not confident of protection: therefore the advantages of a foreign state are neither fought nor cultivated. But in the fame ftate, where fecurity of property and protection of the individual are maintained and guarded by the fame univerfally pervading authority, the fubject is confident in every part of the common territory, and confequently the numbers are greatly increased of those who, ftimulated by the defire of acquifition, search for the means of improving their fortunes, and in the search, multiply the probabilities of discovering the natural, and improving the cultivated fources, of individual gain and national profperity. Ireland has been in material, respects as a foreign state. The fupreme, authority which regulates all its important concerns is different; the debates in the legislature are constantly grounded on an oppofition of interests; and jealousy and rivalry maintain and extend an unfortunate religious and national antipathy. But the two kingdoms, on the plan of Union, are no longer to be foreign in any refpect; the oppofition of interefts can only be that of the united state and of foreign or hoftile nations; jealousy and rivalry being removed, and the one fuperiour legislature directing its attention to the healing of differences, Union of fentiment and affection will confequently by degrees follow Union of politial conftitution. Hence with confidence we infer, that eafy and free communication among all the fubjects of the common ftate, and more enlarged and various interchange of benefits, will greatly increase the profperity and happiness of the whole.

The plan of the ceconomists of France for establishing a free, unburthened and uncontrouled intercourse of nations in the interchange of their peculiar benefits,

and

and mutual fupply of their peculiar wants, will then (fo far as regards these islands) be no longer vifionary.

The very circumstance of being divided by a narrow fea, instead of furnishing a reafon for fuppofing that Providence intended they fhould ever remain separate ftates, points out the fuperiour utility of their political Union. It enlarges the extent of common coafts; it tends to increase their common commerce, and to augment their common wealth; it contributes to multiply that bold and hardy race of men, upon whose skill, ac tivity, and gallantry, depend the fafety, dignity, and profperity, of this maritime empire, formed to be the great defence of human rights; it affifts to spread wider our shipping through the world, to extend our influence, and to add to our refources; and, in varying the peculiarities of human character, which various fituation occafions, brings more varied occupation and pursuit to operate, to the great common and valuable purpose, the publick good.

Neither need Great Britain be at all apprehenfive of any lofs to her by the gain of united Ireland. The world is fufficiently wide for both. Befides, it has long been discovered, that industrious nations thrive not by the poverty and lofs of their neighbours, but by their wealth and profperity; for fo has nature diverfified this earth and its inhabitants, that the poffeffions as well as wants of different countries contribute to common benefit. Were Great Britain and Ireland, acting upon the principle of diftinct and therefore frequently inconfiftent intereft, to counteract each other by hoftile commercial laws, they might eafily drive to foreign coun

tries, the advantages which each is peculiarly fitted to purfue; whereas, by compleat confolidation, by acting under the fame regulations, more various arts may be preferved and cultivated in the common territory, more various claffes of useful fubjects may be employed, and the more effectually and happily may the purfuits and productions of each country, and of every diftrict of each country, be extended to their full capability.

In fuch a scene of things, it is not improbable indeed, that the comparative confequence and power of the ariftocracy of Ireland might become fomewhat abated. They would no longer rule this country in the form of a fmall faction, commanding the greater and diftributing the leffer favours of the ftate; but, mingled with the other great interests of the empire, would learn to understand and to refpect the nature of a useful gradation of ranks and, inftead of forming an anomalous and diftracting imperium in imperio, would fill their proper and important place in the scale of government. Hitherto a destructive chasm in society has long subsisted between the higher and lower orders of the community; in confequence of which, fympathy and intercourse having been excluded, the prejudices and bad fentiments, which the natural fituation of each fosters in minds not corrected by neceffity or difcipline, have had full scope to operate, and have not only prevented mutual cordiality and usefulness, but have promoted fraud and lawlefsnefs on the one fide, and infolvence and oppreffion on the other. But, in a state of fociety growing daily more fimilar to that of Great Britain, in which every order takes its juft fituation in the great fyftem of fubordination, and in which rank approaches and blends

into

into rank, mutually fupporting and fupported, felf intereft, neceffity, opinion, every powerful principle, bind together the community, form a chain of good offices, and at once fecure the tranquillity and improve the character of the nation. We should then hear not long of an overbearing ariftocracy or gentry, too many of whom (certainly not all, for we have happy exceptions) have taken little intereft in the condition'or fate of their infe-riours and dependents; but, in the progreffive improvement of fociety, we should fee an ariftocracy, the chief in example as the chief in rank, as eminently the stewsards as the favourites of Providence, who, confidering their own interefts as interwoven with the interests of the lowest in the community, would regard with fcrupulous obfervance the fair claims between man and man, would fubdue inveterate prejudice by manly intercourse, and, in a career of enlightened beneficence, enlarge the general happiness ;-characters, allied to thofe whom after ages venerate,

Quique fui memores alios fecere merendo.

The complete confolidation of these kingdoms, however, chiefly impreffes the mind of every friend to Great Britain and Ireland, in its powerful tendency to give to the British Empire ftrength and stability; in which is neceffarily involved the fecurity of our liberties, our laws, and our religion.

In any other cafe than the prefent, in which prejudice, pride, and party fpirit take fuch a lead, one fhould fuppofe, that the mere statement of the fituation of these kingdoms, would fatisfy every man who

has

has at all confidered human affairs, that the nature of our connexion tends to difunion and weakness, and that in compleat Union only, can rational hope be found of permanent ftability.

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It is not pretended that the best concerted Union, though it might immediately add force to the exertions of the Empire, and imprefs enemies and traitors with awe, would operate as by magical power, and instantly compofe the violence, eradicate the secretly working mischief, and change the character of this country. No-We are well aware that we must now brave the fury of the ftorm: and, under the aufpicious lead of Great Britain, we hope and look for, a favourable iffue to the contest, in which we are engaged with jacobin France and the jacobins of Ireland. But the fiery trial through which we are paffing, may well make us dread, and prepare againft, the confequences of fuch a future day.

The return of peace will remove the imminent danger which unites the loyal and makes them vigilant. It will alfo remove the extraordinary restraints which neceffity has impofed, but which, however neceffary în the present conflict for existence, make part of theevils of a war impofed upon us, and would be incompatible with established peace, from which we hope for the advancement of national profperity and power, in all the freedom of exertion congenial to our happy constitution. But we cannot expect that, notwithstanding peace, restless and ambitious France would ceafe to forward her schemes against the British power; neither are we to expect that, in a period of peace, the difaffected at

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