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MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT.

THE exclusion of the British from the rest of Europe, has had a most serious effect on the wretched and confloed trade of this country, such of our tradesmen and artificers as depended on foreign materials as the chief articles used in their respective branches, are reduced to the greatest distress; the silk business which employed a considerable number of people in the Earl of Meath's liberty, is completely suspended, as the raw article can no longer be procured. The manufacturers of cotton are in daily apprehension of being involved in the like calamity, if an American war takes place, as the wool of the American States is that used in such coarse articles as we are yet permitted to make for our domestic consumption. The want of flaxseed will be another ine vitable attendance on the want of cotton, and will tend to create a very extensive and alarming injury in Ul. ster, where the entire population depend on what is termed our staple manufacture. Such serious evils could have never been apprehended were not the national industry forced into an unnatural channel, by the jealousy and rivalship of the sister country, who compelled us to surrender a staple manufacture, of which no enemy could | deprive us. The application of our wool, of which we have inexhaustible quantities at home, to the purposes of national industry, would place us beyond the contingent temper of foreign statesmen, and though the sur. rounding world were wrapt in the flames of war, our artisans would securely and regularly enjoy all the biessings of industry, which the clothing of six millions of people, must bestow. 'Tis a shocking policy, and a disgusting perversion of language to name that a staple manufacture of which the entire materials are the growth of distant countries, and to procure them a voyage of 8,000 miles must be per

formed. Cotton and flaxseed are not to be had in any considerable quantities only in the western world, while wool the most important article in British commercial prosperity, is neglected by us, though we possess every means of raising it as much as any manufacturing nation; nature has intended it for our staple manufacture, and we must be the dullest and most besotted people, to be duped or forced to commit such an error, at so much variance with Providence, as to wander over the earth, to seek materials for industry, until we consumed what we possess at home. We should employ and clothe ourselves by our looms and our wool, in imitation of England, who will not suffer any nation to clothe her people, at the expense of her industry. British cloth exclusively is used in Britain, and until the Irish are exclusively warmed by their own woollen, woven in Ireland, they need not the cotton or flaxseed of America.

The want of timber, by the por:s of the Baltic being closed against us, has caused the greatest part of a very numerous body of people in the building business to be deprived of employ ment. The Union, by removing our nobility and gentry, had done considerable injury to building, and our intercourse with the continent being precluded by the new emperor of the west, has compleated the extinction of a business that communicated the comforts of industry to a valuable and considerable part of the community. Tallow of which vast quantities were had from Russia, has risen to an unu sual price, by the war with that power.

DEATHS.

In London, on the 21st February, Lord Lake. The English Journals have strangely panegyrized the departed Peer for his military fame. If the divided and timid inhabitants of India, imperfectly armed, have sub

mitted

mitted to the more vigorous and sanguinary hordes of Europe, whose physical powers and more perfect discipline, would enable the most super. ficial general to gather the easy laurels of the eastern world. We presume to say, from the lives of a Cornwallis and a Lake, that the genius of either was not of rank enough to secure them immortality on an European or American theatre. Cornwallis was a hero in Indostan and a captive in America. This illustrious character, as he is termed, was caught in the Caudine forks of York town, and his army, cannon, and standards were ignominiously surrendered to an hasty assemblage of farmers and fishermen.

Lord Lake, while yet in a subaltern situation, made some noise in the North of Ireland. About the year 1795, he entered the town of Belfast at that period a very distinguished seat of the democratic fashions of the day. By a skillful distribution of the force under the gallant Colonel, and the promptitude with which he applied it, he possessed himself of every military position in the town and without the loss of a man, effected the ardent object of his instructions, such as cutting down a sign post on which swung a figure of Benjamin Franklin, the American printer and rebel; and another post that bore the portrait of General Du. mourier. His next most distinguished exploits were suppressing Freemason Lodges, a-la-militaire. The Newspaper known by the name of the Northern Star, was completely defeated by the Colonel, and its objectionable parts carried away into captivity.

These coup-de mains were happily and skillfully executed, such as the easy nature of the respective cases aditted; nothing in India could be more conveniently done, or less mili. tary character hazarded; but his lordship lived to see things a little more

intricate in Ireland.

At the battle of Castlebar, the 27th

of August, 1798, he, and his illustrious colleague so unfortunate at home and so eminent in Egypt; were surprised by seven hundred Frenchmen, who, after a short action remained in possession of the town, with the standards, cannon, and baggage of the flying generals.

His lordship died covered with all the honors and rewards that a nation could bestow on elevated talents. The press has been prodigal of its hired as sertions, the public have been so amply served up with the imaginary attributes of the noble general, and the native deficiency of his talents so con. cealed by such fulsome and foolish unauthenticated eulogiums, that it would be difficult to persuade an English reader, that the hero of Delhi and Cas tlebar could be one and the same per.

son.

At Mrs. Murrogh's, Camden-place, the 32d year of his age, O'Donoghue of the Glions, in the county of Kerry, the immediate descendant of the illus trious families of O'Donoghue and Mac Carthy More, whose names are yet held in reverence, in the County which they once had governed with regal power.-This Gentleman preserved unimpaired their dignity and character-enlightened, liberal, generous, affable, and benevolent; he was regarded by a numerous tenantry, with sentiments almost amounting to devotion, equally the spontaneous tribute of their duty, their gratitude and their love; and by an extended circle of friends and acquaintance in the higher classes, with respect and esteem. In domestic scenes, which he was admirably fitted by nature, by education, and by habit to adorn, his virtues could be best appreciated: there his loss is most severely felt. His remains are deposited in the family mausoleum of M'Carthy More, at the Abbey of Mucrass, on the Lake of Killarney.

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7E know no greater defideratum in Irish literature than the want of a full and circumftantial history of thofe illaftrious men, who after the treaty of Limerick became voluntary exiles from their native country, and followed the fortunes of James to France, Ancient or modern ftory can difplay nothing more noble than their refolation, to tear themfelves for ever from the land of their forefathers, to break every link of blood and that bound them to their relations and their homes, and to spend the remainder of their lives in a wan dering, dangerous profeffion. that thofe events must be reviewed Now with the eye of an hiftorian, this conduft will appear generous in an exbeyond the heroifin of Romance. The Stuarts who treated the Irish always with ingratitude, did not deferve fuch an unfhaken attach ment, but the Irish were loyal, more

country

treme, even

T

through a love of justice and to pres
ferve their national honour, than thro
any perfonal efteem for their lawful
monarch. To James they fwore al-
legiance, and their confcience ever
tenacious of right, repelled the idea of

bafe and dishonourable desertion.

Pity too was a great ingredient in the Irish character, and it was enough for James to be unfortunate, to inlift every heart in his defence. The Irish ftruggled to the laft, they fell but they fell with honour, and the flavery into which they fhortly after funk, was the confequence of treachery in the nation that conquered them.

Sir Patrick Sarsfield, (Lord Lucan) the most celebrated of the Irish commanders in the civil wars with Willi am, was the defcendant of an illuftri ous family in Ireland. The earliest of his ancestors of whom we have any account, was Thomas Sarsfield, ftandard bearer to king Henry the 2d.—

He

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