The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-24 00:00:00

NATIONAL POLITICAL UNION.

(Abridged from the DublinMorning.Register of Monday.)
On Siiturday the first public meeting of the Na-
tional Political Union took place, in the old Catholic
Association rooms, at the Corn Exchange. Upon
the motion of Mr. O'Connell, the chair was taken by

EDWARD RUTHVEN, Esq.
Mr. DWYER read the rules and regulations of the
society.
Mr. O'CONNELL, who bad been received with
loud cheers upon his entering the room, now rose
amid the continued acclamations of the meeting, and
said—lt was from this room that we procured for
the Protestant Dissenters perfect emancipation even
before we obtained our own.—(Hear, hear.) I am
proud, therefore, to rise here—to raise my voice
again within these, I may call them almost, sacred
walls, and to hail the purposes which now assemble
us together.—(Hear.) Before I do so, I cannot,
however, but cast my eye hack—l cannot but recol-
lect what the Catholic Association was at its com-
mencement, and remember that when the seven of
us met together we collected in a place so small
that it could scarcely contain our trifling number,
and then I think of what magnitude and import-
ance it became in this room. I do recollect with
great pride I was one of the seven—and it is a tri-
umphant recollection to these seven.—(Cheers.)
I trust in God that not three years—that not ten
years at most will elapse when every one who hears
me will say, with a just pride, I was present at the
opening of the National Political Union.—(Hear.)
We meet not here as of any particular sect or party.
When we met before we met as a particular deno-
mination—there was a mere mark upon us, which
showed that we were not the people of Ireland.—
Now there is no brand of particular faith upon us—
we are here as Irishmen—our true motive " the good
of Ireland," and we struggle for all Irishmen.—
(Cheers.) We contend not for the Catholic alone.
I bless God for it I we contend equally for the
Orangeman. We come here to stand by the King's
Government, and the King's throne, and to oppose
ourselves to a faction which opposes it, which op-
poses them, and is hostile to us.—(Hear, hear.)
We meet here to support the ministerial measure of
Reform, because we believe that it will procure ad-
vantages for all classes and air parties. The asso-
ciation which assembled in this room commenced
with seven—this now begins with at least one hun-
dred and fifty members. The last association was
all object for deliberation for some time. Week
after week we discussed it, and it was only the
accidental meeting of Mr. Sheil at Glenult that
convinced me that I could have the support of those
who had heretofore opposed me.—(Hear, hear.)
Before I proceed further let me, as this is a matter
of business, go into the objects of this Union.—
(Hear.) In the first place I would have marked
upon our banner the words " Parliamentary Re-.
form." Down, I say, with Parliamentary corrup-
tion—down with that system which sends into the
House of Commons the partisans of any infamous
and corrupt oligarchy, or which enables a man to
peculate in representation for his own selfish pur-
poses. Reform—that is our first object, and until
we obtain emancipation.—(Loud laughter, which
was continued for several minutes.) The echo has
recognized the word so often repeated in these
rooms.—(Hear and laughter.) Until we obtain
Reform there shall at least be no Huntite bye-}cattle
fought for us.—(Hear, hear.) However, other
measures may be necessary, and I am conscious that
there are ulterior measures to be looked to, yet we
will postpone them to other times.—(Hear, hear.)
When I say that, do I abandon my principle ? No.
I conceal nothing. I tell you, I tell Ireland,
through the Press, that I never will be satisfied
till I see a Parliament in College Green.—(Loud
cheers.) Am I on that account to abandon the
cause of Reform, and by looking for it lose my chance
of an honest representation of the people ? No.—
(Hear.) Ido not want that it should give station
or rank to myself—l despise both ; but in saying
that, I declare that I would certainly take office, it
it gave me unlimited power to be useful, not to my-
self, but to the people of Ireland.—(Loud cheers.)
The first question I ask the Reformers is, will they
join with me ? Did, I ask, hell ever behold—did
hell ever generate a worse progeny than the Tories
have proved themselves to be ?—(Hear.) They
have proved themselves the enemies of liberty of
conscience—they have shown themselves the perse-
cutors of freedom—they have smothered liberty in
Ireland—they compelled America by their tyranny
to declare htr independence—they drove France
into all the bloody throes of an infuriate revolution.
Have they not been monsters in Europe, in Africa,
in America, in Asia, and how can I talk of Asia,
without recollecting their direful misdeeds there ?
But are not, I ask, all the evils and crimes which
have been committed in all these places, to be attri-
buted to the infamous Tory party ?—(Hear and
cheers.) If, then, we come to Ireland ; if we look
to her hardy and her honest people; if we gaze upon
her green fields, and behold her lofty mountains, do
we not see the one reddened, and the other blasted,
by the blood of those people—blood which the
Tories have shed, because the people combined un-
wisely ? Do we not find the same Tories attempt-
ing to force the consciences of the people of Ireland,
and impose upon them an establishment in which
they could not confide, and which they did not want ?
(Hear, hear.) If, I ask, the Tories were to return
to power—sacred Heaven ! can we conceive any
thing more horrible than the idea of their returning
to power ?—(Hear, hear)— what would occur if
they were restored ? I am the father of a family,
even my grandchildren are smiling around me, and
they are fast multiplying them, God bless them I
I have no ambition beyond the happiness of my
family—no higher pleasure than is to be found
amongst them. I hope that many men are happy
in their domestic circles; none can be happier titan
I am.—(Hear and cheers.) I enjoy these blessings,
and I possess the affections of my countrymen, the
greatest of all blessings, and what herald these can
I have to look to ?—(Hear.) I want to preserve
the present order of things—l tremble lest society,
as it is now constituted, should be dashed into frag-
ments. Ido not expect that in the lottery of revo-
lution I could obtain higher prizes than I now have in
my possession. But can any man look to England
and to Scotland without shuddering at the inevitable
consequences of the Tories being restored to power ?
I therefore want the people of Ireland to join with
me in the struggle for Reform.—(Hear.) I want
tli
rmiTliny.
etnstodoisto, in order that here at least there may
be
This fact should never be forgotten
by our rulers, that when the Catholic Association
commenced its labours, fourteen out of the thirty-
two counties were under the Insurrection Act, and
nine others were proclaimed, and that tie were not
a year in existence, when every county in Ireland
was tranquil.—(Hear.) We must begin in this
room to organise all Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) 4ng-
land even now is making ready for convulsion, arid
is arming. It is not necessary for us to arm— ive
have not enemies enough in Ireland to contend
against. Besides, there is a statute here. against
arming, and I will obey every law as long as it
exists. There tire now 200,000/. paid for a police.
That that police is now employed with the army re,
specting tithes is a fact with which I wish Mr.
Cobbett to be acquainted.—( Hear, hear)
Cobbett is now a friend of mine; he never wrote
more ably than he is at the present moment; and
the exertions he has made for the Deaeles, whom
he thinks wronged, do him the greatest credit,—