The rolls 



620 (XDriscol's Fiavs of Irelaiid, 



The system of policy, «Ith re«;ai<l to 

 IrcIanJ, must Ijc chaiigcil. It is well 

 that the flistimpoitant change oiigiMat(<l 

 wilh the monarch himself, and was the 

 spontaneous movement of a kind and 

 generous feeling in the royal bosom. 

 The king's visit to Ireland was a new 

 measure, undertaken in kindness. But 

 it was as wise and as important as it w as 

 kind. We should be glad to see it esta- 

 blished as a settled habit of the crown, 

 that the king should frequently, and at 

 stated times, hold his court in Dublin. 

 The city of Dublin is worthy of Ihe 

 royal presence. 



The effect of the occasional residence 

 of the crown, would be to promote, in a 

 very great degree, Iho intercourse be- 

 tween the two islands. It would make 

 many acquainted witli Irelaml whom 

 no other occurrence would be likely to 

 bring to her shores 5 it would bring back, 

 at least for a season, many Irish absen- 

 tees, whom fashion or association ap- 

 peared to have fixed permanently in 

 England ; it would give such persons 

 a motive to improve their estates and 

 their family mansions. The royal ex- 

 ample would give an importance to the 

 country, which it had not yet possessed, 

 in the minds of weak and fastidious per- 

 sons of wealth and rank. Led by these 

 inducements, and relying upon the fre- 

 quent visits of royalty, many would, 

 perhaps, fix ultimately their residence in 

 that country, which was the proper 



scene of their duties and obligations. 



The people of Ireland are indebted to 

 the Brilish nation for ages of calamity — 



to the British throne, from the second 

 Henry to the last of tlie Stuarts, for no 

 one good measure, but for every aggrava- 

 tion with which weakness, violence, and 



duplicity, could load an evil destiny. 

 They received from the father of his 



present majesty, the first measure of 



good things ; and, from (he inheritor of 



that father's throne, and generous feel- 

 ing, new and strong intimations of 



paternal consideration. The affections 



of the Irish people have never yet been 



round the British (lirone in all their ful- 

 ness and power. High and splendid as 



this throne is, there was a void and 



darkness about it, which he, who can fill 



up and illuminate with his people's love, 



will be worthy of a place beyond all 



conquerors and legislators. The vulgar 



triumphs of the sword, and the more 



odious achievements of corruption, may 



form the laurels of common-place heroes 



and statesmen; but the trophies of the 



throne should be the love of the people. 



PENAL LAWS. 



)n which has mingled Itself 

 so nuich with the allairs of the world 

 and wilh the passions of men, cannot bo 

 the Cliristian religion. This disowns 

 tlie world, and expressly disclaims its 

 kingdom ; it would not, therefore, con- 

 tend for any temporal profit or domi- 

 nion, nor would it overthrow error by 

 violence anti injustice. Good is ofteri 

 elf.cted by evil agencies, but those 

 agencies remain evil ; they donot change 

 their nature, and the best elfecls which 

 follow from their working are tainted 

 wilh the impurities of their original cre- 

 ation. Evil is never necessary for the 

 jirodnction of good — the same results 

 may, in all cases, be obtained by a pro- 

 cess liable to no objection. 



Those who rely upon the sword,* ami 

 upon persecution, <lirect or indirect, as 

 means of upholding the power of the 

 state or the truth of religion, are bad 

 politicians and worse Christians. A 

 time must come when the sword will be 

 broken, and the strongest spear of the 

 tyrant will be shattered. If we could 

 su|)pose religions truth associated with 

 violence and injustice, sharing in their 

 triumphs, and partaking of their spoil ; 

 sitting in high places, stained with blood, 

 and surrounded with fierce passions and 

 polluted hands, there could not be a 

 more humiliating spectacle, nor a more 

 horrible vision. 



It was made penal to keep school 

 and to teach the rudiments of know- 

 ledge. Reading and writing were to 

 be discouraged as incompatible with the 

 Protestant religion. And while the 

 people were racked by a ferocious i)er- 

 secution, because of Ihe alleged errors 

 of their faith, the light was anxiously 

 withheld, in which alone those errors, if 

 they existed, could be discerned. 



The penal code presents an awfully 

 perfect .system, wonderfully adapted to 

 its end. It was more cruel and de- 

 testable, because more cold and calcu- 

 lating; because it sought its object with 

 greater circuity, and with a more ma- 

 naged regard for the opinion of the 

 world, than the massacre of Bartholo- 

 mew's, or the slaughter of the Wal- 

 denscs. or the more dignified barbarity 

 of the Inquisition. The two former 

 were naked and hideous atrocities; they 

 exhibit the fierce |)assions of the barba- 

 rians of that day, rushing upon their 



* Tiie law is the sword — the ultimate 

 appeal ; and, if its civil forms are not siif- 

 Heient, the sword is its resource. 



enemy 



