The combination of national action—all Catholic Ireland acting as one man—must necessarily have a powerful effect on the minds of the Ministry and of… - Daniel O'Connell

The people of England will not sanction this scheme of godless education, and you must introduce religion into your system, or it will not be received by the people of Ireland. The Irish are essentially a religious people. Infidelity is unknown in Ireland. Act manfully, therefore—make religion the basis of your proceedings, and fear not. By so doing you will have a better prospect before you—you will have the protection of a higher Power if you adopt proper principles as the foundation of your scheme; but do not flatter yourselves with the idea that you are doing anything conciliating to Ireland if, in a matter of this kind, you exclude religion from your consideration. Let there be Presbyterianism for the Presbyterian, Protestantism for the Protestant, and Catholicism for the Catholic. I want nothing for the Catholic which I am not ready to assert for others. Let there be fair play and justice to all.

I contribute with pleasure my mite to the curiosities of your album. I wish I could call to recollection, in order to furnish you with something original, the speech I made on giving the memory of Washington at our dinner on the lake of Killarney. I only recollect that the conclusion of it was much cheered. Did it not convey this idea? "He found his native land a pitiful province of England. He left her—Oh Glorious destiny!—an independent and mighty nation."

Ireland has claims on your ancient race, as it is the only Christian country that I know of unsullied by any one act of persecution of the Jews.