The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-12-31
Infa nous Caslercach.

Ill NdSIclcNlII.
One of the foremost promoters Of the
infamous act of union between Ireland
and England was Lord CuStlercagh.
Sir Jonah harrington thus portrays his
life: Lord Castlercagh had been more
than seven years in the Irish parliament,
but was undistinguishcd by talents. In
private life he was exemplary. or his
public life, the commencement was patri-
otic, the progress corrupt, and the tcrmi-
nation criminal. His first public essay
ment, and his last was to corrupt and
annihilntc 1t by bribing l51 OF its mem
hers. History, tradition or the fiction of
romance contain no instance of n minis
ter in Ireland who so fearlessly dcvintcd
from all the principles which ought to
characterize the servant of Il constitu-
tional monarch or the citizen of Il free
country. The facts OF this history will
prove the Justice of this observation.
The means by which, as the working ar
tist, he effected the union, will teach the
people of England to appreciate their cs-
cape from IL continuation of his public
scrvicrs-by cutting his own throat.
Previous to his purchasing by English
gold the legislature of Ireland Castle
reagh, upon the rcsigning of Lord Cam
den, succeeded to the minister of police,
and heartily co-opcratcd with the CO.
crcivc measures adopted by CORVALLIS In
the rising of 1898.
"TO show the character of Castlercagh
in his speech supporting the union, is il
lustrated in the following passage
(speaking of absent landlortls), which
reads strangely in the light of subsequent
history: 'Abscntccs would be somewhat
increased. no doubt, by union; but the
evil would be compensated by other ad-
vantagcs, and among them by the growth
of an intermediate class of men bet wccn
the landlord and the pcasant-a class Of
men whose loss was felt in ireland, to
train the mind OF the lower class These
Il union would bring over from England
They would also have capital from
thence. At all events, these inconvcn-
fences would be but grain of sand COM
pared with the advantages; which would
be derived from internal security and
their growing together in habits of amity
and affection.
"As history proves, the union brought
with !, nothing whatever that bctirrcd
the condition Of Ireland. The system Of
political corruption which had cngen-
dcrcd tho union continued in full force
after the union had come into existence
Every place Of profit, every post Of i'm.
portancc, was held by Itnglislimcn. Lord
Glare, the hated l'itZgbbon. had died, and
CastlcrCagh continued to pursue the
same pursuits as characterized him since
his entry into political life Till the year
1922. In this year a famine was dcvas-
tating Ireland, and some desperate men
here and there killed cjccLing landlords
The British government, fearing an up
rising, proclaimed a new and improved
insurrection act. This new act, together
with another for the suspension Of the
writ Of habcas corpus, was introduced
and at once carried by Lord Cnstlarcagh,
then marquis Of Londonderry. 1t was
almost the last public act Of his evil life,
In the midst of his preparation for future
action. Lord Castlcrcagh, the bctraycr OF
Ireland, died by his own hand, at North
Cray, in Kent, 18th OF August, 1922"
lord Castlereagh," says FitZpatricE
in his "Sham Squire" "who, fasifying
the hypcrbolical apothcquc Of DR.. John
son that patriotism was the last refuge
of a scoundrcl,' began political life in The
ranks Of the patriots; his subsequent ca
reer is too notorious to require special
detail"