In
this country we are too apt to be deceived by appearance 3.
We must not mistake the present quietness of France for
that repose which recruits the exhausted energies of reason,
and sobers the empire of the Nssions. It is the repose of
dissatisfaction which precedes a storm rather than allays it,
and which at no very distant day will involve the world in
new convulsions, if the principles laid down by this country
are departed from, or if we remit the rein which success and
sound policy have enabled us to put upon this fiekie people.
With the Spaniards it is altogether different—high mindei
aad conscious, oppression but increases the pensive nature
Lof their character. The struggle of opposite interests is too