athies of the people. _The power of the
Executive has been felt in acts of harshness, seldom of beneficial or
parental interference_.[103] A Government which should employ itself in
improving the material and social condition of the Irish people would
awaken sentiments of gratitude, affection and joy, such as no people
hitherto had shown to their rulers. But a Government beginning to act
thus would need an interpreter between itself and the people. Such an
interpreter would O'Connell be, if he would consent to prefer the
prosperity and happiness of his country, to hopeless struggle for an
ideal advantage." There can be little doubt that the foregoing passages
are from what are termed "inspired" articles,--inspired if not actually
written by some member of the Government. They contain a bold bid for
the support of O'Connell and his adherents.

Whether it was that he thought Repeal would not be granted, or that the
concession of some measures of substantial benefit, besides being good
in themselves, would strengthen his hands to carry Repeal; or that he
feared the people might be driven into a hopeless rebellion, entailing
disaster upon the country; or that his high spirit was subdued by his
late imprisonment, or his intellect impaired by the incipient inroads of
that malady of which he died within a year; or from all those causes
combined, O'Connell did not by any means turn a deaf ear to the
overtures of the Whigs. The first time he appeared in the Repeal
Association after they had entered upon office, he made a speech which
showed his inclination to support them, provided they would make certain
concessions to Ireland. He, on that occasion, detailed eleven measures
which he required them to pass during the current session. They
consisted of three Acts for enlarging the franchise, and simplifying the
registration of voters; an Act for a full and effective municipal
reform; an Act to secure the perfect freedom of education for all
persuasions in Ireland; one for tenant right; one for giving
compensation for all valuable improvements; one for taking away in
certain cases the power to distrain for rent; one for the abolition of
the fiscal powers of grand juries, substituting instead a County
Board;[104] and finally an Act to tax absentees twenty per cent. The
whole of these could not be even introduced during the remnant of the
session which remained, it being now July. It is noteworthy that the
abolition of the Establishe