The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-13 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, JULY
TRADES UNlON.—Yesterday Mr. O'Connell attended
an extraordinary general meeting of the National Trades
Political Union. Never upon any former occasion was
there so numerous an assembly of the Members. After
the report had been read, which the Union had adopted at
their last meeting, and a resolution carried to the effect that
it should be inserted upon the minutes, the following reso-
lution was put and unanimously adopted :
" That we hereby earnestly call upon all sections of the
Liberal party to use their influence and best exertions to
secure the return of Mr. O'Connell, and thereby assert the
triumph of popular and reforming principles."
Mr. O'CONNELL then rose and delivered an address of
which the following outline furnishes a short summary :
" I began ray career in the service of my country•by op-
posing that measure so fraught with evil consequences for
Ireland—the Legislative Union—(Hear, hear, and cheers)
—and 1 have long struggled for its repeal.—(Hear, hear.)
Do you know that lam a Repealer still ? I think that I
have yet left enough of life either to render it unnecessary
or to carry it.---(Tremendous cheering.) I have now avowed
before you that I am in the progress of a great experiment
for Ireland. The struggle in my earlier years was one
of doubt and difficulty. I was opposed by many ; I
was taunted and despised by numbers ; I was betrayed
by some, and scarcely supported by any.—(Hear, hear.)
Yet the struggle was not an unhappy one ; for the
huinming of human happiness sounded ever softly and
sweetly in my ears, and if I. be now alone I am but the more
able to devote all my energies to the one object. (Here the
Learned Gentleman became so affected that he could
scarcely speak.) Our beautiful island could be made a
paradise upon earth, if evil-minded men would but do her
justice.—(Loud cheers.) What is the first thing necessary
to effect this change? Good government.—(Hear.) What
reduced her to her miserable condition ? Bad government.
What were the principles of this had government ? Division
among ourselves—making religion a passport to power, and
a cause of dissension among men—profaning her sacred
name, and making men hate men for her sake—hating and
murdering one another in the name of the Gol of peace
and charity. West's and Hamilton's gangs would not merely
create and organize—they would even protect and reward
the spillers of blood. I proclaim again from this spot, that
the agitation of Repeal will be effectually and for ever put
down, if Ireland obtain those measures which she would
expect from a Parliament of her own, and which would put
her on a footing of equality with other nations. Now, we
have the fairest possible opportunity of performing our ex-
periment. Did you hear what Wellington said in Parlia-
ment the other day, when he found that the Queen had
retained the Liberal Administration, and was surrounded
by ladies of the most unquestionable honour, but of \Vhig
connections, when lie saw the true commanding officer,
though in petticoats, said there should be an end to
Corporate monopoly—(Hear)—the valiant Duiic wheeled
to the right-about face, and declared that the Cor-
porations must positively be reformed next Session.—
(Cheers.) This is a fact that any corporator knows just
as well as we. They are quite aware that they are fight-
ing fora dead horse, and much good may the carrion do