CASE 2. AR-DLL Paving Board, March 6, 799. Sir In Ble prefents his compliments to Doctor Touch, and informs him he has derived confiderable benefit from the Tractors. He was violently afflicted with paralytic fymptoms, in fo much that he was not for fome time able to walk ftrait in the street, but confiantly staggered from one fide of the gutter to the other. He tried the Tractors about the middle of last January, ever fince which time he has moved tolerably direct. Sir J n is not difcouraged by feeling foma fymptoms of a relapfe: It was what might be expected, but should it take place he intends to apply again to Doctor Touch. I am 64 years old, but always have been uncommonly bealthy, having never known any complaint but St. Vitus's dance. I lately tried your Tractors, and tho not quite cured am much the better of them. Sir, you are an honour to your profeffion,a gentleman of proud fpirit, high feeling, and a man of metal. My dear friend, your's most devotedly, Four-Courts, March 6, 1799. To Thomas Touch, Efquire. -R. I was lately afflicted by a complication of complaints, viz. a fit of a family Egs, a parrrralifys of the tongue, & a lumbaginous conftriction which confined me by keeping me always on my legs to the great inconvenience of my friends, who would have been glad to fee me fit down if I had been able to ftand. I have been fupplied with your Tractors, fince which my loins have become limber, and I can fit in a Chair with eafe for a whole evening, which I always do except when I am in the house. I am, Sir, &c. &c. HY AL-X Mr. Thomas Touch. R. Your Tractors have relieved me from an impediment in my fpeech, and I ana in prime health. Your's, dear fir, without hesitation, Dr. Touch, M. D. D. CASE 6. My dear Doctor, I was a fad object before I tried your Tractors, but am so altered that feveral of my former friends pafs me by in the street as if they did not know me. My fight was almost gone ;-I ftoop'd almost double ;-I had dropp'd a paunch, and my mouth flobber'd like a child's, But ever fince I tried the Tractors, my eyes have been so fharp that I can drefs a battalion, and my whole appearance has become so smart, active, and fpruce, that his Excellency has made me a Colonel. I am told my friends in the Q's Cy won't know me. Your's truly, C. H. C -, M.P. Q.C. P.C. C.R. L. C. Q. C. M. &c. &c, &c. been, by repeated applications, completely cured of the Befides these acknowledgements Mr. R. Mn has greenfickness. A Right Hon. Gentleman from the co. Mayo of a running fore, the confequence of a wound which he was near getting at the battle of Castlebar. (This patient defires his name may be concealed.) The Knight of K--y is under a courfe, with fome profpect of fuccefs, for an empty flatulence; and Mr. Vandr reckons upon incalculable benefits in a tightaefs of the cheft, and fome appearances of a lock-jaw have vanished already. the Struggler's Tavern in Cook-street, and Tractors. I THINK it my duty, through your paper, to cau Touch, and deals in new fangled things called Tractors. tion the public against a quack who calls himself Dr. I denounce him as an arrant impoftor, and his beingfüffered to humbug the world is a difgrace to the police of the country. cafes where he has fucceeded. He talks, I am told, of contrary inftances. Not long fince the Speaker of the Let me tell you of Houfe of Commons was indifpofed; the Tractors were affiduously applied, without fuccefs, and feemed to en-. creafe his indifpofition, as his complaints have encreased. Sir John Parnell was lately troubled with a stiffness in his neck; the Tractors only encreafed the rigidity; and Sir John flung them in the quack's face; when Mr. Ic C -y, who has been afflicted for fome time with the itch, picked them up; but we find he is noFitzgerald treated a fimilar attempt to cook him, with the thing the better, and fcrapes as much as before. Mr. fame indignation; and Mr. Dtook his leavings without any hesitation. In fhort, Gentlemen, no man who values his conftitution, will be imposed on by this Empiric I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c. Noli me Tangere, HELP FROM HEAVEN: The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass-theLord has chaftened and corrected me: but he hath not given me.: over unto death."