The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-21 00:00:00

Copy.)

" Merrion-squai;, Dublin, Dec. 17, 1846.
"My dear Sir,—lf I made any allusion to you in the
letter to Mr. Reilly which was not warranted by the
communication I had from the Rev. Dr. Miley, I am
ready to offer you any apology in my power for the mis-
take. But that reverend gentleman's letter is now before
you, having been read at the last meeting of the Asso-
ciation, and if you can point cut any matter in which I
have exceeded, I am ready to retract it in the most dis-
tinct manner 3 ou please.
" I am most heartily sorry that you think it right to
decline all discussions on the physical force question, as
it is, in fact, the only vital point upon which the secession
commenced, and is now so likely to continue.
" Pardon me when I say, that I deem it a sacred duty
solemnly to warn you against making light of the phy-
sical force question. It involves your personal safety,
which, I am free to admit, is not a paramount consider.
atio❑ in your mind ; but it also involves the safety of
others engaged in the same object which you have in
view. I should vote for the re-admission into the Asso-
ciation, of very many of the seceders, if they would dis-
avow the physical force principle ; or if, without that
disavowal, the Association would still be a legal assem-
bly. I say emphatically, it would not ; and it was to as-
certain this point, and this alone, that I proposed the
legal conference, as a preliminary step to a complete
conciliation.

" Forgive me for pressing this topic upon your mind
—I do it in the spirit of respect and courtesy ; whilst I
bitterly deplore that you should not consent to be a
party to an amicable ascertainment of the effects, in
point of law, of any admixture of the physical force
principle with the principles and proceedings of the
Association.

" I do not presume to expect to make any impression
on your mind by these declarations of mine ; but you
will excuse them I trust, when you recollect that the
protection of the members of the Association from any
well-founded prosecution is the first, and most sacred, of
my public duties. I can never be a party to any species
of arrangement which does not, in the first instance,
provide for the due obedience to the law, and for the en-
tire and perfect protection of the members of the Associa-
tion from any well-founded legal prosecution.
" You will, of course, perceive that your refusal to
hold the conference on the legal question, in the first
instance, precludes me from the possibility of carrying
out any amicable adjustment. Till the point of legality
be decided, no further arrangement is possible. I have
the honour to be yours, very faithfully,
" DANIEL O'CONNELL.
"William Smith O'Brien, M.P."
THE REV. DR. MILEY—MR. S. O'BRIEN.
The following letter from Mr. O'Brien has been ad-
dressed to the Rev. Dr. Miley:—
" Cahirmoyle, December 16, 1846.
" My (3esr Sir,—Having read your published account
of our interview at Cahirmoylo, I cannot refrain from
expressing my regret that you did not inform me that it
was your intention to take a note of our conversation,
with a view to its publication. I should, in such case,
have taken care to avoid the possibility of miscon-
struction.
" I am not conscious of having said to you that the
staff of Conciliation Hall could be, in no instance,
reduced.' I stated, with reference to the funds, that
although upon some occasions I had witnessed an ex-
penditure which seemed to me unnecessary, yet I
had fully satisfied myself that the charge of
peculation could not be justly brought against those
intrusted with the management of the finances
of the Repeal Association. With reference to the
staff, I remarked that it was exceedingly difficult to ac-
commodate it to the various exigencies of the Associa-
tion ; that a staff which would be inadequate, whilst the
Association was receiving 3,000/. per week, would be
excessive whilst it was in receipt of not mere than 10Q,I,
per week ; but I have no recollection of havAiig t ad-
mitted that this staff could be in no instiAte reduced, but
was, as constituted at present, indispensable to the effi-
cient working of the repeal machinery.'
" I regret that you have omitted to state, that one of
the *Twins which I assigned for not entering into dis-
cussion upon the question of the forces' was, that I
considered that this controversy is nothing but a pretext,
raised merely for the purpose of excluding from the
Association some men who were disposed to thwart the
policy of Mr. O'Connell with regard to a political con-
nexion with the Whigs.
Permit me to add, that I have read your letter with
the more surprise because your observations had nised
an impression in my mind that you thought that the
terms proposed by me are reasonable, end that they
woeld not pre3ent any insuperable impediment to our
reteen tq Conciliation Ball, under circumstances calcu-
lated to give increased strength to the repeal movement.
"W ulFts helyvveri I regret that Tour letter to Mr,