ion was that the case was precisely that of a
new colony, where the first settlers, too busy about their material
interests to care for mere speculative questions, would attach
themselves heartily to any existing government, giving their adhesion
to whatever afforded protection to their property and safety to their
lives. "Take this new colony," said he, "into your especial care, and
their sons and grandsons will be yours after-wards. A new regiment is
being raised; write your own legends on their colors, and they are your
own." He sketched out a system by which this new squirearchy was to be
dealt with,--how courted, flattered, and rewarded. He showed how, in
attaching them to the State, the government of the country might
be rendered more easy, and the dreaded influence of the priest be
antagonized most effectually; and, finally, demonstrated that Ireland,
which had been the stereotyped difficulty of every administration, might
now be turned into a stronghold against opposition.

To replace the great proprietary whose estates were now in the market
by a new constituency in accordance with his views was, therefore,
his general scheme, and he addressed himself to this task with all his
peculiar energy. He organized the registry of all the encumbered
estates of Ireland, with every detail which could illustrate the various
advantages; he established an immense correspondence with English
capitalists eager for new investments; he possessed himself of intimate
knowledge of all the variations and fluctuations which attend the money
market at certain periods, so that he knew the most favorable moments
to suggest speculation; and, lastly, he had craft enough to carry his
system into operation without any suspicion being attached to it; and
was able to say to a Viceroy, "Look and judge for yourself, my Lord,
whose influence is now paramount in Ireland."

Truly, it was not easy for a government to ignore him; his name turned
up at every moment. From the stirring incident of a great county
election to the small contest for a poor-law guardianship, he figured
everywhere, until every question of policy became coupled with the
inevitable demand, "What does Dunn think of it?"

Like all men of strong ambition, he encouraged few or no intimacies; he
had actually no friendships. He wanted no counsels; nor would he
have stooped to have laid a case for advice before any one. Partly in
consequence of this, he was spoken of generally in t