Page:A Declaration of the People's Natural Right to a Share in the Legislature (1775) (IA declarationofpeo00shar).djvu/271

 part of the landed interest in Ireland, at this day, who are entitled to all the Rights and Liberties of the ancient CONQUERORS by inheritance and lineal descent: — Titles so just and sacred, that I am sure Judge Blackstone will never persist in opposing them; especially when he sees hereafter by what authority I make this assertion: Nay, the “Right of Conquest” is so bad a plea to extenuate the iniquity of exerting any such oppressive and unlimited power, that it fails in Reason and in natural Justice, even when applied as an excuse for oppressing the conquered; — much less therefore can it affect the Liberties and natural Rights of the Conquerors themselves!

That these Liberties and natural Rights of the conquerors are entailed upon a very great part (if not the most numerous, at least the most considerable in point of rank and fortune) of the present inhabitants of Ireland,