the material and social condition of the Irish people would awaken sentiments of gratitude, affection and joy, such as no people hitherto had shown to their rulers.  But a Government beginning to act thus would need an interpreter between itself and the people.  Such an interpreter would O’Connell be, if he would consent to prefer the prosperity and happiness of his country, to hopeless struggle for an ideal advantage.”  There can be little doubt that the foregoing passages are from what are termed “inspired” articles,—­inspired if not actually written by some member of the Government.  They contain a bold bid for the support of O’Connell and his adherents.

Whether it was that he thought Repeal would not be granted, or that the concession of some measures of substantial benefit, besides being good in themselves, would strengthen his hands to carry Repeal; or that he feared the people might be driven into a hopeless rebellion, entailing disaster upon the country; or that his high spirit was subdued by his late imprisonment, or his intellect impaired by the incipient inroads of that malady of which he died within a year; or from all those causes combined, O’Connell did not by any means turn a deaf ear to the overtures of the Whigs.  The first time he appeared in the Repeal Association after they had entered upon office, he made a speech which showed his inclination to support them, provided they would make certain concessions to Ireland.  He, on that occasion, detailed eleven measures which he required them to pass during the current session.  They consisted of three Acts for enlarging the franchise, and simplifying the registration of voters; an Act for a full and effective municipal reform; an Act to secure the perfect freedom of education for all persuasions in Ireland; one for tenant right; one for giving compensation for all valuable improvements; one for taking away in certain cases the power to distrain for rent; one for the abolition of the fiscal powers of grand juries, substituting instead a County Board;[104] and finally an Act to tax absentees twenty per cent.  The whole of these could not be even introduced during the remnant of the session which remained, it being now July.  It is noteworthy that the abolition of the Established Church in Ireland was not called for by O’Connell on this occasion.  Lord John Russell was known to be opposed to such a measure.  As to Repeal, he said, even if he got those eleven measures, he would not give it up.  But the advanced Repealers took a different view, and believed he was either about to relinquish Repeal, or at least to put it in abeyance to avoid embarrassing the new Government.  His line of action with regard to the elections was calculated to increase the suspicion; he said he would not sanction any factious opposition to the re-election of the liberal Irish members who had accepted office:  if he could find honest Repealers to put forward to contest the seats he would contest them, but he would be no party to opposition for opposition sake.  Smith O’Brien, the organ of the other section of Repealers took the opposite view.  Writing from Kilkee, under date of July the 9th, he says, Repeal candidates must be put in opposition to the Government candidates, no matter how good they might be.