was introduced into the British
parliament by Mr. Luttrell, but it was the eloquence of Mr. Grattan
which moved ministers to make these large concessions to Ireland. While
they were hesitating as to the extent of the gifts which they should
offer to allay the angry feelings that existed in that country, he set
forth in a lofty tone of eloquence the rights of Ireland, and ministers
wavered no more. The spirit of the Irish nation may be seen in the
following portion of his speech. He remarked:--"I remember Ireland
when she was a child, and have beheld her progress from injuries to
arms--from arms to liberty. The Irish are no longer afraid of the
French, nor of any nation; nor of any minister. If men turned their
eyes to the rest of Europe, they would find the ancient spirit expired,
liberty ceded, and empire lost: nations subsisting on the memory of
past glory, and guarded by mercenary armies. But Ireland, quitting
such examples, had become a model to them: she had excelled modern, and
equalled ancient Europe. The meeting of delegates at Dungannon was a
great event; and like all original measures, matter of surprise till
it became matter of admiration. It may be compared to the English
convention parliament, or the assembly of barons at Runnymede; all were
original transactions, not flowing from precedent, but containing in
themselves precedent and principle. Every great constitutional question
would have been lost, the public would have been lost, had they depended
only on parliament; but they had fallen into the hands of the people,
and by the people they would be preserved. The Irish volunteers are
associated for the preservation of the laws, but the claims of the
British parliament are subversive of all law. The volunteers had
supported the rights of the Irish parliament against those temporary
trustees who would have relinquished them? but England had no reason to
fear the Irish volunteers: they would die for England and her majestic
race of men. Allied by liberty as well as allegiance, the two nations
formed a constitutional confederacy: the perpetual annexation of the
crown was one great bond, but liberty was a still greater. It would be
easy to find a king, but impossible for Ireland to find a nation which
could communicate to them a great charter, save only England. This made
England a natural connexion; and every true Irishman would exclaim,
'Liberty with England; but at all events, Liberty.'"

{GEORGE III. 1782