First

germ of Union in

mind.

ter. It afterwards fell into the hands of an Irish oligarchy, who by a bold and arrogant usurpation, monopolized the whole political power of the country. In order to keep out of sight the paramount influence of the British Cabinet, they dignified their lucrative acquisition by the imposing title of Protestant ascendancy. Lord Clare had the address to bring forward the aristocracy of the country to pledge their lives and fortunes in support of it, before its practical meaning was made known to them,

Soon after the declaration of Irish independance, in 1782, Mr. Pitt failed in carrying Mr. Pitt's his commercial propositions through the Irish Parliament. From having been thwarted in that favourite plan, which had been adopted by the two houses of the British parliament, his views and conduct towards Ireland greatly changed. In 1786 Mr. Foster was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons, which greatly encreased his political influence in the country. A coincidence of views, and disposition to keep up a political ascendancy in the country, strictly united the then Attorney General, Mr. Fitzgibbon, and the speaker, with Mr. Beresford, to devote themselves to Mr. Pitt, under pledges to carry through all his business, provided the internal management and patronage of the country were left to their direction, The

haughty

haughty mind of Mr. Pitt seldom permitted him to communicate fully his plans to others: he often made his most confidential servants the unconscious engines of his deepest designs. From that time Mr. Pitt meditated a legislative Union, which for a long time he carefully concealed from those political contractors, who would then have revolted against the project, as defeating the object of their lucrative and ambitious speculations. Mr. Pitt was a man of resistless pertinacity and ambition. Sensible that the measure of Union, particularly after the late establishment of their legislative independence would be resisted by every true Irishman, his mind was brought to conviction, that it could only be pressed upon her in the hour of fear and weakness, of which the most immediate and unfailing causes are national division and religious dissention.

contro

versy.

Dr. Woodward, Bishop of Cloyne, published Bishop of a pamphlet, which he entitled, The Present Cloyne's State of the Church of Ireland, in which he roundly charged the Catholics and Presbyterians with being by principle hostile to the constitution in Church and state. This raised a polemical contest kept up by numerous publications on both sides. Each party, as usual, on such occasions, claimed the victory. The rewards, however, were all on one side. Every clerical writer

all conspiracies and attempts whatever, that should he made against his Person, Crown and Dignity: And that he would do his utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his Majesty and his heirs all treasons and traitorous conspiracies, which might be formed against him and them.

Without further preamble the Author distinctly declares, that he considers the Orange Institution to be a conspiracy and attempt made against the King's person, crown and dignity. That, for the purpose of defending his Majesty against them to the utmost of his power, by this publication he does his utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his Majesty and his heirs the traitorous conspiracy formed against him and them. He is free to say, that after he had acquired the knowJedge of the obligation and engagements of the Orange Societies, he attempted by those means, which he judged prudent to make them known to the persons, through whom the disclosure might, and he presumes to add, ought to have been officially conveyed to the King in person. The Author's failure in his first attempt does not dispense with his further utmost endeavours to disclose and make them known to his Majesty and his heirs. In taking the oath of allegiance, he was sincere in declaring, that he was not, and could not be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of that declaration, although the Pope or any other person or persons, or authority whatsoever, should dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was null and void from the beginning. In virtue then of his oath, and in performance of the duty of his allegiance, the Auther now submits the following sheets to the perusal

of

of that public, which is generally bounden by the same oath with himself, as the most effectual method of disclosing and making known the traitorous conspiracy to his Majesty and his heirs. Had he merely charged, without proving, the traitorous nature of the Orangemen's obligation and engagements, and their attempts against his Majesty's person, crown and dignity, or did he delay the publication by one hour beyond the time necessary to render the disclosure full and effectual, then would he not in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of his oath have complied with, or fulfilled the obligations of it.

As the conscientious observance of an oath necessarily depends upon the conscientious understanding of it by the juror,* the Author feels himself * called upon to avow his decided opinion, that the oath of an Orangeman, as it is expressed in the rules and regulations for the use of all Orange Societies, hereinafter printed, is of a treasonable nature by common law, and felonious by the 47th Geo. III. c. xiii. which is an Act to suppress insurrections and prevent the disturbance of the public peace in Ireland; and which will remain in force to the end of the present session of parliament. An act, which has never been acted upon for the only useful purpose, for which it appears

to

* The author cannot subscribe to the generally received opinion, that an oath is to be taken in the sense, in which it is imposed or required, secundùm animum imponentis: but secundum animum jurantis, that is, according to the juror's understanding, and the common acceptation of the words, in which the oath is expressed..

to have been passed, namely, that of making the înitiation into an Orange Lodge, Felony; and for this sole purpose devoutly it is to be wished, that the legislature may amend and perpetuate it.

The ground of the first part of this opinion rests upon the universal admission, that by common law allegiance, absolute, unqualified and perpetual is due from every subject to his sovereign; consequently an oath to render it conditional, qualified or temporary, contravenes the purity of natural ligeance, and is of a treasonable quality. The ground of the second part of the opinion will be manifest to every one, who reads the enacting part of this statute, and impartially compares it with the secret, proscriptive and unauthorized obligation or oath of an Orangeman, as settled by the Grand Lodge of Dublin, on the 10th of January, 1800, as hereafter printed.

Sect. III." And be it enacted by the authority "aforesaid, That every person or persons, who shall "administer, or cause to be administered, tender, or "cause to be tendered, or be present, aiding or as "sisting at the administering or tendering, or who "shall, by threats, promises, persuasion, or other "undue means cause, procure or induce to be taken "by any person or persons in Ireland, upon a book ❝or otherwise, any oath or engagement, importing "to bind the person or persons taking the same, to

be of any association, brotherhood, committee, so"ciety or confederacy whatsoever, in reality formed, or to be formed for seditious purposes, or to disturb

"the