The National Register. — London, England, 1811-08-25 00:00:00

f U V ilt ~r+'~il THE NATIONAL REGISTER Our 11Itng, erantltttution, anb ILatuo. PRINTED• AND PUBLIHHED AT NO. 5, PICK ETT4TREET ) STRAND ; NEAR TEUPLE BAR. SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 1811. N°.191. POLITICAL DlSQuismoly. No. 177. IRISH CATHOLICS. It is painful, at this momentous crisis, to see fresh differences arising between the Government and Catholics of Ireland. It is painful, not, as we have already observed, because the safety of the public peace is likely to be endangered, but because such contentions sink the dignity of our national cha racter. Alone and unconquered, we have long stood in the midst of an enslaved world, and yielded to timid and oppressed States, the most glorious and encouraging example of unshaken independence. We have kindled them with our own spirit, assisted them with our wealth, and bled in their defence : and whilst we are incessantly endeavouring to im press upon their minds the absolute necessity of union, to insure the ultimate triumph of th°ir cause, let us not ourselves be a divided people. •As we.are become the shield of nations, it is doubly our duty to collect our strength, prevent its wa3te by . every possible means, and put it forth only against the enemies of human freedom. And as want of unanimity is the first step to weakness, let us, before it is too late, sincerely attempt to remedy the threatened evil effectually. These observations, occasioned by the late events in Ireland, are not solely addressed to Government, which has power to forgive ; but to the Catholics themselves, whose duty is, for the present, to for bear, until the legality of the course which they are pursuing shall have been determined. When they resolved to form a House of Delegates, invested with the same powers of deliberati4.l and settle ment as the House of Representatives acknowledged by the Constitution, it was natural that they should awaken the jealousy of Government, which would have been unworthy the high trust reposed in it, had it not taken notice of such an innovation. In order to prevent meetings, which, experience had proved, were not solely dedicated to the purpose of framing a Petipon, but which opened a wide field for impru dent and useless discussions, a Proclamation was issued, announcing the opinion of Government on the subject, and its intention to execute what it con ceived to he its constitutional duties, and end to this Irish Catholic Parliament, by and trial both of its members and electors, Va. IV. CXCI. A_ p R Yrr 9d. hoped, however, during the interval wut, a suc ceeded the issuing of . the Proclamati aad the election of Delegates, that a 'riddle course would have been discovered, which, by removing the difficulties in which both parties were involved, would have enabled the Catholics to frame •an efficien; Petition, without rendering them obnoxious to prosecutions. This hope was defeated by the Ca tholics themselves, who, strong in fancied right, and careleis of the violent impulse they gave to the pnblic mind in a country so lately convulsed, not only denied the authority of Government to interfere in their proceedipgs, but derided its Proclamation, as an instrument of mock terror, not of power, the threats of which it would never dare to enforces Instead of seeking to conciliate, they openly boasted of their determination to pursue a course of direct and steady opposition, in order, they .asserted, to bring the case before a Jury, and obtain the sanc tion of the law. Had this been their oniy, and certainly not an illaudable aim, they woui.d have proceeded with sober moderation. But they NN to be considered as victims persecuted by intole rance, and therefore raised a loud outcry against the injustice and rancorous hostility of their oppo nents, who, however, had only supplied them with an opportunity of proving:, in a legal Manner, the existence of those rights which they pretended to possess, and which, if real, investigation would cause to be immediately recognised. Persevering in their career of opposition and defiance, they elected Delegates under the very eye of the Irish Government, which, in consequence, put in force the derided Proclamation, issued warrants, and arrested several Electors, whose trial, which will shortly take place, must at length set this question at rest; though not perhaps the Catholic. s, whose conduct,:l since this step has been adopted, has assumed a de- • cided character of impropriety. Enccuraged by the forbearance of Government, who, willinv to display the utmost tenderness towards tnem, has not followed the arrest of the Dublin Electors by that of any others in the cout4a - e, they have dared to attribute this moderation to impotence an.d fear. Such language, and we find it repeated in ,every . . .;! print in the Catholic interest, if not crisninal,. is at least highly imprudent. .e willing to ascribe it to the blind fanaticism often unmeaning in its expressions ; other might be considered as little short of a ~-.:~; 57 1....1 to pu We *kr . co.t ;. 1 , th ~#ts!. . , • , rty, ~.,.__ $. 'int il* 't 1 ~.... 1 ,.., , • , r 8) /-cti',l-14-1-L4 t