The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-25 00:00:00

integrity of the British empire, the maintenance of peace,
and the extension of civilization throughout Europa.
" The leader of the project under consideration has de-
clared that be will effect his-object 'in spite of the British
public, whether the Saxons be pleased or displeased."'
For the better proiecution of the measure a special society
has been formed, which the Dictator thereof declares
his determination of organizing in every parish ;' that
a period will shortly arrive when the members of this
society (the Irish Volunteers) shall not be unarmed;'
that he intents `the Volunteers shall take the place of
the National Guard of other countries ;' and that Ireland
cannot obtain perfect liberty, until Parliament permit the
Volunteers of 1833 to take the same place held by the
Volunteers of 1782 't
" Without pausing here to comment on the illegality,
and even treason (vide Irish Acts of Parliament, 10th of
Henry VII., c. 13.) of such conduct, and reserving al'o
an exposition of the unconstitutional proceedings of the
Volunteers of 1782 for a sub:equent pace, I proceed to
lay before the public the true state of affairs respecting
Ireland before and after her legislative incorpormion with
Great Britain, the most outrageous misstatements being
put forth as arguments to prove the justice and p,licy of
the demand which requires a repeal of the union. This
is the more necessary, as the clamorous shouts of passion
have almost drowned the still voice of reason; whip Mr.
O'Connell, in the blindness of his ambition, seems entire'y
to forget that an appeal to national prejudices was never
effectual for the redress of national grievances.

" It is contended that Ireland Made the most extra-
ordinary strides in arts, commerce, &e., during the period
of what is termed ' her glorious independence,'—viz. from
1782 to 1800; that ever since her legislative union with
England she has rapidly degenerated : and a corollary is
thence derived, that she would again flourish were a Par-
liament re-established in Ireland. Three assertions are
thus assumed to be proven :—the first, being considered
as indisputable, is merrly referred to with extravagant
panegyrism; the second is dwelt nn, as if misery exis•td
in no other part of the elobe but Ireland; and the third
is a sort of quod erat-dentonstrandum problem, a poll-
tico-mathern ,tical demonstration, that no man dare deny.
Such is the reasoning of Mr. O'Connell; and the Learned
Gentleman is too subtle a casuist to deny, that if his base
be destroyed the superstructure must fall.
" The as.zertion that all Ireland prospered so wonder-
fully from 1782 to 1800, rests on a very shallow founda-
tion; for it is built on the belief that Dublin improved
during the period : in proof of which, her magnificent
public buildings are pointed out as a convincing fact, not
',fleeting that the gaudy decoration of a capital is any-
thing but an indication of the general weal of a country,
and as if it were undeniably true that those very edifices
and works originated during the Athenian age of Irish
independence,' or, as it ought more properly to be termed,
'lrish anarchy.' But how stands the reality? Why,
that those very buildings, referred to with so much exulta-
tion, and affording innumerable tropes fur agitating elo-
quence, were erected previous to 1782, and subsequent to
the Legislative Union between Great Britain and Ireland !'
• • • s * • • •

" A minute examination of official documents and pub•
lie wri'ers enables me to assert wi,h confidence, thit nei-
ther Dublin nor Ireland in general was indebted for im-
provement to the turbulent assembly which sat from 1'782
to 1800 ; nay, more, I am prepared to prove, that Ireland
.ectually retrograded during that far-lamed period, during
the whole of which, the island, from one extremity to the
ocher, was kept in the most wretched turmoil, night and day,
by furious communities, under the various designations of
' Patriots, Agitators, Right Boys, Conventions, Aggregate
Bodies, Peep o'-day Boys, Catholic Committees, Defen-
ders, Associators, Assassins, Tarring-and-Feathering Corn -
mittees, 1-laughers of Men and Houghers of Cattle, Whig
Clubs, St. James's Delegates, and. Exchequer-street Dele-
gates, National Congresses, Emancipators, United Irish-
men, Reformers, Revolutionists, Societies of Peace, and
Societies of War,' cunt nsultis aliis.
" It is not, therefore, to be wondered at, that under
such auspices the country actually retrograded. About
the middle of the last century all Europe, as if urged by
some mysterious impulse, made rapid progress in know-
ledge and freedom; and where the latter (as in the case of
France) did not degenerate into anarchy and despotism, an
improvement in commerce necessarily ensued. Ireland
participated in the general advantages of the t'ines. Mr.
Arthur Young, whose remarks are cited by all men as
profoundly accurate, says, that Ireland was improved
more during the last 20 years—i. e., from 1755 to 1775,
—than in a century before;' that the great spirit of im-
provement began in 1749 and 1750; that 30 years pre.
vious to the time of writing (1776), the export of linen
and yarn was only in value about 500,0001., but that it
had risen in 1776 to the value of 1.500,0001.'"

" Of Dublin even it may be stated, that by a Govern-
ment survey in 1753, the increase of citiz.ns from 1711
to 1753 was stated at 32,000. Immediately after the
peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1745, the great increase he-
s,Tan ; in that year no less than 1,200 homes were com-
menced building. After the peace of Paris,- in 1763, the
augmentation was still greater; but during the whole of
those periods, and until 1782, the Irish Parliament as-
sembled only once in two years, and even then but for a
very short session. The prosperity of Ireland originated
its England relaxing, her navigation laws in favour of the
sister country ; in throwing open the ports of her colonies,
which she had acquired by an incalculable expenditure of
her blood, treasure, and wisdom, to Ireland ; by giving to
Irish linens a monopoly in the British market, to the ex-
clusion of the Germans and others ; and by the enormous
bounties which were paid on the exporta,iou of corn, &e. :
and let it he remembered, that these were not concessions
to fear ; they would have been made long before, had Ire-
land no separate Legislature,—had the wise policy of
Cromwell been pursued, which was to have an identity of
interests between England, Scotland, and Ireland,—to
have but one ledslature and one system of laws.":l.-
• a a • is • •

" The Irish expenditure was annually augmented, and
public and private corruption became the order of the day.
" Irish t xp•nditure :-
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795

'I otal..

,X 9,195,4821

1'0ta1..X26,731,5V3

. .
It was scarcely to be expected that a system built up
artificially and supported by injustice, should have been
productive of general and permanent advantage, and
accordingly we find that, even during the period at
much lauded, and notwithstanding the factitious aid of
tinuntie4, the trade of lre!and, so far from progressing, ac-
tually declined. In illustration of this I first give the—
" Tonnage belonging to Irish ports at two periods of five
years each, previous to the Union.