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410

NEILSON'S STATEMENT AGAINST

[CHAP. XI. manner of connexion with their latter system of separation. They, on the other hand, not only endeavoured to avoid all his opinions and conclusions on this head (still aiming at implicating you), but have, in many instances, misstated such parts of his evidence as they thought proper to give. On the whole, he says the committee seemed convinced of your ignorance of the proceedings of the United Irishmen, and the majority of them were delicate in questions relating to you.

I have declined signing the conditions agreed on between Government and the other prisoners, as no consideration will ever induce me to consent to any examination, however speciously it may be pretended that I shall not be required to name persons.* I entirely and completely disapprove of the compromise, and, therefore, take it for granted that I shall remain a prisoner for a long, long time, if they have not a Reynolds, a Hughes, or some other well trained hero, to release me from my sufferings.

I hope Mrs. Grattan and you find perfect health in England; that you may long continue to do so, and be happy, is the first wish of your sincerely devoted Servant,

WM. DOWDALL.

I send you a letter of Neilson's, wherein he gives the examination as it should stand; but states none of the conversation about Opposition, as the report takes no notice of it. I have, however, above stated the purport.

SAMUEL NEILSON TO MR. GRATTAN.

New Prison, Oct. 5, 1798. MY DEAR SIR;-At the request of my friend, Dowdall, I write to you. I should have done so long since, but for two reasons, interception and implication. I, therefore, requested our mutual friend, Curran, to do so for me. Never was misrepresentation more vile than that put into my mouth by the Report. I will state, as near as I can possibly recollect, the sum of my examination before the committee, so far as related to you :

Question.-Were you ever at Tinnehinch ?—Yes.
Q.-About the time of Bond's arrest ?-Yes.

Q.-Is it fair to ask what brought you there.-Yes. And, now, before we go further, I wish to state, that I see

*This was one of the stipulations made by Emmett and O'Connor, &c.; a very useless one, and if taken together with the loosely worded agreement, shows what very bad men of business they were.

CHAP. XI.]

THE LORDS' REPORT.

411

you are pointing (contrary to our agreement) at an individual-Mr. Grattan. I can safely say, on my oath, that he had no concern in our transactions; but I will never say one word of any other person, or that can implicate any, because a refusal might be construed into a silent accusation.

Q. We mean nothing against Mr. Grattan; but were you not there in company with a certain gentleman ?—I don't recollect being ever there in company, but with Bond and Mr. Sweetman.

Q.-Never with any other?-Not to my recollection. I was in the habit of paying visits to every gentleman who resided in the neighbourhood where I then resided, and Mr. G. among the rest.

Q. Did you never swear him an United Irishman?Never.

Q.--Did you ever say you did?—I am not accustomed to falsehood.

Q.-Now, Mr. Neilson, did you not press Mr. G. to come forward?—Yes.

Q. Did you use any arguments?—Yes; I saw the country likely to be shipwrecked on anarchy, or despotism, and I wished that such men as those who had political talent, and public opinion, should take an active part. Q. Did he refuse ?—Yes.

Q.-Upon what ground?—That he did not see any way clear to save the country.

This, my dear sir, is the sum of what passed, and almost verbatim. May you yet save a country which I am obliged to part from with regret. Ever yours,

SAMUEL NEilson.

I omitted to state, that on my return, a gentleman, before whom I related the outline of my examination to my friend Bond, and my regret that any person should insinuate to me reservations,-he, a person in confidence, told me not to be uneasy on that score, as he knew their object was to find out the veracity of another person. I instantly recollected that Hughes and I had been there, and I flew to write to the Chancellor to that effect, without ever stating one single word more.

MR. GRATTAN TO THE REV. RICHARD BERMINGHAM.

Oct. 23d, 1798.

MY DEAR B.;-I got your letter.-It had been, like my

412 LETTERS TO M'CAN AND MR. FOX.

[CHAP. XI.

other, opened. The Guild of Merchants have made themselves a set of blockheads. I wish to see the copy of the Resolution, that I may consider whether any notice, or what notice should be taken of it. Those enemies are serving me. They are persecuting me on a subject in which my conduct is perfectly clear. Love to all.

Yours, H. G. I don't feel in the least on this business, except a pride in being arraigned by a set of boobies-all well.

MR. GRATTAN TO MR. M'CAN.

Oct. 27th, 1798. MY DEAR M'CAN;-I got your draft-I enclose you a paragraph which I wish you to give to Bermingham to give to my friends, such as he pleases.

What do my friends mean by saying I should take notice of Hughes's testimony-in what manner? It seems to me too contemptible; however, tell me in what way.

I don't feel the run against me, because I know it is founded on folly. I just got your letter of the 18th. Yours, H. GRATTAN.