--Pfalm 118, 16, & 18 Verse.... `T WAS at the folemn midnight hour, ́ When minds at eafe are funk in fleep,. But forrow's fons their wailings pour, Teaching the woods and wilds to weep Befide a lake, whofe waters black; The pale-eyed moon doth dimly spy,, Scarce peeping o'er a mountain's back, That rudely lifts its head on high, Where the wild willows green and dank,. Their weeping heads wave to and fro, And fighing reeds upon its bank, Oft kifs the ebbing waves that go :: There on a long-fall'n mould'ring mafs That now grown o'er with weeds and grafs,`, Ierne lonely, pale, and fad, All hapless fighing, fat her down, -And forrowing mufed, 'till almost mad She fnatched her harp her cares to drown. Now wildly waved her auburn hair,". The foun's, at firft fo loud and wild, Such foothing founds well pleas'd to hear: Her Druid's ghofts around her throng, Dear oaks for ever, ever green; And lift'ning fairies troop around, Whilft high upon the ivy'd tower, The long-hair'd Banshees catch the found, And rapt, forget their crying hour. No. XXXIIX For, in the faddeft fofteft ftrain, That aye inflames with deadly rage, In Nature's, and in Reason's spite. · The cottage now the fings in flames,. Ah! lucklefs mother, vain you fhed, Thy tears, or blood, thy babe to save! For lo! poor foul, thy baby's dead, And now thy breast must be its grave! Thy breaft of life where as it flept, Sad figns that rack'd thy boding heart. The thought too deep lerne ftung, She started, frantic from her feat, Her filver harp, deep thrilling rung, Neglected falling at her feet. Nor filver harp Ierne cheers, Nor the bright ftarry ftudded fkies, The light of Heaven's unfeen thro' tears, The fwceteft found's unheard thro' fighs: The wither'd fhamroc from her breast, Here, here, the cries, unfeen I'll dwell, Shall ftrew my dew-cold leafy bed.. Then down the finks with grief opprefs'd, But ah! too foon fell Difcord's cries, Borne on an eastern breeze's wings, Rude sweep her harp, that downward lies, And moan amongst its uembling strings. "car'd with a found he did not know, Peace-loving fleep dared not to stay, 3ut fighing for Ierne's woe, He bent his noifeless flight away. ferne starting, paus'd a-while : Too true, the cries, ye powers above! Dread Difcord comes from that fair isle, Where ftill I look'd for peace and love. Thought-rapt she stood in dumb amaze, When on the western mountain's height, To founds feraphic, rofe a blaze, Of mildly-beaming, heav'nly.light. There in the midft, loofe-rob'd, was feen The woe-begone thus Hope addrefs'd "Thus fhall the will of heav'n be done. . the Irish Minifter has acknowledged is hoftile to an Union, have not been fufficient to convince his understanding, or to produce a permanent influence on his conduct. Even when he was mortified and humbled by the patriotism of his native country, while he was yet agonized by the uprightnefs of its fenate, and ftill fmarting from the lafh of honeft and eloquent invective, he has, with that arrogance which generally accompanies inexperience, declared his determination to perfevere in, a project, which he calls right, and the wisdom of the nation has decided to be wrong. The vanquished Secretary has announced, even at the moment when he was overthrown, that he waits only for the acquifition of new ftrength, to repeat his attack. While the queftion of Union remains thus circumflanced, we would. be well juftified in continuing our exertions, which the perverfenefs of the Minifter will not permit us to terminate. But knowing the general fentiment on this fubject, and holding the Minifter pledged not to revive, during the prefent feffion, the difcuffion of this question, we deem it expedient to fufpend the publication of this paper, until a future occafion fhall call for our fervices. If there be faith or truth in his Majesty's Minif ters, the people of this country will enjoy at least the repofe of one year, from the agitation of that topic, which, of all others, is most likely to disturb their quiet for ever. When the Editors of the Anti-Union first folicited the attention of the Public, this kingdom was threatened with the greatest calamity which can befal a country, the lofs of its independence, the abolition of fis liberties. The public mind, exhaufted by thofe ftrong feelings which had been kept in continued activity for fix months, by a fanguinary rebellion, which it required all the courage and all the ftrength of the country, to fupprefs, was fuddenly called on by authority, to confider of furrendering that conftitution, which they had fo dearly defended, and of fubmitting the liberties and independence of Ireland to the mercy of a British Legif lature. The people of Ireland, ftunned by a stroke fo unexpected, and enfeebled by the extraordinary exeftions they had made, in defending their exifting fta'blishments, and the connexion