The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-30 00:00:00

Sixthly—The next source of expectation of the
repeal is one not depending upon chance or acci-
dent—it is one springing from existing and indis-
putable facts—the hatred entertained by the Tory
faction in England, by the powerful Tory aristo-
cracy and faction generally, to the people of Ireland
and to their refigion—and the contemptuous refusal
of that party to grant justice to Ireland. This it is
that puts the repealers in the right with every ra-
tional and sober-thinking person. The great ma-
gic in politics is to be in the right. Upon one
subject there can be no difference of opinion. Many
have said that we have no chance of achieving the
repeal. But I repeat, on this one subject there can
be no difference of opinion-...namely, that, consti-
tuted as the British Legislature is, Ireland has not
the least chance of having justice done to her, or of
having the Union converted into a reality by iden-
tifying the rights, the privileges, and the franchises
of the people of both countries. Many men may
not hops for the repeal. But no man can hope
for an equalization of our civil rights with those of
England without the repeal. The following dif-
ference exists without hope of redress or remedy
from the United Parliament. In the first place, the
people of England are not compelled to support a
Church which is not that of the majority of the
English people. The people of Scotland are
not compelled to support a Church which is not
that of the majority of the Scottish people.
A principle of union and identification would dis-
embarrass the people of Ireland of the support of a
Church which is not that of the majority of the
Irish peoples There is no man living so absurd as
to expect that Ireland will obtain from the United
Parliament the benefit of this salutary and necessary
principle. Here, therefore, is one most just and
equitable stimulant to seek for repeal. In the
second place, Scotland has long since obtained cor-
porate reform. England has obtained corporate
reform. Ireland has at first been insultingly re-
fused, and next more insultingly swindled, by the
House of Lords out of corporate reform I There
is not the least prospect of obtaining that reform—
not the least ! This principle of identification and
real union is not allowed to come into operation.
It is, in short, refused in the worst and most insult-
ing way. Yet, our corporations are infinitely more
depraved, more restrictive, more dishonest, than the
English or Scotch corporations were. Our cor-
poi ations have all the faults of both, and, superadded,
ail the venom of religious bigotry to render them
transcendently iniquitous. Still there is not the
least hope, nor, considering the strength of the
Tory party hi the Lords, is there the least possibi-
lity, of obtaining an adequate corporate reform for
Ireland. See how this must necessarily work on
every Irish mind I Are the youth of Ireland pre-
pared to submit to this insult and degradation ! No I
a thousand times no I The Union, therefore, is a
mockery I and cannot possibly resist the force of
Irish energy and combination. In the third place,
the Parliamentary Reform Bill of Ireland was
framed in the spirit of insulting restriction and ex-
clusion. It embodies the viruhmt soul, and mali-
cious disposition towards Ireland of Lord Stanley.
Its arithmetical results, as exhibited in the Parlia-
mentary Reports, demonstrate its injustice, although
these results are overcharged where they appear
favourable to Ireland. These results show that
the proportion of mile adults in England who pos-
r less the elective franchise is 19 out of 100, whilst
.in Ireland only five male adults out of 100 enjoy
die franchise. This contrast will be rendered more
°liking by an instance. The county of Kerry, in
which I write this letter, has 265,126 inhabitants
--the Isle of Wight has only 28,731 inhabitants ;
yet she Isle
of 'Wight has 1,167 voters, while
Kerry ha, i ..
only 1,161. That is, the county of
Kerry has 226,395 inhabitants more than the Isle
of Wight, while the Isle of Wight has six more
voters than Kerry I
Mark, besides, that the te-
nures of lands are theEnglaikd ; yet the franchises
in Ireland as in
sme
of
are thus comparatively (and o
bef the Irish people
course most un-
justly) restricted. Can therefound a man so
iniquitous as to say that this is a Union which ought
any man so
a
to last ? Or can there be found
foolish as to suppose that withnation now
composed q
of nearly nine millions of people,
such a Union can be fated to last ? One question
more.
more. Shall I be told that this injustice is
so
glaring that it must be redressed, even by the
United Parliament ? Alas !it is now no longer a
subject oftpeculation. I have made the experi-
ment. My motion was merely for leave to bis,,,
in a Bill to remedy this foul injustice. I could
not obtain even the poor privilege of putting into
print the groans, as I may call them, of Ireland ;
that is, her impotent claim to obtain justice from
the Imperial Parliament. I was opposed by the
Whigs as well as by the Tories ; by the English
Catholics in Parliament as well as by the English
' Protestants I Lord Surrey, Lord Fitzalan, and
young Howard of Corby, whom the Irish Catho-
lies emancipated, voted against us ; superaddina
1
1 ingratitude to injustice. But these are qualities-
,