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home, in the bosoms of Irishmen of every faction, sect, and persuasion. (Loud cheers.)

This work of conciliation and natural affection was most suited to the man who combined in himself the most splendid and the most endearing qualities-who was alone and at the same time the sweetest poet, the best of sons, and the most exquisite Irishman living. (Loud applause.)

For himself, all he should say was, that nothing could give him greater pleasure than to be able to extinguish party zeal for ever, and to join in a national exertion for the benefit of all the inhabitants of his native land. He was a party man, to be sure; but it was his misfortune; not his fault, to be so. He, however, belonged to the party of the oppressed and excluded; and if he had been born in Madrid or in Constantinople, he vowed to God he would in either place be more intemperate and violent for the protection of the persecuted Protestant in the one, and of the trampled-down Christian in the other. (Continued applause.)

PUBLIC DINNER TO MR. O'CONNELL AT TRALEE. FROM this public dinner to Tom Moore, our hasty narrative must jump to a dinner. given to Mr. O'Connell himself, in October, at Tralee, the chief town in his native county.

"On Monday last, October 24th, 1817, a public dinner was given, at the Mail-coach Hotel, in this town, to Counsellor O'Connell, in testimony of the approbation of the gentry of his native county, of his public and private character. The concourse of gentlemen at this dinner was greater than had ever before been seen in Kerry. The entire first floor of the hotel was thrown into one; but the room was still not large enough to contain the entire company. Near thirty were under the necessity of dining in one of the parlours.

"JOHN BERNARD of Ballynaguard, Esq., was in the chair. The vice-president was JOHN STACK, of Ballyconry, Esq. The dinner was excellent, and consisted of every delicacy in season, and was served in a very superior style, After the cloth was removed, the following toasts were given :

"THE KING.'

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"His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and the Principles which placed his Illustrious Family upon the Throne.'

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"The Lord-Lieutenant and the Agricultural Interests of Ireland'

**Mr. Secretary Grant and Universal Toleration.' Three times three-much cheering "The Lord Mayor of Dublin and the Liberal part of the Corporation.'

"Civil and Religious Liberty to all Mankind.'

"The Chairman then called the attention of the company to the immediate cause of their meeting. He said, that being totally unaccustomed to speaking In public, he was unable to do justice to the worth and talent which they were

VOL. II.

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met to celebrate. But in that company, where they were known, they needed no encomium. He would, therefore, simply propose

"Our Guest-DANIEL O'CONNELL'

"This toast was enthusiastically greeted by the entire company. The cheering and applause continued for several minutes. When silence was restored Mr. O'Connell rose and addressed the company in a speech of which we can give only an outline. He rose under the manifest oppression of strong feelings, and those feelings more than once overpowered him.

MR. O'CONNELL said that his kind friends would at least give him credit for this-that he wanted words to express his gratitude. Where, indeed, could words be found to express the big gratitude that swelled his heart? Language was inadequate to this purpose; and he could only rely on the electricity of Irish cordiality to convey the impulses of his affections to the kindred spirits of his kind friends and countrymen.

When, said he, I see myself surrounded by so much of the rank, the wealth, and the independence of my native county, I am naturally driven to ask, How have I deserved this proud and flattering honour? It is not by my talents; for, if I possess any, they are of the lower order: it is not by my services; for, alas! whatever exertions I may have made for our unhappy country have hitherto proved abortive and fruitless. No! I have neither talents nor services; but you have recognized, perhaps, in me a congenial disinterestedness and honesty of intention. If you have seen in me a singleness of heart and a purity of motive; if you have given me credit for the absence of every sordid and selfish feeling; if you have considered that I loved my country for her own sake alone, your kindness and generosity have supplied the rest you have taken the will for the deed; you have given to intentions the merit of actions, and have made motives supply the place of services.

