Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-04-27

you our individual sympathy and friendship
and we ask in return that you will look upon
the sufferings of the eldest and most persecut-
ed sister of our common Celtic race with COM
miseration and sorrow. We ask you not to
blush for shame and our slavery. but to
retain for us reciprocal friendship and SYM
pathy till our liberated country can deserve
it.
RICHARD o'GoRMAN, Esq, Chairman.
B 3. B4anH REDMOND, }secretaries.
The following address to the Queen was
adopted:
To Her Most Gracious Maieatu the Queen of
Great Britain and Ireland:
We, your Majesty's dutiful subjects in Ire
land, being deeply impressed with the disas-
trous effects of the legislative connection, be-
tween this, your Majesty's kingdom, and your
kingdom of Great Britain, take leave to express
to your Majesty our earnest sire, thai you
Will exert those powers which the constitution
places IN your hands, to restore 10 US that privi-
lege OF self-government which is the birthright
OF ne lions, and deprived of which, no people
can be free, or ought to be contented.
Amongst civilized communities there exists
no parallel to the condition Of this once flour
ishing kingdom. A population perishing of
hunger IN the midst of fertility, and year after
year beholdlng the food which their hands have
raised waited from their shores-an aristocracy
OF degraded character and ruined fortunes
merchants and farmers universally insolvent-
artlzans unemployed and deslltute-all society
hurying rapidly towards dark gulp of pauper-
ism andanarchy.
And considering that in all lands, except
their own, the Irish people are not inferior to
others in the various pursuits of civilized life
we are compelled to attribute their present ca
lamitles, not to any inheritent vice of theirs,
but rather to the political and social institu-
lions under which they live
That legislative connection, the dissolution
OF which we now seek at the hands of YOUR
majesty, appears to us to be the fundamental
cause of those evils which peculiarly afflict us.
The history of that come xion is written in the
blood of the best and bravest of onr people,
and from the day on which it was consummat
ed to the pres mt hour, it has not ceased to
blast our prosperity and to uouble our
peace.
lst. In the year in which that union was eff
fected, the public debt of Ireland exceeded by
little, twentythree millions of pounds. In
consequence of that union our national resour-
ces now stand mortgaged for "a debt of eight
hundred millions, the larger proportion OF
which had been previously contracted by Great
ed now to the last shilling it can yield. for the
payment of that enormous debt, the greater
portion of which was not contracted by it, or on
its behalf.
IDLY. That union operates to draw from this
country an annual tribute, amounting at the
least to f5,000,000 in absentee rents and sur
plus taxation.
3dly. That union has kept alive those fatal
anlmosltles between classes and creeds, which
time and just concessions TO the will of the
people, would otherwise have long since re-
moved. 1t has been the avowed and settled
policy OF your majesty's English ministers, to
bestow unfair advantages on certain classes
amongst us, with view to interest those clas-
ses in the continuance of this union. Landlords
have been subsidized BY oppressive powers,
and Protestants by the revenues of the estab-
lshed church. And thus the peace and con-
cord of our people have been deliberately and
wickedly destroyed, that there might exist up
on Irish soil native garrison for the maintain
ance OF British power.
4thly. This wicked policy of subsidising a
garrison for the maintenance of the union by
the creation of unjust and irritating distinctions
has engendered and kept alive amongst the
Irish people those habits of agitation, turbu-
ence, and disafectiOn, to the existence OF
which the apologists Of British power are
prone to attribute all the evils that affiict
us.
Containing ourselves with this short state
ment OF the most prominent of the disastrous
effects ofthis union, we shall briefly invite
your majesty's attention to the means by
which, and the circumstances under which it
has been accomplished.
1st. 1t was effected in direct violation of a
solemn treaty between the kingdoms of Great
Britain and ireland-a treaty which had been
ratified by an act of the British Parliament
declaring that the right of the people of Ireland
to be bound only by the laws made by theil
own sovereign and parliament had been "es-
tablished and ascertained for ever, and that al
no time thereafter bequestioned Or question:
ble"
2dly. 1t was effected at moment when the
spirit and strength of the Irish nation were pa
ralyzed by an unsuccessful instruction, pro
voked, there is reason to believe, deliberately
with view to this result.
3dly. 1t was effected in opposition to the ex-
| pressed will ola vast majority of the Irish PEG
| pie. Of one hundred and sixty-Iwo members
of the Irish parliament who voted for the unior
one hundred and sixteen were placemen, de
pendent on the government of the day. A
million and half of money drawn from thu
treasury of the nation, was spent in the pur
chase of votes for the destruction of its indie
pendence. Twenty-seven counties sent for
ward petitions bearing 707 900 signature
against the measure, while all the exertions anC
influence of powerful and INSCRIPTIONS gov
eminent could not procure more than 5000 sig
natures in lis favor.
Moved, therefore, by the foregoing reasons
considering:
That our right of self-government is no
more questionable now than it was when sol
EMMY affirmed by the British Parliament il
1882.
That we have been deprived of that privileg
of self government in violation of the faith Q
Treaties, and in opposition to the expressed viii
of this nation.
That the union has had the effect of film,
our country with discord, bankruptcy, and pau
perism, and of degrading this ancient kingdom
to the rank of tributary province.
We have finally resolved, that our efforts 70
the restoration of native parliament to on
country shall terminate, only in success or il
our destruction.
We appeal to your gracious majesty agains
the usurpation of your British Parliameu
which assumes to govern this kingdom in def
ance of the will of great majority of its pee
: pie. For the security of your throne and fC
the salvation of this people, we ask you to re