Ireland constantly emphasize this
attitude of his--almost too much so.

The condition of Ireland as Swift found it in 1714, and as he had known
of it even before that time, was of a kind to rouse a temper like his to
quick and indignant expression. Even as early as the spring of 1716 we
find him unable to restrain himself, and in his letter to Atterbury of
April 18th we catch the spirit which, four years later, showed itself in
"The Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufactures" and the
"Drapier's Letters," and culminated in 1729 in the terrible "Modest
Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from being a Burthen
to their Parents." To Atterbury he wrote:

"I congratulate with England for joining with us here in the fellowship
of slavery. It is not so terrible a thing as you imagine: we have long
lived under it: and whenever you are disposed to know how to behave
yourself in your new condition, you need go no further than me for a
director. But, because we are resolved to go beyond you, we have
transmitted a bill to England, to be returned here, giving the
Government and six of the Council power for three years to imprison whom
they please for three months, without any trial or examination: and I
expect to be among the first of those upon whom this law will be
executed."

Writing to Archdeacon Walls[2] (May 5th, 1715) of the people in power,
he said:

"They shall be deceived as far as my power reaches, and shall not find
me altogether so great a cully as they would willingly make me."

At that time England was beginning to initiate a new method for what it
called the proper government of Ireland. Hitherto it had tried the plan
of setting one party in the country against another; but now a new party
was called into being, known as the "English party." This party had
nothing to do with the Irish national spirit, and any man, no matter how
capable, who held by such a national spirit, was to be set aside. There
was to be no Irish party or parties as such--there was to be only the
English party governing Ireland in the interests of England. It was the
beginning of a government which led to the appointment of such a man as
Primate Boulter, who simply ruled Ireland behind the Lord Lieutenant
(who was but a figurehead) for and on behalf of the King of England's
advisers. Irish institutions, Irish ideas, Irish traditions, the Irish
Church, Irish schools, Irish language and literature, Irish trade,
manufa