Now that it is the fashion with a certain portion of society to denounce every exposition of state impolicy as inflammatory, I may be exposed to the common charge of attempting to excite the disaffection, some of whose causes I have attempted to expose. Since it is no longer a secret, however, that Ireland has been and is misgoverned, and since the readiest method of winning back the discontented to their allegiance is to allow those things to be grievances which are felt to be so, and to show a disposition to afford redress, I cannot but hold the part of true loyalty to be to expose abuses fearlessly and temperately, and to stimulate the government to the reparation of past errors and the improvement of its principles of policy. Such should be my loyalty if I had access to the councils of the state; and such it is now that I can speak only as a wellwisher to Ireland, and an indignant witness of her wrongs. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE 1. Irish Economy 1 2. Irish Liabilities 15 3. Irish Adventure 34 4. Irish Crime 61 5. Irish Retribution 74 6. Irish Responsibility 91 7. Irish Impolicy 104 8. Irish Fatality 119 9. Irish Disaffection 127 IRELAND. -------------- CHAPTER I. IRISH ECONOMY.