SOME CONSIDERATIONS TOUCHING IRISII AFFAIRS.
AT the close of the remarks which We Otrered two weeks ago on the proceedings at Limerick under the auspices of " O'Connell's heed Pacificator," we expressed some curiosity as to what the Liberates would say to Mr. STEEL:a.* Our curiosity has received no direct gratification ; but indirectly Mr. ()Voss ELT. has let the public know a bit of his in ii is correspandeoce w ith the "Pacifica- tor" is most caressing ; he encourages the delusion that Ireland is to be benefited by NI easing none but Irish manuractures; and in his reply to the Leeds Association he goes out of his way to attack the Anti-Corn-law League. All that We ean infer from these circum- stances is, that Mr. O'CoNNELL Will not, Wile can help it, allow the Corn-law question to be agitated in Ireland. .We draw this inference from his words and from his actions. In his letter to Mr. lIssimt STANsrmo he says, speaking of ob- stacles in the way of a union of all Reformers—" There remains one obstacle which I confess irritates me more than all the rest : it • It is but fair to Mr. STEELE, who, though Bone of the wisest, is a weli. awaiting man, to say that he has of his OWII accent made the anemic hunorcdde to Mr. MURRAY. is the absurdity of the Anti-Corn-law Societies in confining their exertions to thexemoval of the Bread-tax, without taking time proper and the only means to obtain that end." He seeks to excite a pre- judice against the Anti-Corn-law League, by representing it as an obstacle in the way of' a union of Reformers. So much for his words. As to his actions, he acquiesces in the Limerick gagging of an Anti-Corn-law lecturer ; and he is one of the busiest of those who aro at this moment indelittigable in their attempts to persuade the Irish that a certain cure for their wretchedness is—to wear no clothes but what are manufactured in Ireland ! He sceks at the same time to silence the advocates of free-trade, and to preach in favour of restricting trade, not only between nation and nation, but between province and proVillee.
All this Mr. O'CosNELL does, we suppose, because, as he tells us in one of his recent letters, he is " a Practical man." In his capacity of a "practical man," he scouts Anti-Corn-law agitation, and betakes himself to Repeal—in the same breath he tells the Leeds Association that time agitation of Corn-law Repeal impedes time extension of the suffrage, and that he will join them in agi- tating for an extended suffrage, but will not cease to agitate for Repeal.
We are not going to argue with Mr. O'CoNNELL the comparative merits and practicability of Repeal of the Union and Repeal of the Bread-tax. Our only object is to point out, that he has fallen into the very error of the Chartists—time idea that the agitation of specific administrative grievances impedes the pro- gress of' constitutional reforms. So far is this from being true, that, on the contrary, it is only by convincing men of the ex- istence of grievances, and letting them learn by experience the impediments which existing institutions throw in the way of redress, that-you can stimulate them to seek for constitutional re- The collective grievances of a nation are the demonstra- tion of time necessity for constitutional reform. Mr. 0.CONNELL and the Chartists, in insisting upon urging constitutional reform first and exclusively, fall into the same error in logic that the old, scholastics did, who, instead of deducing general principles from particulars, reversed the operation.
The truth is, that :Mr. O'CoNNELL is, after all, but a better sort of 17EARGUS OTONNOR—differin from him in degree, not in kind. Mr. O'CONNELL can organize and stimulate a discontented multi- tude, but he is not a statesman. He wants knowledge for a legis- lator, and the power of comprehending principles. The day of his greatness was when he was fighting to get himself and his country- men within time pale of the constitution. The legislator has been a very inferior person to the agitator.
Mr. 0 CONNELL says that the Corn-laws never will be repealed unless we have an extension of the suffrage. For the sake of argument, let us grant this. If we had Ueiversal Suffrage to- morrow, is the question sufficigntly understood by the masses to warrant our entertaining the expectation that their Representatives would repeal the Corn-laws ? The amasses—all classes—require to be enlightened on the question of the Corn-laws : this can only be done by such missionary exertions as the Anti-Corn-law Socie- ties are masking: these missionary exertions do not interfere with the progress of Mr. O'CoNNELL's " Democratic sentiment," but on the contrary, tend to accelerate it. And yet Mr. O'CoNNELT, would prevent the masses front receiving this information. lie would put the cart before the horse : he would first put the people in a condition to act, and then allow them to be taught what to do.
The curse of Ireland has hitherto been the want of a public opinion. 'The generous impulses of her people have been wasted upon popular outcries and popular leaders. They have been kept wretched for want of knowing how to set about helping themselves. O'CoxNurg, would keep them in this condition. Ile would keep them hurraing for himself, (or for Prince Jon x, lately installed his successor,) and trusting to leaders, instead of thinking for them- selves. Ile would do this by putting his interdict upon all discus- sions but such as hc pleases to tolerate.
But this, thanks to -Father MATHEw, is now beyond his power. The Temperance apostle has tan2,ht the people of Ireland to pre- fer good food to deleterious whisky. They are also learning to appreciate comfortable clothing. The opinions of those who are telling the Irish that they are to mend their condition by wearing dear doilies manufactured in Ireland, in preference to cheap clothes manuflictured in England, are absurd enough ; but they are at least setting the Irish to think about the question. The politicians who tell the men of Watertbrd and " the golden vein of Limerick that they are losers by selling timely corn and pigs to England, are also absurd but the experience of the limners contradicts them. Irishmen are beginning to think upon the great questions of food
and clothing. Thg time is auspicious for the labours of the Anti-Corn-law missignaries ; and we are tile ref ire glad to learn that OToNNELL'S left-handed attnek upon the league has made them resolve to send additional lecturer's to hutted, The Arch- bishop of"l'u.sn's insidious attacks upon Education are likewise doing good. Oh yes ! we see the beginning of a public opinion in Ireland; and when that grows strong, the Irish, instead of having only a " Member for Ireland," will have a :Member for each constituency. And when that is brought about, they will find that there are ways and means of helping themselves, either with or without Repeal, as may be found necessary.
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