A 
HISTORY O 
auch a desire. Civil liberty.can have 
no security without political power. 
I know that distinctions have been 
' made between civil and _politicat 
liberty, and Ladmic that it is possible 
for whole classes, whole casts, of 
' men to enjoy the one without pos- 
4 
sessing the other. Still, however, 
I assert, that it can enly be by suf- 
-ferance. The catholics, therefore, 
may justly say, that it is not this or 
that concession which will satisfy, 
bat that which alone can give them 
security for its continuance. But 
it is objected to the cathelics, that 
they are not only ambitious of pow- 
-er, but desirous of emolument. 
Why should not they who contribute 
so largely to the support of govern- 
ment be desirous of sharing in the 
emolument which it bestows? Are 
the catholics to be told, by a few 
monopolizing politicians,. who. en- 
gross all places, all reversions, all 
_patronages, “oh! you base catho- 
jics, ye think of nothing but your 
private emolument ;) you perverse 
‘generation, who have already been 
permitted to vote for members of 
parliament, are you so base as'to 
urge the disgraceful demand of a 
share in personal emoluments? ” 
The catholics ave men, and to be 
governed by the common: motives 
that actuate humao nature. For 
a small and interested minority to 
imagine, that they can monopolize 
all advantages to themselves, isa 
pretension which will not .be ad- 
mitted: maukindare; not to be 
_ treated in this manner, and it is not 
now-a-days that such claims will 
pass currert in the world... It has 
-been said, that the catholics areen- 
vtitled, to vote forymembers of par- 
-liament.,, But, except in the coun- 
ties, Mr. Fox, observed, the repre- 
_  geatation of Ireland was in’ what vis 
' 
F- EUR OPE. [245 
here known by the name of close 
corporations. The catholics were 
carefully excluded from the corpo- 
rations; so that their privilege of 
voting for members, of parliament 
was almost entirely evaded. 
Mr. Fox came next to consider 
the grievances of the presbyterians, 
the most numerous class by far in 
the north of Ireland. The dis- 
contents of the inhabitants of the 
northern parts of Ireland arise from 
two causes: one of them was the 
temporary pressure of a war, in 
whieh they were involved without 
interest in the .contesi, and the dis- 
tresses which the calamities, with 
which -it had b-en attended; had 
entailed upon their trade and com- 
merce; the other had been the 
abuses which they conceived to 
exist in the constitution by which 
they are governed. ‘The: constitu- 
tion of Ireland, they complain, does 
not resemble that of Great Britain ; 
they have nota legislature by which 
the people are even virtually re- 
presented: and, as to political. li- 
berty, they enjoy as small a portion 
of it as those who live under: mo- 
narchies, in which the principles 
of freedom have never .been intro- 
duced... Whoever imagined that a 
practical resemblance exists between 
the government of Ireland and the 
English constitution, would find, 
tbat the. [rish government was a 
mirror in which the abuses of this 
constitution were strongly reflected. 
The jobbing system of influence 
and patronage, for purposes of per- 
sonal advantage, in dreland, wasan 
pavnse: which totallyndestroyed the 
spiritiof the form of iovernment, 
and) was an abuse not to ‘be en- 
dared. «To sappose: that a large, 
industrious, active, and intellige.it, 
~ body of men can’ be) governed 
(R3] against 
