Excerpt from An Appeal to the People of Ireland, Vol. 1

The emercife of opprefiion: the fame examples and the ablefi political writers teach us that the civil, and religious liberty of the community is only to be prehved, by afpirited refifiance to the early encroachments of authority. This {pit-ised refill rance, having for its 053661 a general good, can only gbe made by a people {enfible of their jull rights, feeling their individual importance, reafoning for themtfelves, and firm enough to oppofe oppreilion let it attack them them what quarter it may. A people poflfefi'mg theft: drential qualities will be ever on their guard: they know that a fnbmifiien to one arbitrary aft creates aprecedem for the corn mifiton of a tho'ufand. Acquainted with the weak nds of human nature, they jtuflbly inculcate it as an asdom, never to be loft fight (if - P that IT 16 the dangerous ualit'y zof power, in a greater or Jejer gree, TO corrupt who possess it. They. Wifely com pare it win body of waters, which unconfined, is a B dellnufliye Applying equally to the friends of Reform, and to thefc whom they 1ieek to curb.'dellru�'tive inundation, but which, in a proper bed, becomes a fource of ornament and benefit ferti-t lizing' the country, through which it flows They therefore feel that it is theny'el'ver who are to nfirain that authority which they bet/tow, and which by nature requires to be reftrained within a'tge bounds. They know that thele bounds are liable to be fapped'hy the force which they are formed to confine that they demand a continual vigilance to keep them in re, pair, and that ifnot repaired in time, they are lia ble to be undermined and finally {wept away by the prevailing influence of overwhelming corruption, In (in efiahlilhed government into which abufes may have crept which call for a. Reform, it only can be peaceably effe�led by petition, and remon. flrance; this mode can alone prove efficacious, when it is the relult of reafon and reflefition when it ex. Hibits, in every flage of its progrels, the combina tion of talent and integrity and when it is {leadily 'fupported under perfecution and calumny, 'by the courage and perfeverance of the great body of the people. A reform in the reprefentation of the Commons Houfe of Parliament, is acknowledged by all par ties in this kingdom to be a laudable objefi. The fiery}; of the nation now rather than its voice, jieebly calls for it: the minority in Parliament feebly echoes that ferye the minifler and the majority concede the point that reform ls necessary: How far it is to be extended, by what means it is to be obtained, and what time is molt prudent to ar tempt it, are points of difagreement which have un fortunately occurred, whenever the quefiion has been brought forward. T be friends of Government fear that the attempt will unhinge the order and con. No�tion of that eilablilhment which is their fupport the 1.

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