The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-25 00:00:00

:o the best mode of agitation," he thus proceeds to de-

tail his own views on the subject:— ••
" The manner in which our agitation should be conducted
is a question open to discussion, and which may create a di-
versity of opinion amongst men sincerely devoted to the good
of Ireland. For example, the enlightened and liberal citizens
of the city of York did not agree with me as to thepostpone-
ment for another year of the direct agitation of the repeal.
They were for instantly casting away all expectation of re-
lief from the British parliament, ant fur organising without
delay the people of Ireland in their moral strength-to call for
the repeal of the statute which destroyed our domestic legis-
lature. I succeeded, however, in convincing or influenciog
them to believe that the best way to achieve the repeal
was to bring the strength of Ireland to bear upon the British
parliament, with demands so obviously just antirational as to
leave no doubt on the mind of any sensible and honest man
in either country, that the refusal to accede to such reasonable
demands could be attributed only to a principle ollaigoted
hostility to Ireland and Irishmen—a principle so, inveterate
as to leave no hope for justice to our native country. from the
British parliament—nor from any source save from -a domestic

•
legislature.
In fact I produced in many that thorough .conviction
which is strongly impressed on my own mind, that instead of
postponing I was and am advancing the repeal by demonstra-
ting that, after making the most strenuous and combined ef-
fort which Ireland can at present make to obtain an equali-
sation of rights and privileges with England, all prospect of
redress from that quarter is vain and hopeless. After such
a demonstration nothing will be left.lbr ass save the repeal.
" But to complete my plan strenuous and universal exer-
tion is necessary—combined and concentrated exertion is ne-
cessary. The familiar "long pull—strong pull—and pull al-
togethei" is necessary. My experiment cannot be complete
without an exhibition of a national will fur equalisation of
franchises and identification of rights between the two
countries."

Now, here we have some intimation of the real de-
signs of O'Connell and the Popish party. The ulti-
mate end is REPEAL; and .though he despairs Of
achieving this end by an appeal,tO the I3ritishlggisle-
ture—though he positively asserts that •the "bigoted
hostility" of the British Parliament leaves " bo hope
for justice to his native country"—though.he'plainlY
intimates beforehand that his present experiment must
inevitably fail—and though he looks to " a domestic
legislature" as the only source from which he expects
"justice to Ireland"—yet he strangely advises his
countrymen to agitate—to agitate for an object of
which he pronounceb. attainnieni2.n impossibility
"The British Parliament will neve* accede to your
wishes"—he says—" they will never zonsent to do jus-
tice to Ireland; but never mind that=continue to agi-
tate—do not demand a domestic legislature--do not
take refuge in the only hope which you have before
you." This is the purport of his ,languagn.., ti sounds
strangely we confess. It certainly appears a peculi-
arly Irish sort of agitation. But perhaps. the follow-
ing will convey some explanation :
" In this struggle there ought to be a combination of effort
between those who deem the British parliaMent competent
and willing to afford us justice without the necessity..for re'
peal, and those who deem it impossible to obtain justice for
join
in without the repeal. The anti-repealers ought .tu
in our present effort in order to have the best pOSsible chance
of proving the value of the union. The tepealers ought to_
join us in order to demonstrate to England and to the world
that the union is valueless, or rather, in: its, nature, produc-
tive of the contemptuous oppression of Treland.."
Here we have the cunning of the Jesuit at work.
The Precursor agitation is set on foot in order that
O'Connell may compromise the. anti-repealers. He
now solicits their assistance in fUrtlierancel.; of his
schemes that he may prevail upon them, .commit
themselves so far as to be unable to 'retreat- 'nom the
infatuated career to which they are,urged., He invites
then.) to make an appeal which he pronounce:to be
utterly useless, in order that, upOn,itsfailare, he may
turn round upon them, and claim their suffrages in fa-
your of REPEAL.
But. it is time that we should direct Our attention to
the alleged objects of the PrecnrsOr agjtatiOn: To use
the language of the truculent demagogue,himself—
" For what shall that appeal be made ? This is a subject
on which we should understand each other. What Tor, are
we to appeal to the British parliament ?".
What is his answer to this question? Listen.
" 111 y answer is, for the redress of great dad unendurable
grievances. Of grievances which cannot be redressed save
by the legislature.
" Again, I say, let us understand one another—Lsay this
the rather, because, in the selected grievances which I hal°
.
stated in my two former letters, there were some, I meal'
those relative to party spirit and to the maladministratie°
of justice, for which redress may be given, as much redresl
has been already afforded by the executive government.
therefore do not propose to include these in our .simultanet
ous demand for legislative relief. Indeed, if 'we obtain tba
relief, the completion of the other will follow of inevitable
necessity."
These "great and unendurable grievance.' sub'
sequently enumerated and dilated upon..:7;onrspace
will not at present permit us to follow :,the ariitatar
through all these points. We mast therefore' resume
the subject. ,In the meantime we would:stie'ntiouslY
urge upon our Protestant fellow-countrymen the ne-
cessity of using the most persevering exertions td
frustrate the diabolical machinations of O'Connell and
his " Precursors." Every victory obtained in Engl''3.
over Radical dissent, Popery, and Whiggery, is a tri-
umph in favour of Protestantism in Ireland. , The
Church in Ireland is rendered more and more secure
by every advantage which the conservatives 'maY °b'
tain in the registration courts. Let not this be forgeti
In fighting for their own rights, the Conservatives °
England are facilitating the final triumph of Protest'
antism in Ireland, and contributing to exterminate the
the
direst curse which afflicts that distracted.coontry----
baneful tyranny of Popery.