Eustact-street, Dublin, 9th Nov. 1791. 46-os 50 as sin UNITED IRISHMEN OF DUBLIN, THE HON. SIMON BUTLER, IN THE CHAIR. The following was agreed to: WHEN we reflect how often the Freemen and Freehold ers of Dublin have been convened, humbly to express their grievances to parliament...how often they have, solicited the enaction of good and the repeal of bad laws-how often, for successive years, they have petitioned against the obnoxious and unconstitutional Police Act, and how often all these applications have been treated with the most perfect contuniacy and contempt. When these facts are brought to recollection, is there an honest man will say, that the House of Commons have the smallest respect for the people, or believe themsel ves their legitimate representatives?-The fact is, that the great majority of that House, consider themselves as the repres sentatives of their own money, or the hired servants of the English government, whose minister here, is appointed for the sole purpose of dealing out corruption to them-at the expense of Irish liberty, Irish commerce, and Irish Improvement.This being the case, it naturally follows, that such minister is not only the representative of the English views against, this country, but is also the sole representative of the people of Ireland. To elucidate which assertion, it is only necessary to a ask,, whether a single question in favor of this oppressed nation can be carried without his consent?and whether any measure, however inimical, may not through his influence be effected? In this state of abject slavery, no hope remains for us, but"> in the sincere and hearty union of all the people, for a complete and radical reform of parliament; because it is obvious, that"," A one party alone have been ever unable to obtain à single bles sing for their country; and the policy of our rulers has been always such, as to keep the different sects at variance, in which they have been but too well seconded by our own folly. For the attainment then of this great and important object-for the removal of absurd and ruinous distinctions-and for promoting a complete coalition of the people-a Society has been formed, composed of all religious persuasions, who bave adopted for their name,-THE SOCIETY OF UNITED IRISHMEN OF DUBLIN,-and have taken as their DECLARATION, That of a similar Society in Belfast, which is as follows; IN the present great æra of reform, when unjust governe ments are falling in every quarter of Europe; when religious persecution is compelled to abjure her tyranny over consci ence: when the rights of men are ascertained in theory, and that theory substantiated by practice; when antiquity can no longer defend absurd and oppressive forms against the common sense and common interests of mankind; when all government is acknowledged to originate from the people, and to be so far only obligatory as it protects their rights and promotes their welfare; we think it our duty, as Irishmen, to come forward, and state what we feel to be our heavy griev ance, and what we know to be its effectual remedy. We have no national government-we are ruled by Englishmen, and the servants of Englishmen, whose object is the interest of another country, whose instrument is corruption, and whose strength is the weakness of Ireland; and these men have the whole of the power and patronage of the country as means to seduce and subdue the honesty and the spirit of her representatives in the legislature. Such an extrinsic power, acting with uniform force in a direction too frequently opposite to the true line of our obvious interests, can be resisted with effect solely by unanimity, decision and spirit in the Nn people,-qualities which may be exerted most legally, consti tutionally and efficaciously, by that great measure essential to the prosperity and freedom of Ireland—an equal representation of all the people in parliament. We do not here mention as grievances, the rejection of a place-bill, of a pension-bill,-of a responsibility bill,-the sale of peerages in one house, the corruption publicly avowed in the other, nor the notorious infamy of borough traffic be tween both;-not that we are insensible of their enormity, but that we consider them as but symptoms of that mortal disease which corrodes the vitals of our constitution, and leaves to the people, in their own government, but the shadow of name. ra Impressed with these sentiments, we have agreed to form an association, to be called "The Society of United Irishmen:" and we do pledge ourselves to our country, and mutually to each other, that we will steadily support, and endeavour by all due means to carry into effect the following resolutions : L Resolved, That the weight of English influence in the government of this country is so great, as to require a cordial union among all the people of Ireland, to maintain thạt balance which is essential to the preservation of our liberties and the extension of our commerce. II. That the sole constitutional mode by which this induence can be opposed, is by a complete and radical reform of the representation of the people in parliament. III. That no reform is practicable, efficacious, or just, which shall not include Irishmen of every religious persuasion. Satisfied, as we are, that the intestine divisions among Irishmen have too often given encouragement and impunity to audacious and corrupt administrations, in which, but for these divisions, they durst not have attempted; measures we submit our resolutions to the nation as the basis of our pelitical faith. We have gone to what we conceive to be the root of the vil; we have stated what we conceive to be the remedy. With a parliament thus reformed, every thing is easy; without it, nothing can be done: And we do call on and most earnestly exhort our countrymen in general to follow our example, and form similar societies in every quarter of the kingdom, for the promotion of constitutional knowledge, the abolition of bigotry in religion and politics, and the equal distribution of the rights of man through all sects and denominations of Irishmen. The people, when thus collected, will feel their own weight, and secure that power which theory has already admitted as their portion, and to which, if they be not aroused by their present provocations to vindicate it, they deserve to forfeit their pretensions for ever! TEST. I A. B. in the presence of God, do pledge myself to my country, that I will use all my abilities and influence in the attainment f an impartial and adequate representation of the Irish Nation in Parliament.—And as a means of absolute and immediate nedessity in the establishment of this Chief Good of Ireland, I will endeavour, as much as lies in my ability, to forward a brotherhood of affection, an identity of interests, a communion of rights, and an union of power among Irishmen of all religious persuasions ; without which every reform in parliament must be partial, not national, inadequate to the wants, delusive to the wishes, and insuffi gient for the freedom and happiness of this Country, Friday, 30th, December, 1791. * ° SOCIETY OF UNITED IRISHMEN OF DUBLIN, The Hon. SIMON BUTLER in the Chair, RESOLVED, UNANIMOUSLY, That the following Circular Letter, reported by our Committee of Correspondence, be adopted and printed. THIS Letter is addressed to you from the Corresponding Committee of the Society of United Irishmen in Dublin. We annex the declaration of political principles which we have subscribed, and the test which we have taken, as a social and sacred compact to bind us more closely together, L The e object of this institution is to make an United Society of the Irish nation; to make all Irishmen-Citizens;-all Citizens-Irishmen; nothing appearing to us more natural at all times, and at this crisis of Europe more seasonable, than that those who have common interests, and common enemies, who suffer common wrongs, and lay claim to common rights, should know each other and should act together. In our opi nion ignorance has been the demon of discord, which has so long deprived Irishmen, not only of the blessings of well regudated government, but even the common benefits of civil society. Peace in this island has hitherto been a peace on the principles and with the consequences of civil war. For a cenfury past there has indeed been tranquillity, but to most of our dear countrymen it has been the tranquillity of a dungeon; and if the land has lately prospered, it has been owing to the goodness of Providence, and the strong efforts of human nature resisting and overcoming the malignant influence of a miserable administration, 1 To resist this influence, which rules by discord and embroils by system, it is vain to act as individuals or as parties; -It becomes necessary by an union of minds, and a know |