To  keep  bo  many  new  recruits  in  harmony,  it  was
essential  to  determine  beforehand  our  course  in  difficul-
ties long  foreseen,  and  sure  to  arise.     The  quarrel  with
Old  Ireland,  as  the  immediate  adherents  of  O'Connell
Qow  delighted  to   call   themselves,    only    smouldered,
'^uice   Davis's  death   O'Connell  had  been   silent  and
'^'ene,   but    open   and    subterranean   attacks   on   the
^^Han  never  ceased;  and  we  had  learned  from  .^sop
|'*iat  when  lackeys  shower  blows  and  bad  language,  it
*^  *»ot  safe  to  trust  to  the  smiles  of  their  master.     It
.^*8-  very  probable  we  should  soon  have  to  fight  for  our
*^Pmions,  perhaps  for  our  existence  as  a  party ;  and  the


r


22  FOXm  YEAB8  OF  IBI8H  HISTORY.
policy  we  adopted  might  evade  the  danger,  or,  if  that
proved  impossible,  determine  the  victory.  The  principles
of  the  journal  and  the  party  were  of  course  fixed,  hut  the
policy  fit  to  be  pursued  under  the  circumstances  of  the  hour
can  be  determined  only  when  the  hour  is  about  to  dawn.