All my letters are opened.

I shall delay going to the Continent until the run, against

me is over.

MR. GRATTAN TO MR. FOX.

We

Twickenham, October 20, 1798. DEAR SIR,-The game arrived safe, and was extremely good, and I should have written to thank you, but was not certain of your address. I thank you for your offer to send me more, should the same success attend your arms. shall continue at Twickenham for three weeks. I think I should have some reason to complain of the Court if it had associated me with itself and dissociated me from you.

To have resembled you at that moment of your destiny, in which you so deservedly obtained the just testimony of public love and return for public service, would not have been enough. It was necessary to have also the countersanction and verification of Court displeasure.* sonally, I must say, the Castle has been partial to me-it has not taken away my character by its company, nor my life by its informers.-I am, dear Sir, yours, most truly, HENRY GRATTAN.

Per

* Mr. Fox's name was also struck from the list of privy councillors.

CHAP. XI.] MR. GRATTAN CONSULTS MR. ERSKINE. 413

Importuned by his friends, Mr. Grattan, after much solicitation on their part, thought fit to consult with Mr. (afterwards Lord) Erskine, on the subject of the charges alleged against him in the Report of the House of Lords, and he accordingly sent it, with the following remarks, to Mr. Erskine :

MR. GRATTAN TO MR. ERSKINE.

Twickenham, Nov. 1, 1798. DEAR SIR,—I have marked the passages that relate to me; they are in pages 28, 29, 43, 44. I enclose an answer, which I can verify on oath; and wish to know from you, first, whether the evidence against me be material; secondly, whether the answer be sufficient, and proper.

I enclose also a resolution of the Dublin Guild of Merchants, which makes an additional reason why I should notice the charge. If I could have your opinion by Saturday, I should be very thankful; and shall call at your house in London, or in the country, if that time be not too soon.-I am, with the greatest respect, yours, very sincerely, H. GRATTAN. MR. GRATTAN'S REMARKS ON THE CHARGES AGAINST

HIM.

The charge, as stated in the Report, is physically impossible. At the time in which the meetings are laid, I had left Ireland, or the persons composing those meetings were in prison.

This physical impossibility appears on the face of the Report, therefore the Ministry, when they acted on this charge, were apprised of the physical impossibility of its truth. I despise to avail myself, however, of the alibi; the person named in the Report did visit me long before the time stated in the Report. The three persons, Bond, Neilson, and Sweetman, in the spring of 1798, rode to the country to breakfast with me, once and once only, without invitation or appointment, and at that visit of personal acquaintance, which is most improperly called an interview, made no proposal to me, held no conversation with me, and never discoursed on their own subject. A considerable time after, Mr. Neilson, with a man named Hughes, whom I did not know, without appointment called on me to breakfast, which visit has been very improperly called an

414 MR. ERSKINE'S OPINION AS TO [CHAP. XI. interview, when he held no consultation with me whatsoever, but only entered upon a general conversation; with what specific view or application, I cannot affirm; but I can say, it was not attended with any effect; and further, that he shewed me the United Irishmen's published and printed Constitution, and explained it, but did not shew me or explain their plans. I must observe, that said Constitution was only the organization of their committees, such as appeared in the published report of the House of Commons a year and a half ago.

I am sure Mr. Sweetman knows what I have said above to be the case, as far as relates to him; and that Mr. Neilson, on recollecting, must be sensible of it. As far as Mr. Hughes' testimony relates to me, save only as above, 'tis without foundation-it is not true that Mr. Neilson ever swore me-it is not true that I ever went to see him in Newgate-and it is impossible Mr. Neilson ever said it.

MR. ERSKINE TO MR. GRATTAN.

DEAR SIR,-The words contained in the Report are, that the witness shewed or explained to you the last Constitution of the United Irishmen, and pressed you to come forward. What that last Constitution is, I know not; but if it is now known, or can be proved to have been nothing more than an association organized in the manner described by your memorandum, and published in all the newspapers, it certainly could not be misprision of treason, which consists in the concealment of treason, and not of any inferior crime, however dangerous to its tranquillity.

I think that the propriety of ANY notice from you of the many indignities pointed at you, depends upon your own feelings, subjecting them, at the same time, to the regulation of those of your friends who are connected with Ireland, and who are the best acquainted with its affairs.

An answer from Mr. Grattan, at the same time, if it proceeds from himself, and not merely as a paragraph, supposed to be the result of the opinion of his friends on the subject, should be somewhat more enlarged and comprehensive than the enclosed memorandum, because the public do not carry in their minds the facts which it refers to, and because it should contain the principles on which Mr. Grattan has always publicly acted and professed to act.

The maxim of Government no doubt is, that no tyranny, -no perversion of the trusts of Government,-no extinc

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