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Memoirs and Character of his Excellency Earl CAMDEN, Lord

Lieutenant of Ireland.

(Embellished with a beautiful Portrait.)

IT is a melancholy truth, that it has been too much the practice in all countries, to pay fervile homage, to perfonages, who poffeffed no other kind, of pre-eminence, fave only that of high rank and ftation. The fage writers of the Auguftan age, have pathetically, pointed out the direful effects of fervile adulation and unmerited encomium; we must therefore conclude, that the language of panegyric has been but too often perverted, and too often mifapplied. But on the other hand, when a virtuous nobleman, in an exalted ftation, is indefatigable in promoting the good of the community, and the happinefs and profperity of the nation, over which he prefides; to withhold praife from fuch a character, would be ungenerous, imprudent and ungrateful, nay even criminal. That our prefent chief governor is such a character, is univerfally acknowledged; where fore to duly appreciate his excellency's worth, can never be afcribed to any, but the purest motives; fulfome adulation we abhor, and unmerited compliment would be only fatire in difguife. An impartial ftatement of facts will be most conducive to the intereft of the country, and unquestionably moft congenial to the feelings of his excellency. Lord Camden was invefted with the government of this country, at a moment when firmnefs, political abili1y, great experience combined with Hib. Mag. June, 1796,

cool and deliberate judgment, were indifpenfable requifites.

The event has fully proved his competency to fill fo important and fo arduous a function. By his excellency's firmnefs and moderation, peace and good order were perfectly restored, and his excellency's humanity and judicious difcernment were eminently confpicuous in the choice of a general, to take the command at a crifis fo truly critical.

Recently when many parts of the em pire were menaced with famine, his excellency's moft anxious folicitude was powerfully exerted to prevent fo dreadful a vifitation: his excellency prohibited the exportation of grain, as being the only means left at the time for the prevention of fcarcity, nay even of famine.

The uniform attention and vigilance of his excellency have been fteadily and unalterably directed to forward every meafure that had the intereft and welfare of the kingdom for its object; and he has proved himself the fincere and warm friend of every charitable and humane inftitution. Under his excellency's aufpices the affociation for difcouraging vice and immorality, diffeminate throughout the kingdom the fees of piety, virtue and religion. The Camden adminiftration glides fmoothly on, fcarce has its furface been ruled by either winds or forms. Such was the pradence, precaution and humanity of his excellency in fuppreffing tumult and PPP tranquilizing

tranquilizing the country; and his zeal in promoting our manufactures and al leviating the wretchednefs and mifery of the poor cannot be furpaffed. From thefe confiderations his excellency's popularity is easily accounted for, and we flatter ourfelves we will not be thought officious in our endeavour to contribute our humble mite, to increase if poffible, the viceroy's prefent popularity. We therefore prefent our readers with a portrait of Lord Camden, a nobleman who reflects honour on his illuftrious ancestors, by practifing their exalted virtues. Lord Camden is fon of the late earl Camden, a nobleman, who was univerfally efteemed and revered, and whofe virtues, talents, upright conduct and inflexible integrity will remain on record while the annals of Britain exift.

His excellency was born in the year 1759, and married in December 1786, Mifs Molefworth, niece to lord Lucan, by whom he has iffue three daughters.

The moft finifhed trait that can be given of the Camden administration, has been recently manifefted at the affizes of Armagh, where the Attorney General declared that it was the pofitive inftructions of government, to bring all the agitators of the peace, to the bar of juftice, of whatever religious perfuafion they might be, or of whatever defcription, whether in high or low life, and that the chief motive of undertaking the profecutions, was not folely the promotion of public juftice, but to convince his majefty's fubjects, whatever their religious creed might be, or what ever their fituations, that they might rely upon receiving protection from every fpecies of violence or oppreffion, and that when the poorest peafunt in the land, would fland forth with his complaint, he should be heard and proTected.

While our viceroy thus impartially diftributes juftice, and protects the injured and oppreffed, by a wife and temperate adminiftration, he will be beloved and adored by the Irish nation; and that this will be the cafe during his fay amongst us, we have every reason to prefume; as his excellency has not difected his attention to any particular

object for the purpose of acquiring a tranfient and temporary popularity; he proceeded on folid principles, which in their confequences embrace the future, as well as the prefent happiness of the nation.

The advantages that have been gained by the nation in the recent conceffions of the legiflature, had eluded the obfervations of the people, because their effects were not immediately felt, and before they could be fenfible of their ameliorated ftate, they were duped, mifled, and hurried into tumult and commotion, in fundry parts of the kingdom.

