lodies, represents the demon of discord as annually appearing in the
Boyne, and casting forth the burning arrows which were ignited by his
breath; but the scene of the fiery fiend's operations might be well
supposed as changed to "Conciliation Hall," and his arrows thence flung
over the inflammable isle. However indifferent the loyalists might be
to the conflicts between Old Ireland and Young Ireland, the government
could not be so, for "O'Connell's tail" was, if no ornament, of some use
on the ministerial benches. O'Connell denounced the Whigs, but intrigued
to keep them in power, or help them to obtain it. The old Ireland party
had votes in parliament, and gave them with more or less fidelity on the
side of Lord John's administration; whereas the Young Irelanders had
yet to gain the heart, if not the ear of their country, and were not
recognised as a power, except so far as they constituted an _imperium
in imperio_ within the circle of the Repeal Association. The bolder
doctrines of this young party tended also to inspire a spirit of
determined and organised revolt, which the government could not observe
without concern, and the temper of the people was so embittered by
the feuds of their leaders, as to be at least an unfavourable set-off
against the probability that these contests would impair the moral
influences of those who waged them. As a specimen of the state of
feeling between these two parties, the proceedings of the Repeal
Association for June 22nd may be adduced. At that time Sir Robert Peel
was still in office, if not in power; but every one in Ireland believed
that the Whigs would soon resume place, and that O'Connell would pass
from the sphere of unqualified opposition to that of qualified support.
The Young Irelanders took advantage of these impressions to weaken
O'Connell's influence as a leader. This cut him to the heart: he
received the tidings in London, and chafed under the vigilant restraint
which this opposition in his own parliament placed him as to the policy
he might adopt at St. Stephen's. He wrote to the association a letter,
which showed his annoyance and apprehension; the following is an
extract, the most pertinent to the purpose for which the reference
is made:--"It is with the bitterest regret and deepest sorrow that I
witness the efforts which are made by some of our juvenile members to
create dissension and circulate distractions amongst the repealers. It
is manifest that the great major