This illustrates the force of the national sentiment, and the tremendous magnitude of the calamities to which its persistent violation leads.  But the case of Hungary is still more apposite as an illustration of the English policy in Ireland.  The Hungarians had an ancient constitution and parliament of their own.  The Emperor of Austria was their legitimate king, wearing the crown of Hungary.  In this capacity the Hungarians were willing to yield to him the most devoted loyalty.  But he wanted to weld his empire into a compact unity, and to centralise all political power at Vienna, so that Austria should be the head and heart of the system, and the other provinces her hands and her feet.  Hungary resisted, and revolted.  The result was a desolating civil war, in which she was triumphant, till the Czar came to the rescue of his brother despot, and poured his legions in overwhelming numbers into the devoted country.  Hungary was now at the feet of her sovereign, and Austria, the dominant state, tried to be conciliatory, in order to bring about the desired amalgamation and consolidation of the empire.  She did so, with every apparent prospect of success, and it was generally considered throughout Europe that there was an end of the Hungarian kingdom.  But Hungarian nationality survived, and still resisted Austrian centralisation.  The Hungarians struggled for its recognition constitutionally, manfully, with admirable self-control, moderation, and wisdom, until at length they achieved a peaceful victory.  Their sovereign reigns over them as King of Hungary; he and the empress dwell among them, without Austrian guards.  Their children are born among them, and they are proud to call them natives of Hungary.  The Hungarians, as subjects of Austria, were discontented, miserable, incurably disaffected.  As subjects of their own king (though he is also Emperor of Austria) they are intensely loyal.  They are prosperous and happy, because they are free.  And though they have their distinctions of race and religion, they are united.  The Magyars of Hungary correspond very nearly to the Protestants of Ireland.  Though a minority, their energy, their education, their natural talent for organisation and government, their love of freedom, their frank recognition of the rights of conscience, enable them to lead without inspiring jealousy, just as the Protestants of Ireland were enabled to lead in 1782, notwithstanding the existence of Protestant Ascendancy.  Religious equality is not a cause of tranquillity in itself.  It tranquillises simply because it implies the absence of irritation.  It takes a festering thorn out of the side of the unestablished community—­a thorn which inflames the blood of every one of its members.  Let worldly interest, political power, and social precedence cease to be connected with the profession of religion, and religious differences would cease to produce animosity and intolerance.  If the Magyars had been the Hungarian party of Protestant