med not of any
further advantages than such as could be extorted from the occasional
difficulties of England under foreign hostility, and such as should be
sanctioned by English parliamentary concession. But under the long
agitation of Mr O'Connell a new party has grown up, which regards
Ireland--however inferior for aggressive war--as strong enough, by means
of its excessive population, and the local advantages inherent in every
_possessor_ of the soil, for throwing off the connexion with England.
Independence, on the footing of a separate nation, is seriously aimed at
by the young blood of Ireland; not with a view to any imaginary advantages
from development of native resources or alleviation of taxes, but on the
single excitement of nationality. And by this ultimate object, as
undoubtedly a favoured object working underground and extensively in the
Ireland of 1845, we must measure the tendencies of an endowment conferred
by Parliament upon the Popish religion.

Rightly to judge of any favour or privilege whatever conceded to Popery,
we must consider the position of Popery with respect to the altered
prospects of the world as it now is, and the duties of Protestantism,
permanently as well as specially, in relation to the changed and changing
attitude of our own particular crisis. But these being the capital aspects
of the case, we will first of all notice those more manageable and
rememberable topics which are flying abroad upon the popular breath
amongst our antagonists.

It is alleged that we, the confederate opponents of the grant, are not
natural allies. Being heterogeneous, our opposition cannot be cordial. Why
not? If comprehensive unanimity, and undistinguishing unanimity, were an
indispensable condition towards a legitimate confederacy, then it would be
an impossibility that any combined action of men (which is one main
purpose of human society) should ever arise. Some of us think it a high
duty of the state to endow and favour that form of Christianity which the
predominant opinion (as collected from the _total_ empire) pronounces the
true one. This is our own creed; and it is our further belief that this
duty is strengthened where not only the general opinion has pronounced
itself strongly for that particular religious system, but where also the
history and the institutions of the land have unfolded themselves for
centuries, and through memorable struggles, under the inspiration of that
system, conforming t