The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-06-09
CHAPTER III.

CHATTER Ill.
Inquiry as regards the i ca Of maintaining Union
by force into the number Of Irish who died in the
British army and navy during the last half century
and likewise into the comparative military qualities
Of the British and Irish people
The petitioners against the Repeal were but 81 2i9
Thus, it appears that the Anti-Union spri, in Ire
land was not only stronger than the national hatred
OF tthes on account OF which so many sacrifices OF
property and life have been incurred but even
stronger than the degree Of interest evnced In refer
ence TO the most exciting questions, in England and
Scotland. Whether that spirit is destined TO sub
side into permanent submission in Ireland as il did
in Scotland il IS impossible to forete But il il does
such submission can only be effected by the success
Of the present experiment of liberal and popular
government TO convince the Irish people that main
tenance Of the Union will be better for Ireland than
| its dissolution.I
The Standard, speaking of the Repeal question, in
terms which are fair specimen Of British Tory and
sometimes more Than Tory rodomontade on the sub.
| Ject has said "The Union MUST e maintained by
force, and, thank Heaven, it CAN be maintained by
force And again. thank Heaven for the British heart
and the British arm, il SHALL MAINTAINED BY
! FORCE" little inquiry will, however, show or a,
least very nearly show, that any Union with Ireland
| resting merely on force" or the power of the
British heart and the British arm" would have ra-
Their dubious foundation In a strictly national and
military sense, Ireland, united country, or as
Leinster, Ulster, Connaught and Munster combining
|
quered The only period, when such patriotic uni
ON OF ALL sects and parties of rishmen took place
was in the time of the Volunteers and THEN Ire.
lands claims were granted because THEN they could
moi be SAFELY refused Ireland, THEN with less than
half her present population, and without ayalinp
herself Of more than the comparatively aristocratic
portion of her inhabitants displayed self maintain.
ed forces Of above 100000 effective men and lao
pieces OF artillery Indeed, since about that time or
the period OF the American war, it is ridiculous TO
| fan fahg s.f taa D-.y..
arm could do against or icithout the aid Of IRIsHMEN
In April, 1888, Mr. Gardiner, afterwards Lord
Mountoy, remarked in the Irish Parliament. in re-
ference 10 the Irish Catholics, that ENGLAND had
America detached from her by force of Irish emf
grants.'3 This statement, put forth on the informa
lion Of British officers, and deduced from the cir
cumstance, amongst Others of the numbers who spoke
irish IN the American army, is confirmed by Doctor
MaeNeven, who says, that one Of the many pretexts
IN his time, for refusing Emancipation TO The Irish
Catholics was the fact that $1,000 of them fought
on the SIDE Of America'4 Nor were these all ssTLe
men,, says the able editor Of the Morning Chronicle
who, IN the American war; fought most bitterly
against The English army, the Presbyter;ans Of
Down and Antrim, who formed tie Pennsylvania
line o-and these, as every one knows, were the We
ry flower OF the American force
Such were the opponents Of the British heart and
the Blush arm" ABRoAD-wbe of the British army
that would have had TO meet the Volunteers AT HOME
IN case OF refusal OF the demands Of Ireland nesr.
" one third, according to harrington, was com.
