s been, at once for
natural and political advantages, and for misery, turbulence, and crime.
A Government, to command the obedience of the people by its firmness,
and their confidence by a marked consideration for their feelings and
welfare; a gentry, united with them as their leaders, protectors, and
friends; and a Church, winning them to a purer faith by the unobtrusive
display of benefits and excellences: all these blessings might have been
its own. But by fatal mismanagement, the gentry, those of them who
remained, were viewed as the garrison of a conquered country by the
multitude, who were taught to feel themselves a degraded caste. The
Church became identified in their minds with all that they most
complained of; and the faith for which they suffered was doubly endeared
to them. Thus the instruments for their deliverance confirmed their
thraldom, and what should have won affection aggravated their enmity.

If there were a mistake beyond all this, it was that of expecting peace
from concessions extorted by violence, and calculated only to give
increased power to the enemies of existing institutions. Lord Exmouth
held a very decided opinion upon this point, and foresaw that strong
coercive measures would become necessary in consequence. He well knew
how feeble would be the restraint imposed by any conditions contemplated
by the advocates of change; and in allusion to the remark of the Duke of
Northumberland, who had expressed a belief that he would think
differently, when he saw the securities which would accompany the
concessions--"Securities!" he said, "it is all nonsense! I never yet
could see them, and I never shall." He justly anticipated, that as long
as anything remained to be extorted, new demands would be founded upon
every new concession. "How would you like," he said to one of his
officers, "to see Roman Catholic chaplains on board our ships of war?"
While the question was in progress, he wrote with prophetic truth--"The
times are awful, when the choice of two evils only is left, a threatened
rebellion, or the surrender of our constitution, by the admission of
Catholics into Parliament and all offices. I think even this will not
satisfy Ireland. Ascendancy is their object. You may postpone, and by
loss of character parry the evil for a short space; but not long, depend
upon it. You and I may not see it, but our children will, and be obliged
to meet the struggle man to man, which we may now shirk. By God a