with the fifter country, heard the monitrous propofition with a kind of filent aftonishment, which, tho' it expreffed fufficiently the horror which they felt, yet promifed to the infidious enemy, but too eafy a triumph. It was apparent the nation was panic ftruck; it was obvious that if it were not roufed to thought, and excited to view with a ferdy eye the precipice to which it was brought, all met be loft. Among the firft who undertook this arduous, but neceffary task, were the Editors of this paper. Tho' exhausted like others by thofe fevere fervices which every loyal man in Ireland had felt himself bound to undergo, they again refolved to facrifice private interest, to public duty; they came forward to warn, to animate the people of Ireland to refift a measure, which, every prudent man faw, involved the degradation and ruin of the country. To effect this purpose, they confidered it the safer and the wifet way to addrefs the understanding, the reafon, and the honeft paffions of the Irish people, by a periodical publication, confined exclufively to this momentous topic, than to fpeak to them thro' thofe polluted and fufpicious vehicles, the public prints, in which too often faction purfues its foul perpofe, and infinuates into the public mind, rather the poison of fedition, or the peftilent doctrines of defpotism, than the wholesome leffons of political truth. It is now eleven weeks fince this work, having in view folely this objec, commenced. We ther it has been carried on during that period, with that regard to decorum, to truth, to the honeft principles of Enlightened and steady loyalty, to a love of regulated liberty, of British Conftitution and British Connexion, which it fet out with profeffing, it is for the public alone to judge, and to them we appeal. Before their tribunal we shall appear without trembling, confcious that if in any casual instance we appear to have deviated from thofe land-marks by which we endeavoured to guide our coutfe, the deviation has been involuntary, and by the liberal and candid will be attributed rather to inadvertence than to a dereliction of thofe principles which we have profeffed to love and cherish! Of the degree of ability which may have marked thefe compofitions, it would be still more indelicate in us to judge, than even of the manner in which the work has been conducted. To the impartial decifion of the public, therefore, we commit this question alfo, declaring how ever, that whether in that refpe&t the public opinion fhall be favourable or adverfe, we shall ftill feel pride in refic&ting that our talents, whatever they may be, have been devoted gratuitoufly to our country. What we conceived the crifis called for, we have done, not only unawed by the frown of power, and unfeduced by the allurements of court favour, but unrewarded by emoHument of any kind. Our labours have been a fice-will offering, and whatever degree of perfonal inconvenience we may have fuffered from the fteady and faithful difcharge of a duty which we impofed upon ourfelves, we feel amply repaid by the flattering patronage with which our country has honoured us. Such is the brief history of a work which we are now about to clofe-Such are the impreffions with which we are about to withdraw from the awful prefence of the public. Having thus fhortly flated our conduct and our motives, and thrown ourfelves on the justice as well as the indulgence of the public, we cannot help adverting cre we conclude our labours, to two questions which will probably be put to us by our readers-The one, in what fate we leave the great question of Union? The other, why we now conclude our labours after having continued them to the prefent period? The two quitions are connecte, and we fhall anfver them together-For the prefent feffion, then, we have already declared, we conceive the quition of Union to be at rest. The Parliament and the people of Ireland have spoken fo loudly and explicitly their difguft of that measure, that even the temerity of the Britif Premier will not immediately venture to obtrude it again on their naufeated palate. But it is not long, we predict, that the constitution of Ireland will be fafe from his attacks. It requires no fagacity to perceive that a fyftematic plan is formed, or to forefee that attempts will be made, to merge this ill-fated county in the great mafs of the British empire. For a defeat of fuch attempts, whenever they fhall be made, we look with confidence to that fpirit and virtue in the people and their reprefentatives which have been already exerted