1829. J Affairs in General. 553 



the same lady in the season, Coventry for dining at her papa's mansion, 

 and eternal expulsion from the regiment for the offence of marrying her ; 

 we feel oiu-selves confirmed in the opinion, by the Irish treatment of 

 favourites. O'Connell, a month ago the god of their idolatry, is now 

 " Dagon on the groundsill's edge, tumbled from his pedestal." All was 

 love and sunshine while he had none to extinguish but Protestants. 

 But he has raised up for himself another class of antagonists, true Irish 

 gentlemen, that would not eat meat on a Friday, on fear of a double dose 

 of purgatory ; nor start from their six bottles on that or any other day in the 

 week, for the salvation of Ireland ; nor refuse to have a shot at any gen- 

 tleman of the county, or the thirty-one adjoining, on any conditions, not 

 excepting those of being hanged for it themselves. 



The great agitator, in an unlucky moment, by the prevalence of a 

 treacherous memory, appears to have promised his county Clare interest 

 to two opposing candidates, and he now stands in the cleft stick. The 

 Irish law on the case is thus admirably laid down : 



They must fight for it. He that is girt with the Knightly sword for Clare 

 misst first win it. 



The question then comes, who will fight for the sword } 



O'Gonnaii Mahon will fight ; and has, to all appearance, already made his 

 will, and, provided that, should he be kilt or wounded in the cause, his friend 

 Steele should propose him as a Candidate. In short, he is " bloody, bold, 

 and resolute." 



Major M'Namara will fight ; for, as Daniel well knows, the science of 

 duelling is to him " familiar as his garter." He is a man of unflinching reso- 

 lution — inimitable steadiness of hand, and can put a bullet through the ace of 

 spades nineteen times out of twenty — and he knows the Liberator well, and for 

 what he is. 



But Daniel O'Connell will not fight. " A vow — a vow — he has a vow in 

 Heaven." He must, therefore, renounce his claims ; or, if he presume to 

 oppose either of his rivals, prepare his back and shoulders, his nose and the 

 nether extremity of his body for all manner of disagreeable and inconvenient 

 rencounters. _ He must make up his mind to be kicked, cuffed, and cudgelled 

 — beaten, bruised, and battered — to have his eyes black — his teeth broken, 

 and his nostrils bloody — to have his shoulders caned — his shanks crippled, and 

 his skin curried : he must be content to be spit upon between the eyes — be 

 satisfied that his nose is not entirely pulled off his face, and compound for 

 being able to sit upon a chair in ten days at the soonest. For, all these 

 things will the candidate, who deals with two such fire-eaters as Daniel's 

 rivals, have to endure, if he will not risk the less lingeruig torture of the single 

 combat. 



Such is the law of honour ! 



"Worthy Daniel ! there is but one way o{ evading the Algerine cruelty o^ this 

 law. No coach and six can carry you in safety through the letter to 

 M'Namara ; no wheelbarrow convey you through your promises to O'Gorman 

 Mahon, 



either way you're sped, 



Itjight, you're shot — \ijllncli, they beat you dead." 



You have but one trick left, and by playing it (as you must) you lose the 

 game. 



You MUST RENOUNCE yOUB PHETENSIONS TO THE REPRESENTATION OP Cf.ARE. 



We are by no means fantastic enough to suppose that retrenchment 

 rtieans any thing more in the mouth of a ministry, than reform in the 

 moutli of an opposition ; the simple translation of the words being, that 

 every one shall retrench but the holders of place, and every one reform 



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