to promote turbulence, and to put off tranquillity, whether it be an inflammatory statement of grievances from the United Irishmen, or an indirect, indefinite fanction of fuch statements from the Whig Club, can amount to nothing else but the enlarging and rivetting of the calamity.

But the cautious tranquillizing plan which I have been recommending would not perhaps have answered all the purposes of the Whig Club. It would not have ferved to furnish ammunition for the next Parliamentary campaign, or rather for the exhibition of political squibs and sky rockets with which it may be preparing as usual to annoy administration and amuse the populace. It would not have been inftead of a fhow-man's pipe and tabor to give notice to the mob of their entertainment for the evening. It would not, in fhort, have been a fubftitute for any of those hacknied expedients by which oppositions uniformly feek to obtain that degree of popularity, which may serve as a fulcrum for the lever that is to raise themselves to power.

In tranquil times, when fociety was in its natural state, such tricks and ftratagems might have been pardonable, because they were likely to be followed by no very serious confequences. But now, when doctrines unknown to our fathers, have put public peace and fafety in jeopardy,

when

when political madness is just as epidemic, and where it rifes to its height is juft as deftructive as ever the peftilence was in the centuries that are past, and when even amongst ourselves there are alarming symptoms, which can only be fuppreffed by the stricteft union and steadieft co-operation of knowledge and talent, of wisdom and virtue, at fuch a time to fcatter ambiguous words amongst the vulgar, to feek for a little popular favour by appearing to flatter a false and dangerous mifconception, to leave room, by laxity of statement and vaguenefs of expreffion, for the enemies of the country to infer, that their premises are admitted even by those who revolt from their practical conclufions, is a conduct which must excite astonishment in all who have understanding, and ought to raise the indignation of every man who has a heart.

But the extravagance of the folly lies in this, that all will be unavailing. The well-affected and judicious part of the community will fee through and reprobate the clumfy juggle, and the Democrats, who have long fhewn a fixed purpose not to be cajoled by any partial approximation, will defpife it in their hearts. That these hate all who disagree with them can scarcely be doubted; but the cream of their malice feems to be kept for the Oppofition. They abhor these in proportion to the clofeness of refemblance, just

as

as the fiercest antipathies fometimes reign between animals of the nearest species: And most probably, were a Democratic Revolution now to be effected, those very gentlemen of the Whig Club would be amongst the first who would be promoted to the Guillotine or the Gibbet. It would not be amifs for them to keep this in mind, and to recollect that though they may not be quite as happy as if they were in they were in power, and though this may lead them to fee things around them through fomewhat of a gloomy medium, (as a man who has the jaundice fees every thing tinged with yellow) ftill, that it might be far worfe with them than it is, that it is better to be without places than to be without eftates and without heads; and that (as SOLOMON fays,) "A living Dog is better than a dead Lion."

ESSAY

ESSAY XIII.

ADDRESSED

ΤΟ

COUNTRY GENTLEMEN,

AND

OTHER PERSONS OF PROPERTY

IN THE

NORTH OF IRELAND.

DEC. 12, 1796.

GENTLEMEN! What are you doing? your country demands your ftrenuous and united exertions. A plan for preferving it alike from invafion and infurrection, by affociating and arming the loyal Yeomanry, has been propofed, and has received the approbation of every honeft and fenfible man. Are you, in your feveral diftricts, ufing your best skill and influence to carry this scheme into immediate and effectual execution?

Gentlemen,

mies are.

Gentlemen, if you are not active, your eneThe men who wish to overturn the conftitution, the defperate few who hope, by means of the misled many, to share amongst themfelves the power and the property of the kingdom, are indefatigable, mustering their forces by night, diffeminating their principles by day, at fairs and markets, on the high road and in the hedge alehouse, in the tradesman's shop and the peasant's cottage. No expedient escapes them that fubtlety can fuggeft. To infpire awe and fecure fecrecy, they have fealed their combination with the abused religion of an OATH. To excite vulgar curiofity, they affect profound mysteriousness, and affume fignificant words and figns, understood only by their fworn affociThat they may pervert the timid as well the vicious, they have recourfe equally to threatenings and promises. And to attach the idle and the indigent, they hold out the profpect, that if their defign' was once accomplished, the wealth and comfort which they represent as now unjustly monopolized by a few, would flow down even amongst the lowest of the people, in rich and ceaseless abundance.

ates.

Could any thing be contrived with more villainous ingenuity both to attract the ignorant multitude in the first inftance, and to insure their aid in every defperate measure, to which their leaders