Once let them imagine you are afraid of them, and they see perfect independence in their grasp.

And what would be the spectacle if they were to cut themselves loose from England?
The big ship might be inconvenienced by the loss of the tender; the tender would fall adrift on the Atlantic, with pilot and captain at sword and pistol, the crew playing Donnybrook freely.

Their cooler heads are shrewd enough to see the folly, but it catches the Irish fancy to rush to the extreme, and we have allowed it to be supposed that it frightens us.

There is the capital blunder, fons et origo.
Their leaders now pretend to work upon the Great Scale; they demand everything on the spot upon their own interpretation of equity.
Concessions, hazy speeches, and the puling nonsense of our present Government, have encouraged them so far and got us into the mess.

Treat them as policemen treat highwaymen: give them the law: and the law must be tightened, like the hold on a rogue by his collar, if they kick at it.