Star.
London, England, 1829-10-31 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.

SIR,—At a juncture so eventful as the present, when
every day's report teems with appalling facts—the least
of which is calculated to destroy the hopes which
" EMANCIPATION" held out of returning peace and
happiness to IRELAND ;—when, as you emphatically
assert, " The cloud that was no bigger than a man's
hand already darkens the whole horizon with its
shadow ;"—and when the future well-being of that
hitherto distracted country depends upon the measures
which may be adopted at this important crisis ; it may,
perhaps, be instructive to Ministers to direct their atten-
tion to one epoch in our history, when, in the words of
SIR JOHN DAVIES, " the strings of the Irish harp
which the civil magistrate did finger, were all in
tune, and made good harmony in this commonweal."
Whilst I feel it impossible to, dissent from the truth
and justice of your admirabt comments upon the
atrocities developed by the trial of the conspirators
who have lately been brought to justice, I most
cordially concur in the terms of reprobation which
you have so sternly and unshrinkingly applied to
" the priest and demagogues" to whom, and to whom
only, we must ascribe the existence, the nourishment,
the support of that "true principle, which knits toge-
ther the diabolical Papal league." But, Sir, let us pause
for a moment to inquire whether some portion of the
existing danger may not be attributable to the wavering
policy—the vaccinating and often capricious conduct of
the Government—and to that temporizing system which
has deprived the administration of justice of its strongest
claim to the respect of the people—by rendering it, even
in appearance, subservient to the prejudices, or to the
political purposes of a powerful party?
" He that the sword of Heaven will bear,
Should be as holy u severe,"
but if the people once have cause to suspect that the law
which was devised and instituted for their protection, and
which should be " no respector of persons," but dispense
its blessings and its punishments with an impartial
hand,—can suffer human passions to influence its de-
cisiona
--" Nay if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair --"
their confidence is lost for ever, and they look upon
themselves as the pre-destined victims of its wrath. The
circle of the Court never was desiped for the arena of
party politics ; and yet, in a country where the elements
of party are strewed about at every foot-fall like the
smouldering lava of Vesuvius, which a breath can fan
into a consuming fire, the Court of the Vice Roy has of
late years been the scene of the intrigues—the source of
all the bickerings—the jealousies—and the feuds of the
contending factions. 'Till one bold, decisive, and im-
partial system of Government be adopted ; till the laws
are administered with an equal hand to all ; till Orange.
men and Ribbondmen stand at its tribunal undistinguished
but by the complexion of their crimes ; till the favours of
the Court are the reward of personal virtues, and not of
political zeal ; the regeneration of lAB LAN D never can
be hoped for. We shrink almost with horror from the
contemplation of her present deplorable condition. Let
us look to what she was, in the reign of JAMES I, as the
events of that period were described by Sir JOHN
DAVIES, in his " Historical Relations; and let us not
forget the words of that eminent lawyer, who has recorded,
as the result of his own personal observation, that " There
is no nation of people under the sun that doth love equal and
indifferent justice better than the Irish ; or will rest
better satisfied with the execution thereof, although it be
against themselves ; so they may have the protection and
benefit of the law, when upon just cause they do desire
it." It may indeed be objected to the subjoined ex-
tracts, that " the occurrences of that distant and demi-
barbarous age are not applicable to the state of Society in
our days of civilization." To such cant I reply, that the
memorial of such " DENI••IIARBARISM" as we have it
traced by a faithful hand, presents a contrast by no
means flattering to our boasted " CIVILIZATION ;" and
that experience can only cease to be valuable when Mi-
nisters cease to be rational,—when the Government
abandons itself to the influence of a faction—and the
people—as one body—cast off their allegiance and their
loyalty.

JOHN OLDHAM.
OPINION OF SIR JOHN DAVIES.
" And now I am come to the happy reign of my most
gracious lord and master, King JAMES; in whose time,
as there hath been a concurrence of many great feli-
cities, so this among others may be numbered in the first
rank ; that all the defects in the Government of Ireland
spoken of before, have been fully supplied in the first
nine years of his reign. In which time there bath been
more done in the work and reformation of this kingdom
than in the 440 years which are past since the conquest
was first attempted.
Howbeit, I have no purpose in this discourse, to set
forth at large the proceedings of the State here in re-
forming of this kingdom, since his Majesty came to ti: e
Crown ; for the parts and passages thereof are so many,
as, to express them fully, would require several Treatises.
Besides I, for my part, since I have not flattered the
former times, but have plainly laid open the negligence
and errors of every age that is past, would not willingly
seem to flatter the present, by amplifying the diligence
and true judgment of those servitors that have laboured
in this vineyard, since the beginning of this reign.
• • • • • The public peace being thus esta-
blished, the State proceeded next to establish the public
justice in every part of the realm. And to that end
Sir GEORGE CAREY (who wag aprudent Governor, and
a just, and made a fair entry into the right way
of reforming this kingdom) did in the first year of his
Majesty's reign make the first Sheriffs that ever were
made in Tyrone and Tyrconnel ; and shortly after sent Sir
EDMUND PELIIAM, Chief Baron, and myself, thither,
the first Justices of Assize that ever sat in those coun-
tries ; and in that Circuit we visited all the shires of that
province besides ; which visitation, though it was some-
what distasteful to the Irish Lords, was sweet and most
welcome to the common people; who, although they were
rude and barbarous, yet they quickly apprehended the
difference between the tyranny and oppression under
which theylived before, and the just Government and
protection which we promised unto them for the time to
come " • •
These Circuits of Justice did (upon the end of the
war) more terrify the loose and idle persons, than the
execution of the Martial Law, though it were more quick
and sudden ; and in a short time after did so clear the
kingdom of thieves and other capital offenders, u I dare
affirm, that for the space of five years last past, there
have not been found so many malefactors worthy of death
in all the six circuits of this realm (which is now divided
into thirty-two shires at large) as in one circuit of six
shires, namely the Western Circuit in England ; for the
truth is, that in time of peace the Irish are more fearful
L to offend the law, than the English, or any other nation
whatsoever.—Historical Relations, pp. 112. 114. 116.