This is the result of your enthusiastic generosity; but, perhaps, it is also prudent. It may be prudent and wise; and, indeed, I think it is both prudent and wise to read the lesson you do this night to your brothers and your children-to teach them this, that mere honesty and integrity can procure for the public man the greatest and most heart-binding reward, in the kindness and affectionate approbation of his countrymen,

Oh, but you afford another and a better example! Where are intolerance, and bigotry, and religious rancour now? Let them behold this sight; let them see here the Protestant rank and wealth of Kerry paying a tribute to an humble individual, only because he has been the zealous advocate of their Catholic

brethren. Would to God that the honest men in England, who have been led to oppose Emancipation, by the belief that in Ireland the Protestant feared the Catholic, and the Catholic hated the Protestant, could behold this spectacle, and see how kindly the Protestant cheers the Catholic advocate, and how affectionately the Catholic repays the kindness of his Protestant friends. (Loud and long-continued applause followed these sentiments.) Mr. O'Connell continued

My political creed is short and simple. It consists in believing that all men are entitled, as of right and justice, to religious and civil liberty. I deserve no credit for being the advocate of religious liberty, as my wants alone require such advocacy; but I have taken care to require it only on that principle which would equally grant it to all sects and persuasions, which, while it emancipated the Catholics in Ireland, would protect the Protestant in France and Italy, and destroy the Inquisition, together with the inquisitors, in Spain. Religion is debased and degraded by human interference; and surely the worship of the Deity cannot but be contaminated by the admixture of worldly ambition or human force. Such are my sentimentssuch are yours.

Civil liberty is equally dear to us all; and we can now see, with heartfelt satisfaction, that it is making a sure and steady progress. The history of the world has taught us to abhor despotism-the story of modern revolutions has taught us to avoid and detest the evils of anarchy. In these countries all that is requisite is to restore the constitution to its original purity, to bring its genuine principle into activity, and to sweep away the fictions which have taken the place of realities ;—in short, to limit the duration of parliament, and to abolish nominal representation of the people. For those useful and practical purposes all good men should combine, and from their combination success must ensue.

But the progress of rational liberty is manifest and cheering. Even the Autocrat of Russia emancipated the slaves of Courland; France already possesses the principle of representation; in the states of Prussia and Germany the iron vassalage of the feudal system has been abolished, and the people are vigorously struggling for representative government; Spain is, I trust in God, on the verge of a powerful revolution, which will vindicate her from the misery and reproach of her present civil tyranny; South America has already burst her bondage, and the banners of liberty already float over her plains and on her majestic

mountains; and in North America the experiment of popular liberty has been made with pre-eminent success, and the people and the government have become identified.

These facts suggest pleasing prospects, and gladden the heart of every man who, whilst he abhors the guilt of irregular ambition, equally detests the servility of that more sordid ambition, whose object is to turn the public service into a source of private emolument. If I have any claim as a public man, it is that I equally reject the one and the other.

Such, my friends, is my political creed-such are my principles. That they have met your approbation constitutes the proudest moment of my life, and shall be remembered with exquisite satisfaction to the latest moment of my existence. Your approbation has confirmed that genuine loyalty that binds us to the British Constitution in its purity, and has given a more decided character to that love of liberty which attaches us to all mankind. We will, if you please, set our seal on those sentiments by drinking

"The Cause of Rational Liberty all over the Globe.'

"The applauses continued for a considerable time after the learned gentleman had sat down. The following toasts succeeded:—

"The Army and Navy of the United Empire; may they be as happy in peace as they have been glorious in war.'

"The Knight of Kerry, and the Friends of Retrenchment and Reform in the House of Commons.'

"Colonel Crosbie, and the Resident Goatry of the County of Kerry.

"Edward Denny, Esq., M.P., and may we soon see restored the hereditary hospitality of the Denny family in their native county.'

**Earl Donoughmore and the Friends of the Constitution in the House of Lords.' "Judge Day, an excellent Landlord, an affectionate Friend, and a good Man.'