In fuch a perilous fituation, when we were menaced with the horrors of anat ehy and confufion; the judicious interference of his excellency faved the country. Earl Camden cut at the root of the evil, by enabling the executive power, by wife and falutary laws, to check every fpecies of innovation. His excellency has not only ftimulated the magiftracy to a due difcharge of their duty, but also impofed judicious reftrictions on their official conduct, as by the late act to prevent fedition*, no part of the kingdom can be declared in ftate of disturbance, unless seven magiftrates convened at a fpecial feffion, memorial his excellency to proclaim the diftrict, or country to be in a state of commotion; thus a difcretionary power refts in the hands of his excellency and council, to comply or not with the obs ject of the memorial.

Thus the wife meafures adopted by his excellency muft effectually operate to the total prevention of crimes: this is applying at once a fpecific remedy to the evil, and it is vaftly more meritorious in government, to prevent the commiffion of crimes, than after the perpetration of them, to punifh the mifguded delinquents. In the feveral inftances of his excellency's adminiftration that have come before us, we with much pleasure behold a spirit of conciliation endeavouring to unite and bar monize the kingdom, and juftice fea foned and tempered with mercy.

N 0 T E. *See an abftract of this bill in our Mag. for March laft, page 206.

The

The Irish court exhibits a fplendour and elegance highly honourable to the viceroy, because they have for their object the encouragement of our manufactures, and the welfare of our artifts. Vice, immorality, and nocturnal revels, are discountenanced at the caftle, at a time that becoming feftivity, and hospitality are decorously practifed and enjoyed. No idle profufion, fashionable vice, or ridiculous folly, have been countenanced by our prefent amiable chief governor. He exhibits a noble example to our rifing nobility; by an imitation of which they will become an honour to their country, and an ornament to their illuftrious families. We do not wish to deal much in anticipation, but it from the paft, we can form any judgment of the future, we may fairly and reafonably conclude, that earl Camden's adminiftration will prove both a pure and virtuous one, and that as great a degree of popularity will attach itself to him, as to any of the most admired of his predeceffors.

Earl Camden expends every fhilling of his ample fortune and falary, in fup porting the becoming fplendour and dignity of the viceregal ftate, and in public acts of munificence. If we confidered ourselves at liberty to mention names, we could enumerate feveral inftances of his benevolence and charity; how many helpless orphans and widows could we name, who have been relieved by his bounty and scarely does a day pafs without adding to the charitable and humane qualities, fo eminently poffeffed by our chief governor.

His excellency's noble father acquired immortal fame by fupporting the palladium of our conftitution, trial by jury, it is therefore no wonder that his excellency inheriting the virtues, should imitate the example of his great and good father. He has publicly avowed himself the affertor of the people's rights, and the generous and humane advocate for the promotion of every measure, that can poffibly tend to ameliorate the fituation of the country. As the encouragement of literature is not the prevailing cuftom of the day, it may be claffed not among the loweft of his excellency's virtues, that he pro

feffes himself the patron of literature and the encourager of genius; a circumftance that will add to his glory, while learning and genius are held in eftimation. By cultivating fuch virtues, a chief governor will ever be revered, will ever be efteemed, and his name will be read in the page of history with veneration and efteem. We fhall only add, that we fincerely with his excellency may long, very long continue his refidence amongst us, nam nil ortum tale, nil alias orituvum tale fatemur.

Charader of the late Colonel Conyngham.

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR.

Dublin, June 14, 1796.

By inferting the following fetch of the
character of the late much lamented
Colonel Conyngham, you will not on-
ly gratify an individual, but every
well-wisher of Ireland,
I am, Sir,

D

you conftant reader, W. T

"Vivit poft Funera Virtus.”

TED, on the 31ft ult. [May] at his

house in Harcourt Place, the right honourable William Conyngham, one of the commiffioners for executing the office of lord high treasurer of Ireland, a member of his majesty's most honourable privy council, reprefenta tive in parliament for the borough of Ennis, governor of the county Donegal, Lieutenant colonel commandant of the militia of faid county, and treasurer of the royal Irish academy, &c. &c. Beloved in private and respected in public life, this country could not boaft a firmer patriot, his fovereign a more loyal fubject, or those who enjoyed his friendship, a more fincere and affecti onate friend; in parliament his conduct was ever marked by folid and manly fenfe, integrity, and humanity; attentive to every measure which could direly, or in the remoteft degree promote, the happiness and improvement of his native country, he was always ready to fuggeft fush measures himself,

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