Rx TO OONBE, ON IRELAND, 491

“It may appear strange that a man who had thought il
much about Ireland, and who had frequently been in that Zr At.
Country (I had a cousin, a rector of the Church of Englend
Mn Tipperary), should have been seven years in Parliament
aud not have spoken upon Irish questions. "I will tell you
the reason. I found the populace of Ireland represented in
the House by a bedy of wen, with O'Connell at their head,
With whom I could feel no more sympathy or identity than
with people whose language 1 did not understand. In fact,
morally I felt a complete antagonism and repulsion towards
them, (’Connell always treated me with friendly attention,
but I never shook hands with him or faced his smile without
a feeling of insecurity; and as for trusting him on any
Public question where his vanity or passions might inter-Pose,
 I should have as soon thought of an alliance with an
Ashantee chief! I found that that which I regarded as the
Sreat Irish grievance—the Protestant Church Establishment
~was never mentioned by the Irish Liberal members.
Their Repeal cry was evidently an empty sound.
“The great obstacle to all progress both in Ireland and in
England is the landlord spirit, which is dominant in political
 and social life. It is this spirit which prevents our
dealing with the question of the tenure of land. The fendal
Yystem, as now maintained in Ireland, is totally unsuited to
the state of the country. In fact, the feudal policy is not
carried out, for that would imply a responsibility on the
Part of the proprietor to keep and employ the people,
Whereas he is possibly living in Paris, whilst his agent is
driving the peasantry from his estate and perhaps burning
their cabins. What is wanting is a tribunal or legislature
before which the case of Ireland may be pleaded, where the
landiord spirit (excuse the repetition of the word) is nob
! Qobden is here unjust to O'Connell. He opposed the Corn Bill of
1815. and wag tras to the Leagna in the Shi from 1838 to 154A.