"This toast having been drunk with more than usual demonstrations of regard, MR O'CONNELL rose and begged permission to say a few words. He gladly seized that opportunity to concur in the testimony borne by his countrymen to Judge Day. On political subjects he had the misfortune to differ from that respected gentleman; but whilst he continued to maintain the independence of his own political opinions, he could not cease to regret that such a difference had existed. It was now at an end: the learned judge had now retired into private life, and there the most unmixed and heartfelt approbation followed his conduct as landlord, a friend, and a gentleman.

"Do you require testimony of his worth as a landlord-go and ask his happy tenantry, and they will tell you he is not an excellent, but the very best of landlords. They will tell you how he fostered and cherished them during the bad times, out of which I hope we are escaping, and their present prosperity speaks his praise with an eloquence that no eulogium can equal. He is an affectionate, active, zealous friend. What Kerryman ever yet asked him for a kindness within his reach, and was refused? No; he never refused to act kindly; on the contrary, whatever his active exertio is could do to promote the interests of

nis friends was unremittingly bestowed, and that with a cheerfulness and affection which produced gratitude, even where he could not succeed. With these social virtues he retires from public life, into the bosom of a society, which will, I trust, render the remainder of his life happy, by bestowing on him that respectful kindness which he deserves as an excellent landlord, a kind friend, and a good man. (Loud and general applause.)

"These toasts succeeded:

"The Constitution, may it be restored to its purity and preserved for ever.'
"The Hon. Christopher Hely Hutchinson and the Friends of Freedom in Cork.'
"Thomas Spring Rice and the Friends of Independence in Limerick.'

"The entertainment was at this time interrupted by three distinct cheers from the street. It was discovered, that the two parties who have so often disturbed the peace of the town by their internal riots, had, for this night, coalesced, and arranged themselves into something like regimental order. They had got up a kind of band of musicians; and, arrayed with torches, and under four banners, they traversed the town. On two of the banners were painted emblems of Peace and Union; the third displayed the Knight of Kerry's, and the fourth the O'Connell arms. Their band struck up 'Patrick's Day,' and Mr. O'Connell was called on by the company to address them from the window, which he did. The stewards ordered out two hogsheads of porter; but they were immediately rolled back, the people declaring that they did not come to get drink, nor would they accept of any-that they came merely to pay a compliment to a man who was the sincere friend of Irishmen of all ranks and classes.

"MR. O'CONNELL then asked leave to propose a bumper to the health of the proprietor of the town. He was the descendant of one of the most ancient families in the British dominions; his ancestors had been settled in Kerry since the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and they had not come here needy and obscure adventurers, but gentlemen even at that time of ancient and high descent. The present baronet was a gentleman of retired and unobtrusive manners; but he possessed a liberality of sentiment on the topics which most agitate and interest Ireland, which do equal credit to his head and his heart. He then proposed

"Sir Edward Denny, Bart., and the good People of Tralee.'

(Loud applause.)

"Maynard Denny, Esq., then rose and said, that he could not sit silent when his brother's health was drank in so flattering a manner. He begged to assure the company that it was the first wish of his brother, and, indeed, of his entire family, to merit the approbation and kindness of the gentry of this great and ever loyal county. (Hear, hear, hear, much applause.)

"The Chairman next proposed

"The Rev. Stephen Creagh Sandes, and the Protestants of Kerry.' (Three times three cheering.)

"The Rev. Mr. Chute returned thanks for the honour conferred on his respected friend, Mr. Sandes, and the Protestants of this county.

"The Right Rev. Dr. Sugrue and the Roman Catholic Clergy of Kerry.'

"The worthy prelate then rose, and returned thanks, in a short, but very impressive speech, which we regret to say we can but feebly convey to our leaders. Every word of it breathed the true spirit of Christian charity and coniliation. The substance of what fell from him, as well as we could collect, was, that the doctrines of perfect liberality and mutual affection had been those which he ever entertained and asserted, and which he had always instructed his clergy et every rank to inculcate on the minds of the people; and he confidently appealed

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