The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-16 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1844,

At the last weekly meeting of the Dublin Repea?
Association, a long and elaborate letter was read
from Mr. O'CONNELL, dated from his mountain home
at Derrynane. This letter, we will honestly confess,
has not a little puzzled us, for after an attentive
perusal of it we cannot make out what is the writer's
drift; whether he is desirous of substituting Federal.
ism for total and unqualified Repeal, or whether he i:
still as staunch an advocate for the latter measure, to
he was during the memorable year of the monster
meetings. In one part of his communication he oh-
serves;—" For my own part I will own that since ]
have come to-contemplate the specific differences, such
as they are, between simple Repeal and Federalism,
I do at present feel a preference for the
federative plan, as tending more to the
utility of Ireland, and to the maintenance
of the connexion with England than the mode of
simple Repeal." This is distinct and definite language
enough, which he who runs may read; hut mark
what follows !—" Let us, if possible, combine al
classes ; but let us not forget that we have already
more than moral force enough to render a long re-
sistance to a peaceable and legal Repeal of the Union
impossible. It is a mere question of time—the
Repeal is certain. Hurrah then for Repeal!" Now
surely the spirit of these two passages is exceedingly
perplexing and contradictory ! In the former Mr.
O'Coristsm, hurrahs for Federalism—in the latter for
Rejaeal. In the former he professes himself content to
take an instalment, as it were, of Repeal—
in the latter he exhorts his countrymen to combine
and agitate for the full and entire measure. He goes
the whole hog in the one case—in the other, he is
satisfied with taking a moderate portion of the porker.
Then, as regardi his advice to the Irish people to
combine. So far as we can-perceive, there is less
chance of their being enabled to do this than ever;
for they now bid fair to be split into three distinct
stxtions—of those, namely, who support Dr. Mews-
laLL's project of triennial Parliaments; of those who
tislo' pt Mr. GREY PORTER'S views of Federalism ;
nd of those who cling tenaciously to the demand
made at the monster meetings of 1843, for a
full, entire, unconditional Repeal of the Union.
How are people to combine zealously and unani-
mously who hold such conflicting opinions as these ?
The followers of Dr. MAURSELL will naturally he
loth to give up their medium project of a triennia
House of Common's ; and the advocates of Repeal will
he,. apt to look with distrust on all who do not adopt
heir own view of the question, and go the length to
~ At hich they are pledged. We confess we are by no
ft
?-useans sorry to see these different theories at work,
*fi, by dividing the attention of the community,
it is mere. than probable that they will ultimately
have the effect of weakening the clamour for a
Repeal of the Union—as originally started at the
Association--than which, as we have observed not
once, but a hundred times' in The Sun, no measure
can be more injurious to the interests of the •
empire
at large, and more absolutely suicidal to those of
Ireland in particular. Thus much by Way of objec-
tion to Mr. O'CossELL's lengthy communication.
Oa the per contra side, we may observe that there
are some portions of it in the spirit of which we
c•rdially concur. " Two propositions," says the