RELIGION. 49 



purpofe of information : I have converfed on the fubjeft with 

 fome of the moft diftinguiflied chara&ers in the kingdom, and 

 I cannot after all but declare that the fcope, purport, and aim 

 of the laws of difcovery as executed are not againft the ca- 

 tholic religion which increafes under them, but againft the 

 induftry, and property of whoever profefles that religion. 

 In vain has it been faid, that confequence and power fellow- 

 property, and that the attack is made in order to wound the 

 doftrine through its properry. If fuch was the intention, I 

 reply, that feventy years experience prove the folly and futili- 

 ty of it. Thofe laws have crufhed all the induftry, and wreft- 

 ed moft of the property from the catholics ; but the religion 

 triumphs ; it is thought to encreafe. Thofe who have hand- 

 ed about calculations to prove a decreafe, admit on the face 

 of them that it will require FOUR THOUSAND YEARS to 

 make converts of the whole, fuppofing that work to go on in 

 future, as it has in the paft time. But the whole pretence is 

 an affront to common fenfe, for it implies that you will lefien a 

 religion by perfecuting it : all hiftoryand experience condemn 

 fuch a propofition. 



The fyftem purfued in Ireland has had no other tendency 

 but that of driving out of the kingdom all the perfonal wealth 

 of the catholics, and prohibiting their induttry within it. 

 The face of the country, every objeft in fliort which prefents 

 itfelf to the eye of ..a traveller, tells him how effectually this 

 has been done. I urge it not as an argument, the whole 

 kingdom fpeaks it as a fat. We have teen that this conduct 

 has not converted the people to the religion of government ; 

 and inftead of adding to the internal fecurity of the realm it 

 has endangered it, if therefore it does not add to the national 

 profperity, for what purpofe but that of private tyranny could 

 it have been embraced and perfifted in ? Miftaken ideas of pri- 

 vate intereft account for the aftions of individuals, but what 

 could have influenced the Britifh government to permit a fyftem 

 which muft inevitably prevent the ifland from ever becoming 

 ot the importance which nature intended. 



Relative to the national welfare it muft appear extremely- 

 evident to the unprejudiced, that an ariftocracy of five hun- 

 dred thoufand proteft3nr<;,crufhing the induftry of two millions 

 of poor catholics, can never -advance the public intereft. 

 Secure the induftry of your people, and leave their religion to 

 itfelf. It is their hands not their faith you want ; but do not 

 tie thefe behind them, and then nflc why they are not better 

 employed. How is agriculture to fiourifli, nianiifaflures to be 

 eftabliihed, or commerce to extend in a dependant country la- 

 bouring under great difadvanrages, if the united capitals, in- 

 duftry, activity and attention of the whole community be not 

 employed for iuch purpofes ? When the territory of an illand 

 lies in fuch a wretched ftate, that though bleffed with a better 

 foil it yields on comriarifon with England as only two TO fivt : 



VOL. 11. D wbca 