with fuch fignal fuccefs. That it is intended to reprefs that spirit and curb that virtue it would perhaps be fcepticifm to doubt; but whatever means may be reforted to for those purposes, if the people be but temperate and firm, if they can learn to forget their divifions and cultivate in unifon that love of independence in which muft ever consist the true and only fafeguard of the constitution, thofe means must fail-for we cannot be perfuaded that the intelle&t of Irishmen, barba ous and uncultivated as 'it has been reprefented, can ever be deceived by the feeble fophiftry which reprefents an Union with Great Britain as confiftent with the freedom or promotive of the interefts of Ireland; they cannot then become a prey to the ambition of any minifter until they confent to facrifice liberty to party vengeance, or ceafe to think that liberty worth defending. Convinced, therefore, that there exifts no prefent danger of an Union, however likely it may be, that the perfevering policy of the minifter will at a future day again try his ftrength with the people of Ireland, it ftrikes us that the continuation of a paper exclufively appropriated to the expofure and refiftance of that meafure would be fuperfluous. While the danger was imminent it was neceffary to be vigilant and active. While it appeared rather to be concealed than to have vanished it was the duty of those who had stood forward to refift it to continue at their poft. But when the enemy has withdrawn from our gates, though but to return, perhaps, with recruited vigour at a future day, it would be an idle wafte of strength and vigilance to harrafs the garrifon with unremitted doty. We have already faid that the people of Ireland have decided on this measure, and that to the decifive tone in which they fpoke their reprobation of it, Ireland is now indebed for its political exiftence. Corruption, however, has affe&ted to disbelieve, and has had the boldnefs to deny, that the public fentiment on this question has been declared, because a great portion of the propla have remained filent. But who that knew the fituation of this country at the moment when the British minifter fo cruelly forced the qution of Union on a convulfed people, could rationally have hoped from the most rooted and universal abhorrence of the measure fo general a declaration against it? Could it have been expred, that men engaged in prote&ing their property and their lives against the attack of a powerful and dif- . guiled enemy, in the bofom of their country, at the very doors, fhould have laid down their arms and affembled to difcufs a political topic, which even the minifter himself declares to be of great intricacy and calling for cool, and erious, and deliberate confideration? Could it have been hoped that in counties where not only a rebel force kept the inhabitants in a state of perpetual activity and alarm, but where the existence of martial law rendered every meeting of the people dangerous if not impracticable, the freeholders fufpending their fears and forgetting their danger fhould have braved every obftacie in order to declare an opinion hoftile to the executive government, and of courfe rendering them ftill more obnoxious to the fevere indiction of military power? Yet even in this state of the country, convulfed, alarmed, fmarting under military execution and dreading every evil which an immenfe military force could inflict, has the nation been filent? No! From every province, from a great proportion of the counties of Ireland, from the metropolis, the feat of government, and under the immediate and ftrong influence of the Castle, the public deteftation of this bafe project has been declared not vaguely or coldly, but with an explicit energy which has appalled and defeated the most bold and enterprising minister which ever held the reins of our government. What have we seen on the other hand? What has the fophiftry of Mr. Pitt, the enormous patronage of the caftle, and all the activity, the arts, the threats and the promises of its numerous emiffaries, been able to effect? In the wide extent of the kingdom of Ireland they have procured one folitary declaration of affent to the measure! He that in thefe circumftances affects to doubt whether the fenfe of the nation has been declared, requires to convince him a degree of proof which the ordinary courfe of human affairs cannot afford him. It were to infult the underftanding of the public to fuppofe that they entertained any fcruples in fuch a cafe. We cannot allow ourfelves to take leave of the