The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-16 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, SATURDAY MORNING.
Taking advantage of the present Parliamentary
crisis Mr. Smith O'Brien. has once more entered
the political arena, and has issued a three column
address of counsel to " tho People of Ireland." In
this lengthened effusion there is nothing very strik-
ing or original. Nearly all that is said has been said
and mitten a thousand times over, not only by Mr.
O'Brien himself, but by every Irish agitator from
Daniel O'Connell down to his humblest imitator.
There is, however, one passage in the manifesto,
the subject-matter of which is just now uppermost
in the public mind—namely, the conduct of Minis-
ters in reference to Chinese affairs. The broad facts
of the case, according to the authority of Mr.
O'Brien, are simply these :
" For many years the English have, contrary to the
wishes of the Chinese Government, carried on an im-
mense smuggling trade in the harbours of China, im-
porting into that country a poisonous drug (to the value
of many millions sterling), which is used by the natives
as a deleterious stimulus, destructive alike to their intel-
lectual, moral, and physical ene:gies ; in earrying on
this contraband trade, the protection of the British flag
has been habitually afforded to smugglers and pirates ;
upon a question arising between the Viceroy of Canton
and the representatives of Great Britain respecting the
right of foreigners to give prott6;ion to Chinese out-
laws, the British authorities at Hong Kong usurped the
prerogative which reserves to the Qeeen the right to de-
clare war, and usurped the privileges which give to Par-
liament the power to sanction such declaration of war ;
after having thus invaded the rights of the Queen and
of the representatives of the reople of their own coun-
try, they proceeded to destroy the lives and property of
an unoffending population, burning and massacring
in one indiscriminate slaughter the soldier and the
citizen, the women and the children of one of the
most popul me citizens of the world. Believing
that there is a retribution for national misdeeds both in
this world and in the nex',, I cannot but anticipate that
the vengeance of the Most High wig overtake these
who perpetrate or uphold such atrocities, and therefore
earnestly pray that the Irish nation will refuse to sanc-
tion such ruthless barbarities. Let nee nut be iiiiscon-
etrued. I do not writ) this letter with a view to forward
the interests of one Briiish party rather than of another.
me all British parties are alike. From the day when,
in 1843, I joined the Repeal Association (a moment me-
morable on account of the suppression of the Clontsrf
Meeting and of the prosecution of O'Connell) until the
present hour, I have held that the Irish nation ought to
abstain from connecting itself with any English party
whatsoever. A considerable change has, indeed, taken
place since that time in the sentiments of the Irish people
with regard to their national interests, and the pledge of
fidelity to Repeal, which in May, 1815, was solemnly ac-
cepted by the municipal representatives of almost every
town in Iceland, in the presence of the illustrious apostle
of the Repeal cause, appears now to be forgotten. lam
far from wishing to revive now a mock agitation of the
Rep-al question, but I owe it to truth to declare that, in
retracing the history of our country during the period
which has elapsed since 1343, I find little reason for the
abandonment of that pledge, except it be that situa-
tions under Government have been offered to and ac-
cepted by several of those who were foremost in pro-
moting the Repeal agitation."