The Belfast Politics, Enlarged Compendium of the Political History of Ireland, for the Last Forty Years, Compiled by J. Lawless

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1818 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: Hence arose the celebrated society of United Irisfcmens, which, in its formation and progress and maturity excited the wonder and the reverence of Europe. Never was a system better calculated to promote its object -- the union -- happinesi and strength of the country. Never was a plan so well con- atructed to obliterate from the recollection of Ireland the sufferings inflicted on her by a vicious and insidious policy ; or to procure by its powerful operation, the attainment of thai union of sentiment throughout Ireland, which would demonstrate to England the wisdom of a mild and benevolent policy. We shall now record some of those most distinguished documents which formed the groundwork of this great national confederacy ; and as Belfast was the source of this new political light which illuminated the most deserted extremities of Ireland, the reader will observe that the Society of United Irishmen, constitute a most important part of the Politics of Belfast. Tiii j Society was composed of the most celebmted- by their Italian in the community, the extent of their talents' and tin ir leaming, and their unwearied Beal in the cause of civil a::d religious freedom, it original objects were pacific and conciliatory. It sought- to procure an unanimity of senliin.-nt which would command the attention of the Legislature ; but the violence of monopoly, and the more profound policy of Mr. Pitt, who saw the completion of the Union in the divisions and distraction of the Irish Nation, drove the Society of United Irishmen into the amM of a foreign power, and a plan originally conceived and acted upon to strengthe...