public without offering our congratulations, and expreffing the proud fatisfaction we have felt from fome events to which this question has given birth. We had been accustomed to hear the corruption of parliament and the influence of the crown made common f:bjes, as well for the declamation of honeft but defponding politicians, as for the calumny of feditious demagogues; we knew how feldom the king's minifters had been effectually refifted, but we confidently cherished the hope that our conftitution contained within itself an energy equal to its own prefervation. Recent experience had taught us that the voice of the people conftitutionally expreffed is awful and commanding. We knew that there was in the legiflature much manly and inflexible integrity, and we thought that even corruption itself might revolt from the measure of an incorporated Union. The event has juftified our reafon ing and realized our hopes; and we may venture to predict that it shall not be forgotten, while the conftitution of ireland endures, that the death-blow which was aimed at its existence was warded off by the reprefentatives of the people. True to the facred truft repofed in them, the majefty of that body refifted the power and withflood the feductions of the minifter. The efforts of thofe who fuftained the honourable character of champions of their country on the evenings when pa triotifm obtained fo fplendid a triumph fhall live in the memory and gratitude of their fellowfubjects and posterity. Superior in talent as in integrity, they difplayed powers equal to the occafion, and their eloquence, ardent and irresistible, was worthy of men engaged in fo momentous a contest. The magnitude of the queftion will perpetuate the remembrance of an incident novel and unprecedented in the hiftory of parliamentary debate, and it may be ufeful to future times to know that the force of government was unable to bear fo unequal a conflict, and that the minifter faw with a melancholy concern many of his adherents defert even in the heat of battle to the standard of truth and reafon. Thus, the Commons House of Parliament has proved itself to be not merely what faction is fond of representing it, a theatre for the exhibition of a drama, the incidents and catastrophe of which are preconcerted, but that it is what the founders of our conftitution intended, a deliberative affembly, in which the members regulate their condu& by the conviction of their understandings. Thus, alfo, we have feen that common calumny refuted, which accuses the reprefentative body as careless of the welfare and regardless of the fentiments of the conflituent, and we derive a new love for the constitution, from observing both claffes co-operate in its prefervation. That conftitution, we are of the number of those who have always fincerely and rationally admired-we loved it not only because where it exifts it is found to fecure to man the greatest degree of those bleffings which fociety is inftituted to protect, but because alfo it appeared from its ftructure, from the nice adaptation of its parts, but above all from its being founded on the broad basis of the people, to be more likely to refift with effect, thofe affuults of ambition under which all conftitutions have, focner or later, perished. Recent events confirm us in cur attachment, for recent events have taught us, and we fondly hope will convince Irishmen, that even under the exifting and enormous weight of patronage and corruption, the conftitution yet lives, and lives with an energy which will long enfure its existence. A minister poffeffing more power, more influence and lefs principle than any whom hiftory has marked as the enemy of British liberty, has grappled with that conftitution while labouring under the preffure of circumftances the moft inaufpicious that the imagination can conceive. Did it fuccumb in the conteft? No! Though manacled by laws which fufpended all the functions of free-. dom; though proftrated before a military government, which the melancholy circumstances of the times forced into existence; the Genius of the Conftitution, roused by the infolence which prefumed that its paffivenefs was debility, and its patience tamenefs, rcfe in its might the combined force of two minifters wielding the patronage of two countries, and exerting it with the most unbridled licenfe, was forced to shrink from the conteft-they retired defeated and difgraced from the conflict, and reluctantly left to the people that liberty and independence which they vainly hoped to. extinguish for ever! END. |