The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-10-23


bus contend, ieilow-ciiizens, that sovereignty n
lnaesHucuDe except by an act Of Divinity, and that
it cannot be alienated Has the soveregrtv 81 ire
land been Affected BY The power Of God3 Il seems
not None Of the decay causes Of moral character
wnlch nav eu 70 the protralion ofoher nations have
affected her. She Is stronger morally and physical
", than ever Lcheers Her resources, slough erin.
pied by unjust laws, greaier-and her people,
though miserable under heavy burdens are more nu-
merols and powerful Than al any precedent periods
Indeed Ireland appears 10 be like the camomile plant
the more she has been lrodden on, the greener she
has grown [great cheering Has her sovereignty
been ever alienated Vatle the great writer On tho
laws OF nations declares il an express rule, that
sovereignty may not be alienated. How them does
u happen that on this question of contract between
two independent states the Kingdoms Of England and
Ireland, they stood before this act Of Union, that
one OF them (lreand) should now be made % Occur
py position towards the other lEDgand) Of ielon
endeavorlng to break away from the power Of Justice,
or Of slave attempting 10 escape from lie hands Of
MASTER How does il happen that Erins proud
banner, which "HouIcd The very skies, inlv
pressed with the broad seal Of Irish sovereignty,
lcheegs, should now be recognised az an empty pa-
gepni IN the progress Of British Empire. How does
u happen that the ancestral tones of Tara's swelling
harp lsrest cheerng,l should now be changed isso
pubic wal for the mlseFIes Of ireland, should DO
forced 70 join family 10 The chorus Of cangng nstu-
ments which proclaim the success Of Engands sell
hsh conquest The British Government say lmpera-
lively that Ireland lost her digny, her naticna!ity,
Ntf oNVt;rght y~~~lpst. ali ana became q slave
when She Subscribed to this fatal act Of Union
propose 10 examine into that question: Tor
instant. Now, - strikes me, that both reason and
right teacf us that nothing less than the power Of the
people-a supreme and sovereign power could right
fully have contracted for this act Of union The
power which made the act must have been superior
to the acsnce the creator is necessarily superior
the created-and could not be- as the British Gov
ernment have 10 contend, simply equal with the act
or merged in the act of Union forever. Ii his pro-
position be true, ii establishes the conviction that Ire
land was sovereign before the act Of Union, and Vat
tel declares il solemn truth, that sovereignty IS
inallenabe. If Ireland was sovereign then, and
ereigny be inaenable she is of right sovereign now
and according TO the general principles of the Laws
of Mountaineering to the principles on which
the Declaration Of Independence and the union
among the free States of confederacy found.
ed-has right TO demand repeal of this oppressive
parliamentary provision, the right of peaceab,e
secession from the Union, sovereign power. IL
the power which contracted for the act Of Union,
the contrary, less than that Of the people, less
than sovereign it is clear the act ab initio was nva
lid, for power than that of Irish sovereignty
could have abrogated annihilated, even for an
instant, much less for generation Of tme the pow
ers Of the Irish Legislature for sovereignty alone
can make unmake legislative power.
will not touch on the question of Repeal regard
ing II as a question of expedency. | choose rather
to consider it question Of right and ofprinciple-
Regarding the legislative agents of England and
Scotland TO be- in point of fact by the of the
not stop to consider how much the irish
people have to complain [even in this attitude
of British province -of a de Iberately wan.
ton and cruel malconduct of public affairs |
will rot now pause to complain of the Tyhesystem,
of Catholic prescription, Of the poor rates Of absen-
teeism, and many other things tedious TO mention,
dsgraceful to the British GovCrnment-and entailng
miseres and vice on Ireland No, will not consent
10 put the cause of Repeal on any such foundation
will not consent to occupy the position Of slave
duplicating for the leniency pity of a cruel mas
Ter. no, in the name OF the people who were once
sovereign, and who cannot be dspossessed except by
God Of that which God alone can give demand as a
right the repeal Of this odiuus act Of Union.
In the name of eight millions OF people-who,
even If they do form integral portion OF the Brit
ish Empire, because of their immense numbers and
because Of their unparalleled suderings, are not only
entitled 10 hearing, but to a redress of their wrongs
in their name claim, matter of right and jus
tice, legislative emancipation for ireland.
demand it in the name Of the enlightened age in
which we live.
Idemand it in the name OF the spirit Of education
and improvement which preside over the nineteenth .
century.
demand il in the name Of the great political
truths Of the age, before whose power and light the
old and despotc dogma that "might makes right
has disappeared for ever.
demand il in the name Of those liberal by call
ed Republican principles necessary 10 The existence
)f human freedom ia The world.
demand it on the same ground, and with the same
irresistible arguments that ireland and the sympa-
HES Of the world, not long since demanded the bill
or Catholic Emancipation. That act Of prescription
md this act of Union were adopted at time compar
lively barbaric Since that time new principles
ave been introduced and acknow edged a standard
4 action in the world OF the moral economy Of man
nd the same necessity, founded on the improvement
# the times the explosion Of dogmas, the disclosing
u reasons affecting the vital interests Of man, and in
he Acknowledgements Of human rights, which called
nto existence the bill for Catholic Emancipation,
ow in still louder voice demands the Repeal Of this
qualify barbaric and still odious act OF Union.
The same reason and necessity which begat aud
onsummated the Reform Bill for England, now de-
hands Legislative Emancipation for Ireland