House of Commons with such a
crew as he had, the Duke must have given way. Notwithstanding the
great measures which have distinguished his Government, such as
Catholic Emancipation, and the repeal of the Test Acts, a
continual series of systematic blunders, an utter ignorance of,
and indifference to, public opinion, have rendered the first of
these great measures almost useless. Ireland is on the point of
becoming in a worse state than before the Catholic question was
settled; and why? Because, first of all, the settlement was put
off too long, and the fever of agitation would not subside, and
because it was accompanied by an insult to O'Connell, which he
has been resolved to revenge, and which he knows he can punish.
Then instead of depriving him of half his influence by paying the
priests, and so getting them under the influence of Government,
they neglected this, and followed up the omission by taxing
Ireland, and thus uniting the whole nation against us. What is
this but egregious presumption, blindness, ignorance, and want of
all political calculation and foresight? What remains now to be
done? Perhaps nothing, for the anti-Union question is spreading
far and wide with a velocity that is irresistible, and it is the
more dangerous because the desire for the repeal of the Union is
rather the offspring of imagination than of reason, and arises
from vague, excited hopes, not, like the former agitation, from
real wrongs, long and deeply felt. But common shifts and
expedients, partial measures, will not do now, and in the state
of the game a deep stake must be played or all will be lost. To
buy O'Connell at any price, pay the Catholic Church, establish
poor laws, encourage emigration, and repeal the obnoxious taxes
and obnoxious laws, are the only expedients which have a chance
of restoring order. It is easy to write these things, but perhaps
difficult to carry them into execution, but what we want is a
head to conceive and a heart to execute such measures as the
enormous difficulties of the times demand.

December 1st, 1830 {p.077}

[Page Head: THE RESULTS OF TORY GOVERNMENT.]

The last two or three days have produced no remarkable outrages,
and though the state of the country is still dreadful, it is
rather better on the whole than it was; but London is like the
capital of a country desolated by cruel war or foreign invasion,
and we are always looking for reports of battles, burnings, and
other disorders. Where