volunteer convention, men like the brother of-ROBERT STEWART.

MEN OF MONAGHAN,

REMEMBER those resolutions in which you agreed in the most ample manner to the necessity of a reform. The reform is not necessary, unless every county acts, as the half of Ireland has already acted. The reform is not necessary, if every county takes merely the trouble of expressing their opinion, without moving or exerting itself to make that opinion successful. Let the people hear me when I aver, that this country is on some occasions as much injured by the friends of reform, as by its enemies. They break that unity of plan; they disorder that regularity in station; they check that celerity in execution, which most usually command success, and which always deserve it. Why say that reform is necessary, and yet neglect to make use of the very means which your countrymen have declared to be the best means of procuring it. By breaking off from that plan which has been generally adopted, you are, (I hope unconsciously) commencing a ciVIL WARFARE in your country, which will leave its inhabitants a prey to its worst enemies. Every county ought to impel the power already in motion, although they might now think of a better procedure. Retrogradation at present is the dereliction of the whole. What would the principles of the MONTGOMERY family lead them to at this crisis? SONS! ask your

father. He will not answer you. It is indeed needless. His virtue, senatorial integrity, and public spirit, make the best reply. FRANCIS LUCAS, hold up your head, and lead the Whig interest once more to the charge. If patriotism be your profession, pursue it like a man who labors in his vocation. If it be your principle, act like a man of principle, and approve yourself of that elastic metal, which may be bent for some time, but cannot be broken.

Let the Men of FERMANAGH and of CAVAN add twe new strings to the Irish Harp, and it will then, in rich and deep variety of tone, resound throughout the nation. Aristocracy will dread it like the sound of the last trumpet, and will beseech the mountains to fall and cover them; while the genius of the common-weal will rise in glorious resurrection, shaking the dust from off his sacred head, and with a smile of benignity that breaks on his countenance through the cloud of oblivion, recognizing those much loved children, who, even in these degenerate days, have the virtue and resolution to be FREE.

Listen all of you to the words of the Minister,—" I will support the question of reform to the utmost of my strength, and exert my whole power and credit as a man and a minister, honestly and boldly, to carry such a meliorated system of representation as may place the constitution on a footing of permanent security." If government be sincere with respect to England, it now depends upon the unanimous voice of this nation to interest the minister equally in favor of IRELAND. If the will of the publie be for a free parliament, let the public speak. If it continues silent Now, the form of the Constitution may remain, but the soul is departed for ever. Ministers and Kings may do what they chuse ; but the only specific cure for the corruption of the representative body, is the soundness and integrity of the people. Without this, Freedom is gratuitous. It hangs upon the tenure of a mo» ment; and concessions of commercial or constitutional privileges are the alms of beggary, and the trappings of servitude. Accidental state necessity, or the caprice of political character are poor securities for the rights of a nation. Magna Charta is a dead letter, if the root of freedom rots in the hearts of the people; and repeal, or renunciation, are but the donatives of despotism. You are now to manifest to all the nations of the earth, whether the caprice of fortune, a tu

multuary fit of national passion, or a conversion of public principle and a permanent revolution in your character as a people-have been your motives of action. Whether Irish patriotism is merely an imp of faction, dandled and petted by a party, the sickly spawn of a luxurious city, or the nerve, support and glory of the island. Now OR NEVER, NOW AND FOR EVER! I lay my hand on my mouth while my heart burns within me, and with the consciousness of having done my duty, sink into the noiseless tenor of professional life.

Rath-geltair mic Duach.

ORELLANA,

AN IRISH HELOT.

THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS.

IT will perhaps be now necessary to go back for a short period when we shall behold the splendid and prominent efforts made by the Irish Volunteers, to secure by a reform of their legislature the great principles which they succeeded in establishing by the Revolution of 1782. It would appear as if the race to freedom had been too rapid, and that the most zealous advocates of the FREE CONSTITUTION and the FREE TRADE of 82 were apprehensive, that a nation which found itself capable of doing so much in the assertion of its rights, might go one step further, and actually declare its total inde pendence of, and separation from England. Those who were of opinion, that both countries were essentially necessary to each other's glory and independence; who felt that, united, they were powerful, and that, separated, they might be the prey of the common enemy, immediately took the alarm; and, from enthusiastic supporters of those measures which established the legislative rights of Ireland, became equally determined opponents of any proceedings which led to results that might terminate in the separation of the countries. The influence of the English cabinet was also exerted to the utmost to counteract the efforts of the reformers, and to blast that fair and promising fruit, which should naturally have flowed from the wise and conciliating measures of 82. The coalition ministry, however, of 1783; the unnatural and monstrous junction of Lord North and Mr. Fox, generated an administration in both countries, so chequered and so various, so conflicting in disposition, and so opposite in character, that we are not to wonder the old friends of Ireland should have been called off from their favorite pursuit; or, that Mr. Flood and Mr. Grattan should have been seen opposed to each other in the great struggles for Parliamentary Reform.

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In England, the question of Parliamentary Reform occupied every mind. A declaration of the increased influence of the Crown had, under the auspices of a great constitutional lawyer, Mr. Dunning, been made by the representatives of the People. For this, and in short all abuses whatever, a Parliamentary Reform was loudly called for. In some places, dele gates the most respectable for rank and talent were appointed to consider a subject of such magnitude; and Mr. Pitt, then first advancing to public notice, with every aid that a splendid name and splendid abilities could give him, seemed, as a statesman, to assume to himself the almost exclusive guardianship of this favored measure, and to render such an illustrious and necessary tutelage the best foundation of his own fame, and a more exalted state of prosperity.

If England, however, had reason to complain of the inade quacy or inequality of its representation in the House of Com mons, the People of Ireland had at least as much cause to find fault with theirs; and, had the subject been confined (writes Mr. Hardy in his valuable memoirs of the Earl of Charlemont) to county and city meetings, or occasional assemblies of delegates, unexceptionably convened, no question could have arisen as to the propriety, and perhaps real utility of such discussions. Petitions, the result of these meetings, might have been duly laid before Parliament; and, though immediate success, or any thing like it, could not be looked for, the attention of the House of Commons to the original and simple proposition of a Parliamentary Reform would not have been directed to matters of an extraneous nature, and totally hostile to the cause with which they so improperly intermingled themselves. What was the case at the present moment (1783)? The voice of England in favor of a reform, was re-echoed here, not by the people, constitutionally speaking, but by the volunteer army, issuing indeed from the people, yet still a military body numerous and formidable.