The daily union., 1852-02-12

Ireland exuted for a delirious moment in national
independence Ieganed II was only for moment and
II was dellnum. Ireland required the repeal OF the
penal CODE and demanded constitution. The Para-
ment OF the Pale, constituted by the Protestant popu-
iauon alone, and being in the interest OF England re-
fused both. Discomfort, wide and deep, peryaded the
lTsh people. Emmett Fitzgerald. and their associates,
IN lIsS conspred to raise the standard OF nsurecon
but they were betrayed and the rebellion was crushed
IN The germ The government OF Great Britain now
snmed that the people OF Ireland had fully and fairly
tried the experiment, and had proved themselves in
capable OF exercising The franchise OF selfgovern-
ment; thenceiorlh il was assumed that the people
oil Ireland We're and must be governed by Great Brit.
ain The British Parliament. therefore, sent down to
The Parliament OF the Pale The so.calIed "act OF
union !; and in the year $500 that mockery OF a
Legislature surrendered It's perGdlous and pernlcous ex
istence BY the aci OF union, Ireland IN name was
united TO The British government, but was, IN fact
absolsed; and became province of the British empire,
with only the shadow OF The representation OF the Pro-
testanl minority Of the Kingdom. Daniel OConnell, a
Iurisi and an advocate OF surprising genius eloquence
and learning inerrng, from the failure OF the rebel
lion OF l7sS, that the time for martial revolution
had passed, at least for the present, conceived the
bold purpose OF obtaining change OF the constitution,
and restoration OF his country TO her place among the
nauons OF the earth, by scheme of civil agitation
keeping always within the restraints OF the law, and
looking 10 the end through the ultimate consent OF the
King and Parliament, OF England In the year 1929 he OBJ
taned signal triumph in the passage OF the act OF Gath
oc emancipation" There remained but step more
from that memorable achievement 10 the restoration of
the independence and freedom OF Ireland. That step
was the repeal OF "the act OF union" But the rum
which Burke had predicted the baIeul fruit OF the
penal code had come and pressed too hard upon the feet
of the agtaors. Ireland could not wait the slow and
doubtful result OF civil agitation. The nation divided
between The parties of "Old Ireland" following the lead
Of Daniel OConnel and his peaceful standard. and
'Young Ireland, under the gudonce of William Smith
OBren, and advocating the return TO The strategy OF
arms.
Now, sir in point of fact, il possible that if The
Irish people had remained united, neither OF these sys-
tens could have been successful But 1t is certain that
when they divided and broke both systems sgnaly failed
Daniel OConnell died OF broken heart at Genoa, on
pilgrimage to Rome and William Smith O'Brlen, the
leader OF the Irish rebellion, being found without attend
ants arms, troops, arrested, convicted oil high
treason, sentenced TO be executed, and, his sentence
being commued by the Crown, he is now prisoner
in Van Demans Land. simultaneously starvation and
pestilence s,alked through the land Depopuatlon ac
qured frIghul momentum, and, continuing ever'slnce
has furnished the last proof that even the most skeptca
could require, that earth revolution more
just necessary than the revolution which was at
tempted by Smith O'Bnen.
Sir, il is not my object in this review, 10 excite prelu
dces here elsewhere against England, against the
Protestant Church within that Kingdom have such
prejudices myself ldsdain 10 be enlisted by preudces
INTO partisanshp IN regard 10 historical events. OCon
nell was Catholic; William Smith OBren is Protest
The rage OF sects has died away in the agony OF
catastrophe which has involved the people OF both secs
IN common desoation and the wisest and best men o
England now brought to regard the decay OF Ireland
as presage OF the decline OF the empire.
But il is due to occasion like this that the truth OF
history should be spoken and that Ireland should have
her yindcaon. From ME, least that debt has been
paid The policy Of England the policy OF the age,
oil the times, and OF her system OF government and that
is her sufficient apology.
! The sympathy of the American people in behalf of
Ireland is thus proved 10 be just proceed TO remark
that that sympathy derives ntenseness from the conceded
genius and proverbia virtues OF the lrsA people The
plains OF Waterloo and the Heights a Abraham bear wit
that they brave and sagacious in Like the
Greeks in their decline they have enchanted the world
with their wit, song, and eoquence They are confdng
and generous TO fault; while their whole bisory and
tradition, reaching now over rerod oil thousand years,
exhibits not instance OF aggressive ambition Is not
then, the tribute proposed by this resolution due 10 such
peuple' And II so, why shall il not be offered am
answered hat s question for the British government,
that IL is Great Britain and not who are 10 extend
cemency pardon 10 these Irish exiles But and
nations are moved by persuasion; and what Is asked
here is not the exercise OF cemency but persuasion TO be
addressed TO power that can exercise IL.
/ am told thai we may lawfully sympathze as midi
Uidlais in the msfortunes of 0ese unhappy men and
their unhappy country, but that to us, as political
BODY a State, or nation, such sympathy is forbidden
That is equivalent saying that you may indulge sym
pahy and generous compasson but you may never carry
It into benefcent action The sympathy OF the individual
members of this Congress and the individual citizens Of
the United States, will be unavailing, II that sympathy,
truly felt by the naton be eectuay expressed IN
the only way in which the national will s ever man
fesied-that s by the action OF the government And
now sir let say that, in my judgment, there is but
one code OF morality for mankind and that It's obligations
bind them equally whether they be individuals, subjects,
citizens, States, or nations
But 1 shall be told that we may not intervene in
what is a domestic affair OF foreign government II Is
tue that we NAV moi intervene in the affairs OF any gov
eminent for unjust purposes we intervene by
force in The affairs OF any other government even for Just
or benevolent purposes But this is the whole OF the
saint imposed by the law OF nations The law Of nations
while il declares that any government has the absolute
right 10 deal with its own citizens according TO us own
laws independently OF any other yet affords large
scope for the exercise OF Offices OF Kindness, benevo
lence and charity ltis Moniesqueu who says that the
law OF nations founded upon this pncpe-that every
nation is bound in time OF peace 10 do every other nation
all the good possibly can, and 10 time o war The least
evil that il possibly can, consistently with IT'S own true
interest" II is upon this humane principle that diplo
matte intercourse Is established, and that all the civilized
nations Of the earth are regarded by the law oil nations
as constituting great commonwealth
shall be told, however, that II we adopt this resou-
ton il will furnish precedent for mischevous nterven
ons by ourselves in the affairs OF other governments or
BY other governments affairs hereafter, however
gument is TO admit dsrust Of ourselves We certainly
do not distrus our own Justice we do not dislrust our
own wisdom, and shall therefore be able 10 guard
against any abuse OF this precedent hereafter Let us
now be generous instead Of egotstca and believe that
neither wisdom nor justice will die with those who oc
cupy these places now, and that our successors VIII be
as wise and lust as are So FAR as regards the
abuse OF this precedent by ioregn States can only
say that il they ask oi us only what we now propose
10 ask OF them, and no more, we can raise no obec
ton IT, and can have ground OF complaint " they
ask more, then we shall be free 10 refuse what shall be
thus demanded, as the British government snow free TO
reject proposition.
The subject demands a review OF the relations oi the
parties concerned The people OF Ireland affiliated TO
we are to the people oil Great Britain Surely mere
be ef'ence given BY younger member oi the lam
y in Offering mediation between elder brothers OF the
same family upon a point OF difference between them
But what ii Great Britain should take offence at this sug