ains of. There may have been a
want of the form of giving notice; but perhaps this may have been an
excuse for the want of that notice--namely, that the resolutions of this
day fortnight were proposed by the founder of this Association, as
simply and entirely the literal and the sole reiteration of the
resolutions upon which he founded this Association. He had no doubt upon
the subject. It is a maxim that all pledges and tests are to be taken in
the sense and in the spirit of the person who gives or proposes the
tests, otherwise they should be refused to be accepted. Now, my father
moved these resolutions this day fortnight, in order to bring back to
men's minds the principles on which this Association is founded--in
order to remove from gentlemen any real ground of complaint, if they
find in this Hall an opposition to their doctrine of physical force, by
shelving them that we don't want to prevent them from expressing such
opinions if they go elsewhere, but that we do object to it in an
Association expressly founded on the exclusion of physical force." Mr.
O'Brien, he continued to say, called the opinion about physical force a
speculative opinion; he, Mr. O'Connell, denied it to be such; for the
moment the loophole which he seeks to establish is admitted, we place
the Association in danger, and it would be the duty of Government to put
it down. He then clearly indicated that, unless the Young Ireland party
acceded to the Peace Resolutions, they could not continue to be members
of the Association. He said: "It is time now to settle this point once
and for ever. If, in pressing this question to a point now, any of those
talented, warm, enthusiastic and patriotic men, who have hitherto held
out to us the prospect of most able and valuable assistance, should
oppose the Peace Resolutions, so as to render their retirement from the
Association necessary, that would, indeed, be a great calamity. But
Ireland must be saved at any price; on the other hand, if those who
stood by the Peace Resolutions found themselves in a minority, they
would retire--with deep regret, and with fears for the safety of the
Association--they would retire, but not into inaction, they would still
work for the cause, and redeem the pledge they had given their country,
to labour without ceasing, until they succeeded in achieving her
independence."

Several other members addressed the meeting. At its close Mr. O'Brien
suggested that, if both parties wishe