The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-22 00:00:00

alternative; but there had been that state of things in Ireland
which no prudent administration would resist, and he now said,
though many winter's snows had passed over his head, his blood
still flowed so ficely in his veins, that he unhesitatingly declared
that the wrongs of Ireland must be righed ; or, if England would
not co-operate, Ireland must see what it could do for itself.
Ireland must not continue to suffer wrongs ; they must be and
must be righted. —( Cheers.) lie was a practical man. —( Bear. )
He came there to thank them for their kindness to him ; and
he had occupied himself in advocating the cause of his
country.—(Hear, hear.) It had been said of him that
he had been taken under the Ministerial wing ; if
that were so, he knew he had never plucked a feather ; while
he had this consolation, that under that wing his country had
found shelter against birds of prey and ill omen. By that
Government, and by the magic of that sceptre which he had
that day beheld, possessed by a beautiful little creature, his
country had been protected ; and they proved that if it were
desired to make Ireland loyal—for Irishmen were creatures
of the heart as well as of the head ; if it were wished to
make the links binding the two countries indissoluble—they
hail only to restore rights, and to administer justice, by a
fair/ sylph-like being, such as now filled the Throne of these
realms. And this was the moment to effect that glorious
work. Let it be remembered that they were now making
history, and with that impression he thought they all ought
promptly and zealously join in the great work of regenera-
tion. And all could aid—none was too humble to assist in
the glorious work—in completing that union between two
countries which nature seemed to have formed for the social
compact with Ireland, that had ever joined so liberally in
fighting the battles of England. With such a union com-
pleted, he should laugh to scorn the hordes of Russian bar-
barians, and the combined efforts of all the despots of the
continent : but there must be that union complete, with the
basis of justice, and equality of rights, or the superstruc-
ture would have a foundation of sand. There must be jus-
tice to all. When he went to his pillow at night or left
his bed in the morning, he never forgot to feel that as ho
was the pensioned servant of the people of Ireland—his duty
was to leave no nerve unstrained, no exertion untried, no
sympathy unsought, to secure liberty for his country. But
what did he behold in the Commons' House ?—almost a ma-
jority against Ireland, and in the Lords, they were rampant
and triumphant against his country. And, gracious God
they called themselves Conservatives, and disguised their hos-
tility under the name of religion. Injustice might make its
martyrs—hut, call them by what names they pleased, he
would not term the workers of such injustice Christians.—
( Hear, hear.) They asked whether Irishmen were ready to
consort with them in a particular mode of faith :—and Irish
men answered, " Look to our actions," for no matter what
had been the caste, colour, or creed of those with whom they
were contending, they had ever been found on the side of
civil and religious freedom. But he bad trespassed too long
on their indulgence.—( No, no.) He, however, was delighted
at what he believed to have brought them there. What was
it ? Not to flatter the man ; but to recognise the principle--
that principle on which he had ever proceeded, abhorrence of
force, in conjunction with the conviction of being in the right.
He, however, must conclude ; he detained them too long.—
(No, no.) lie bad this consolation, that though he had
passed some years in the struggle, be believed himself to be
still young enough to hope that he had still many years to
engage in the promotion of that cause which he was sure
they all had so much at heart.—(Cheers.) He therefore
had only to thank them for the transcendent compliment
that they had paid to him, and for the enthusiastic
manner in which they had received the proposition. It
would shine forth as the rising sun after the storm—it
would be hailed as the day star of liberty to Ireland ; and
the gladness that would be circulated in Ireland in conse-
quence, would not be confined to that country, but would go
to the Continent, and tell the despots there, how they had re-
ceived the humble but zealous advocate of civil and religious
liberty.—( Hear.) The sound of their gratulations would pass
through Ireland ; and would assuage the feelings of those
who, by the wild means of revenge, would seek for justice ;
but would strengthen the confidence in that Mulgrave Go-
vernment which blessed Ireland above all : Ireland would not
forget those who had so received its bumble but zealous advo-
cate.—( Cheers.)
Song, " I look to the West," by Mr. Lover.
The CHAIRMAN then said that the toast which he had now
to propose was—" The Members of Parliament who were the
friends of Ireland."—(Cheers )
Mr. Hume rose amidst loud applause and said that as one
of the Members of Parliament included in that toast which
had been so flatteringly received, ho rose to acknowledge
the compliment conferred on him. He had been a friend
of Ireland, not of to-day—(Loud cheers)—but from
the time he had entered Parliament as a representative of
Scotland. As soon as he was able to see the state of Ireland,
and the manner in which she was mis-governed, lie considered
that it became his duty, in the situation in which he was placed
—unconnected with Whig or Tory, firmly to state and to ex-
pose the master grievance of that country; and he looked back
with great satisfaction at the progress made in the redress of
the wrongs by which she seas oppressed; and, in reference to
this he had been greatly pleased to see the assembly which
had been brought together this evening, as the testimony of
respect which was paid to Mr. O'Connell for his great ser-
vices to the country.—( Hear, and cheers.) lie considered
the compliment to be one paid to the cause he supported—
civil and religious liberty—(Cheers)—and he had no hesita-
tion in saying—and he spoke not lightly, having worked zea-
lously in that cause for mazy years—that the services of his
Hon. Friend, great as they were, could never be compensated
--(Loud cheers)—they were above all value, and when he
stated this he considered that it was not his own countrymen
alone, but every Englishman, every Scotchman, every friend
of freedom and good government ought alike to raise their
voices to applaud bins who had done so much to promote the
success of the general cause in which they were all embarked.
