Europe--these are leaps which seem to justify the fondest dreams of
mothers and of aunts.

I do not say that the disabilities to which the Catholics are
exposed amount to such intolerable grievances, that the strength and
industry of a nation are overwhelmed by them: the increasing
prosperity of Ireland fully demonstrates to the contrary. But I
repeat again, what I have often stated in the course of our
correspondence, that your laws against the Catholics are exactly in
that state in which you have neither the benefits of rigour nor of
liberality: every law which prevented the Catholic from gaining
strength and wealth is repealed; every law which can irritate
remains; if you were determined to insult the Catholics, you should
have kept them weak; if you resolved to give them strength, you
should have ceased to insult them--at present your conduct is pure,
unadulterated folly.

Lord Hawkesbury says, "We heard nothing about the Catholics till we
began to mitigate the laws against them; when we relieved them in
part from this oppression they began to be disaffected. This is
very true; but it proves just what I have said, that you have either
done too much or too little; and as there lives not, I hope, upon
earth, so depraved a courtier that he would load the Catholics with
their ancient chains, what absurdity it is, then, not to render
their dispositions friendly, when you leave their arms and legs
free!

You know, and many Englishmen know, what passes in China; but nobody
knows or cares what passes in Ireland. At the beginning of the
present reign no Catholic could realise property, or carry on any