O'Brien, "if the Parliament
of England refused to accede to the national demand of the Volunteers to
have a free constitution, that the Volunteers would have been fully
justified in taking up arms in defence of the country." He, however, for
his part, considered the question a merely speculative one, as, so far
as he knew, no one contemplated an appeal to physical force, under the
present circumstances, which would be madness, folly, and wickedness. He
considered it very unwise to be putting those tests when there was no
occasion for them. He declared against permitting those Liberals, who
had taken place under the Whigs, to have a walk over; they should, he
maintained, be opposed by Repeal candidates, as nothing in the Whig
programme called for the anticipative gratitude of Ireland. Finally, he
expressed the hope that no rash attempt would be made to expel certain
members of the Association. "Let nothing," he said, "be done rashly; let
nothing be done to destroy this glorious confederacy, the greatest and
most powerful that ever existed for the preservation and achievement of
the liberties of a people."
Mr. John O'Connell, in a clever speech, replied to Smith O'Brien.
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