—(Cheers.) The cause of Ireland had been too long held
up as one separate from that of England. That had been the
trick of party politics employed by those who so long had
misruled Ireland.—( Hear.) They had thus instilled preju-
dices into the minds of Scotchmen and Englishmen for the
purpose of enabling themselves to carry on that r,y.ctea.l F
misrule which had added wealth and power to the acquisitrO."s
they had already gained by weakening the public and general
cause of the empire.—(Cheers.) Therefore it was they I
should consider the services of Mr. O'Connell in the cause of
liberty and equal rights to be beyond all value.—(Cheers.)
It was a mistake to imagine that whilst there was misrule in
Ireland they could have good government in England.—
(Cheers.) The interests of both countries were identified,
and no misrule could exist in one without the evil spreading
till the canker had reached every portion and every interest of
the empire. The present meeting was a pledge that they were
free from party prejudices, and whilst they were assembled
to pay a tribute to Mr. O'Connell, they might well congratu-
late themselves, that in working out good government for Ire-
land, it was a prelude to the extension of it in this country.—
(Cheers.) lie was pleased that Ireland had p, .tied so much,
but much still remained to be acquired. What ti'.sey had pro-
cured encouraged them to go on, and lie would say, that iso-
I sted as he was, and lie had never tied himself to any party, he
acknowledged that he supported the Whigs when they were
the proposers of good measures, but lie was free to denounce
their acts, if he believed them to be contrary to what lie con-
sidered was right and just ; and therefore it was, that he had
no hesitation in saying, that whilst there was no man more
disinterested than he was, yet having supported them whims he
thought they deserved it, he considered that he had a right to
reproach them when they pursued a course which he dal not
believe to be a straightforward one. lie was anxious to be able
to give them his support, and he rejoiced to see that the liberal
course of policy adopted by Lord Mulgrave had been so benefi-
cial and useful to Ireland.—( Cheers.) But lie wished to see the
institutions of Ireland so reformed, and placed upon such a
basis that they would not depend upon the breath of any man.
—(Lord cheers.) He wished to see those institutions founded
upon law, and then they might laugh to 'scorn any changes
which might take place as regarded individuals. When he
said this lie considered that the more honour was due to Lord
Nltilgrave for the course he had taken, divested of that power
which the law could bestow, and which the country had a
right to expect should be extended to every portion of it.--
( Hear.) He dill red from those who said that the Reformers
of England did not desire the welfare of Ireland. lie consi-
dered, on the contrary, that every right-thinking Reformer in
Great Britain most anxiously desired it. There were only one
or two more remarks with which be would trouble the meeCng.
The politician was indeed short-sighted who did not see that an
improvement in the institutions of this country would arise
from the improvement of these of Ireland ; and that they
mainly forwarded the extension of popular rights generally,
by placing the Irish nation as steadily as possible on au
equality with themselves.—( Cheers ) When they had ac-
complished this, they would have acquired a position in
which united they could stand or move, and demand, with a
power that could not be evaded, an accession to, end a further-
ance of, popular tights.—( Loud cheers.) On that ac-
count great sacrifices should be made to maintain in power
those who promised to carry out the principles of equal
justice.—( Cheers.) And thus it was that he agreed with
Mr. O'Connell, that whilst they regretted the backsliding of
the Government—whilst they regretted that, in reference to
the second great charter of their liberties, it had hesitated to
grant that which alone could give the free right to exercis
the franchise ; yet he hoped that this would last but for a
short time, and that the Ministry would see that their
stability and honour were involved in carrying out the objects
of the Reform Bill: those objects which the promoters of it
had promised should he achieved.—(Cheers.) On those
grounds he would say, that notwithstanding what had
oc-
curred, they would fur the present be contented to take what
they could get, and above all, exert themselves to place
Ireland on an equality with themselves, and give to her
people the same rights which they themselves possessed.
He would net enter into a deteil of the evils which oppressed
Ireland ; but he would assert that there was no man who was
a sincere Referiner, who could hesitete-to promote those rights
which Ireland dr mended as her rights..—( Cheers.) If his
(Mr. Hume's) services in the Legislature were of any value to
his country, they had been continued to it by the liberal con-
duct of the " boys of Kilkenny."—(hear, hear, and cheers.)
They had acted towards him in a manner which commanded
his gratitude and admiration. They continued hint as a Mem-
ber of Parliament—and he could assure them that his efforts
for the good government of Ireland would not now be les-
sened.—( Cheers. ) Unconnected with his rresent ties, lie
had been the zealous friend of Irelaud—and, connected a ith
them, lie would be same—(Loud cheers)—more he could not.'
be. —( Cheers. )
The Hon. S. LANGDALE was unconnected with Ireland by
blood or property, but, in this instance, a peculiar tic of
attachment to Ireland existed—it was the strongest bond
which could exist between man and man, the brotherhood of
misfortune. --(Loud cries of " hear, hear.") A few years
ago he had shared the proscription which deprived the Mem-
bers of a partieuler creed of the common lights of freedom,
and his gratitude was due to Ireland; for it was by her exer-