ienced wisdom and integrity, but out of the
accidents of court favor, had become the sport of the passions of men at
once rash and pusillanimous,--that it had even got into the habit of
refusing everything to reason and surrendering everything to force, all
my power of obliging either my country or individuals was gone, all the
lustre of my imaginary rank was tarnished, and I felt degraded even by
my elevation. I said this, or something to this effect. If it gives
offence to Ireland, I am sorry for it: it was the reason I gave for my
silence; and it was, as far as it went, the true one.

With you, this silence of mine and of others was represented as
factious, and as a discountenance to the measure of your relief. Do you
think us children? If it had been our wish to embroil matters, and, for
the sake of distressing ministry, to commit the two kingdoms in a
dispute, we had nothing to do but (without at all condemning the
propositions) to have gone into the commercial detail of the objects of
them. It could not have been refused to us: and you, who know the nature
of business so well, must know that this would have caused such delays,
and given rise during that delay to such discussions, as all the wisdom
of your favorite minister could never have settled. But, indeed, you
mistake your men. We tremble at the idea of a disunion of these two
nations. The only thing in which we differ with you is this,--that we do
not think your attaching yourselves to the court and quarrelling with
the independent part of this people is the way to promote the union of
two free countries, or of holding them together by the most natural and
salutary ties.

* * * * *

You will be frightened, when you see this long letter. I smile, when I
consider the length of it myself. I never, that I remember, wrote any of
the same extent. But it shows me that the reproaches of the country that
I once belonged to, and in which I still have a dearness of instinct
more than I can justify to reason, make a greater impression on me than
I had imagined. But parting words are admitted to be a little tedious,
because they are not likely to be renewed. If it will not be making
yourself as troublesome to others as I am to you, I shall be obliged to
you, if you will show this, at their greatest leisure, to the Speaker,
to your excellent kinsman, to Mr. Grattan, Mr. Yelverton, and Mr. Daly:
all these I have the honor of being personall