Ireland exhibits some striking symptoms of its critical condi- tion.
As an apology for his monster meetings, Mr. O'Cosssr.s. has broached a new reason for holding them. He once said, with an air of more verisimilitude than usual, that the real object was to " count noses " : he now says, more imposingly, that they are a vent for the " boiling courage" of the Irish people, who are ever asking him whether they shall be "at them," the English. So that, by Mr. O'CoNNELL's own account, he has done his best to put the Irish people into that state of mind that it requires his personal influence and the diversion of monster meet- ings to prevent a rebellion in Ireland! Another symptom is the practical effect which begins to be given to the hints of some ck- ncal Repealers, that tenants should not pay their rents. The thing is managed ingeniously ; the same kiwi of machinery, though possibly not the same organization, being brought into play: as in the case of Riband murders and other acts of the Irish Illuminati— bands are summoned from a distance, who rob the tenant of his produce, and thus opportunely prevent his paying rent. Such is the state of the country. Some few months ago, Repeal was ridiculous, the agitation about it was dead, and O'CONNELL him- self was out of odour : now Repeal is as ridiculous as ever; but O'Cossecr, has worked himself up to be a MASANIELLO ; and the agitation is all but revolution. The old oppression of Ireland had prepared the people to hate the dominant race : O'Corissm., who, as the authorized ally of the Whigs, attained a station from which Lord ERRINGTON'S denunciation of Repeal could not effec- tually disrate him, has given the cue to the Irish by persuading them that they are licensed to hate the "Saxon," and straightway they avow their long-smouldering hatred—they hate him as their rival in trade, their rival in civilization, their ruler, their landlord who exacts rent. No one in Great Britain admits Repeal to be practicable : in point of fact, Britain refuses it, and that refusal is definitive for the time : the mass of the Irish population is worked up to expect Repeal or Revolution : Repeal is impossible, Revolution not so !
After many speeches expended in reprobation of the Queen's Prorogation Speech, O'CoNNELL has issued a counter-manifesto, for circulation throughout the British empire ; the occasion, and the wide circulation to be given to it, being its chief peculiarities among the mass of the Repeal state-papers. It is a heavy bill of indictment to go forth against England, or rather English Govern- ments; but weakened by turgid style, and by a blinking of the fact that the treatment of Ireland has improved beyond all comparison simultaneously with the recent increase of popular power in Eng- land. Agitation is sometimes meritorious ; it may attract atten- tion and spur intent ; but the bitter, ignorant, and blind popular hostility of which Mr. O'CONNELL makes himself at once the tool and the user, must embarrass and obstruct, rather than facilitate, the practical improvement which Ireland so much needs. Yet there is one way to disarm the Agitator : begin measures of improvement such as Ireland deems impossible from the British Government and Legislature, and such as he has told the Irish they will not grant. Let practical measures give him the lie ; let blessings refute the oracle that predicted curses ; and the best of all means will be taken to diminish the pernicious influence that reigns in Ireland. At a meeting of farmers and landlords lately, an extensive landowner was loudly cheered when he declared the time come for reforming the law of landlord and tenant. Lord LONDONDERRY proclaims no less ; not, indeed, that he desires legis- lation—the landlords, he says, must volunteer the change; but still change there must be.
Can all these symptoms be longer misunderstood?
