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 414 CAULFIELD. important boon, and produced effects in the agriculture and industry of the country within ten years, unparalleled in the bistory of any nation in Europe within the like period. Still the distresses of the country were great, and her reve- nues reduced to a state of insolvency, from the tram- melled state of her external commerce; and the nation now felt itself in a situation to remoustrate with England, in firm but moderate language, for the removal of her grievances, and a fair participation in the rights of British subjects, as a country annexed to the British crown, though under a distinct parliament. It remained then to establish the independent privileges of that parliament, free from the control of an external senate; and the con- stitutional rights of Ireland, as a distinct country, to be governed by her own king, lords, and commons, under laws of their own enactment. Now commenced the most active period of Lord Charle- mont's life. The volunteer army daily increased in strength and respectability. It was not composed of ignorant mercenaries enlisted from the lowest orders of the community, and reduced to discipline by rigour, kept in order by severity, with little understanding or warnm feeling for the interests of their country; animal machines -thoughtful of nothing but their pay, and implicit obe- dience to the commands of their officers. The volunteers, on the contrary, were composed universally of educated men, who read, thooght, understood, and felt, for the cause in which they were engaged;-for a country where they possessed rights and interests, which they had shewn themselves prompt to defend from a foreign enemy, and which they now wished to, render worthy the name of a sister nation to England. Lord Charlemont was chosen to the chief command of the Leinster army, which gave him a. just celebrity or distinction, which he acknow- ledged as the principal and dearest honour of bis life? and happy it was for the country and the empite, that he, and men of his character for wisdom and moderation, were selected by the whole body to hold the chief sway