posed OF freshmen" This proportion of Irish renre
sentatyes Of the "Briid heart and the British arrp
must have advanced rather than decl ned Even be-
fore the first material relaxation of the Penal Code
we hnd II stated, without contradiction. by Mr. Graf
tan, IN his speech 10 Parliament on the Catholic
Bill, in February, 1892 that il was matter known
by the gentlemen Of the army that, since they had
recruited for the foot in Ireland the regiments had
been llled ~ great proportion with Irish Catbo-
hcs:'I According TO General Cockburn, it was a
SUBJECT oil public boast In Ireland that full half
of the army that drove the French out of E,ryn,
were lRIsn"S In 1907, or the wear before The be
nlnsular War, DR. MacNeven states the pronortion
OF IRISH M The British army " about one-balf,o-
aud that the estimate was not exaggerated. NAV he
inferred from The following circumstances. On the
houon Oh u,ahSs 70 SIR Samuel AuchmutS, for the
capture Of Monte Video, the General, who proposed
IT. said, that the 9Th regiment which had so.galantly
fought there, under Sir Edmund Butler wa. com
posed altogether Of Cathocs-that is, Irisb-and
mat he himself knew, that Of the 900 men who at
lacked that fortress, 80 900 consisted of Catholic,
or, IN other words, lrishmen. In 1870 Sir John Cox
Hippesley, from whose speech, IN the Catholic
Question, IN that year, the foregoing con6rma ory
particulars are cted,) mention in Parliament that OF
ms own knowledge, out Of two leyies Of / 600 men
esenI ina1e lew years before, only 100 men were
mol Catholics that in another regiment of 900 In
the south Of England $50 uere Catholic. and he
added That was then vel established matter thai
the proportion Of Catholics Tor Irish exceeded thai
oil rrolestanis Tor BRITISH in the English army ID
Is generally affirmed fact for which. as such II i
unnecessary to cite authority that at the Battle
OF Waterloo at least two out of three narts NJ The
British heart and the British ARM there. were
IRISH FROM the demonstration. Of sympathy eyinoed
towards Mr.. O'Gonnell, on his route 10 The Clare
eeeuoh oy oooies oil The sodiery, and from the re-
suits Of an inquiry 10 the disposition and feelings
OF The army with respect to Emancipation before the
passing OF The Relief Bill in 1929 It was sbrewdly
Suspected" by " men in Office :" that the I" Rritisb
bea and the British arm" in that army would moi h.,
suheien 10 arrest The settlement Of that question 10
And, M hne, at present. according TO SIR Edw Iton
Bulwr. two hIrds of the arm, are Irish lHlI The
reason Tor this prepndtrance Of I IN the British
service Is contained in Mr. Tones assertion thai ttb.
army OF England Supported by the misery ri Ir,lsndo
OF, as zoe more loyal Duke OF Richmond said during
ne war, 90 being told, Lori Lieutenant of the
hrtss OF the Dublin radesmen, " A hiph. priced
loSt ana low or scarce wages the best recruiting
sergesns cor his Majesy" In fact g les pyi,af,ons
IA Paurree, Ia miiers, az Nspilron observed Goni
e'ole au Don soida OF, to cite the pointed re-.
marx ad'ened TO by General CockburD that not onI,
hghung, but marching and starving, afe, At lines
he soldiers lot, and the amy that erceis in tb..e
three points will probably, il deoently o,mmandeJ.
ultimately suceeed"(l2) The ADM ted superiority of
tne insh, 10 these qualifications FOR military e, as
eonttns'ed with the general of their insu ar neigh
bors proceeds from the greater health, viaor, and
nafdin'ss OF contltuhon, produced Ivy agricultural
Than by mechanical or manufacturing pursuits and
IN hngland and Scotland, we know, that there are al
least Two mechanics OF manufacturers for one ar
eultuust while, IN Ireland, the proportion Of the fr
ner 10 The latter IS snail TO be- oomparativelv
no, worth mentioBng.l3 The Irish have accordnoIy
been recently iound and scknowedgcd, on Enpiish |
suthony TO be better calculated for soldiers than the
En- Rlish and the Scotch The COMPANY ,o With |
belonged seyshn Engl.h oficer Of the British Ie-
gion N The Spanish service, when first /, landed IN
San Sebastian, was abJ,e 100 strong on parade sir
weeks after its arrival at Vttoris the utmost Il old
mnstT was hi'een flies, or thirty men, The reg- |
ment ~ IKE manner which originally was between
wv and 500 strong, dwind ed down, in the space ~
wo months sher the fever broke cut to not than
iuv. ~ The otter regiments with the eIt ep,ion Of
the insh were cut up IN Ike manner; and two of |
'nem the ~ English and and b Scotch were so
nearly nnnlhiIated thai thav ,..,o h. =