The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-04 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

to my judgment, the individual who could fora moment entertain
a scheme so preposterous, should be accounted a sanguinary
and much fitter fur an asylum titan for a gaol. There would not be
s chance of success to redeem the crime of such an undertaking.
Human life would be wissivil without bounds and without avail.
Carnage would be loaded with all the guilt of inutility, and flame
would light the sky,and massacre wet the earth, and hope could nut
put in its equivocal apology or :Mod its dubious extenuation d
outrage, of dishonour, and blood. (Loud cheers.) Ido not maw
to say, that if I hid been born an American, I should not have
joined the stsnilLril of the Republic. Ido not mean to say, that if
I had been born a Portuguese, 1 should not hare enlisted under
the banners of Braganca. Where is the Greek, with a heart in his
bosom, who would not " take by the throat and smite the circum-
cised dogs ?" Where is the Creole that would not exclaim that the
land of Montezuma should be free ? (Loud cheers.) But the
efforts that were noble and just in Portugal, and in America, and
in Mexico, or in Greece, derived their nobleness and their justice
goon the prillabilities of success, which consecrates and canonises
all great political undertakings. In Ireland, the rebel against the
law would revolt against nature. Providence appears to have pre-
ordained tide junction of the two countries; and without arms, with.
out organization, without concert, with nothing but an undisci-
plined multitude for the accomplishment of this object. what could
the leader of a rebellion expect to achieve ? And where is he—
where is the Catiline, or rather the Spartacus, who is to head
this Servile War ? Is lie to be found among the wealthy burghers
of the metropolis ? or are we to seek the great disturber among the
Bishops of the Association ? Is the Primate to convert his mitre
to a calque, and his pastoral staff to a pike ? Or is it my Lord
Kenmare, with his fifty thousand a-year, who is to shake the dire
dice-box in this desperate game, anti commit to the hazard of revo-
lutionary contisci.tion ? But, perhaps, it is among the lawyers
that this rtgenerator is to be found—The lawyers !
Loud in debate, and bold in peaceful council,
But of a slow, inactive hand in war."
It might as well be intaiiinl that we would pull down the dome of
the Four-Courts on our' heads, as subvert a Government in whose
Tullis we could not fail to perish. Is it not as rotorious as that there
Is light in the heavens, that we and every man who has raised his
voice in this assembly, must be blown away on the first explosion
of a mine to the train of which they tell us we arc about to apply
the match ? Mr. O'Connell excite the people to commotion ! lies
he " eaten of the insane rout ?" Is he utterly titiltious?—has he
been struck with political lunacy ?—is he, in a word, stark mad ?
Who is Mr. O'Connell ? Is he a man without station, rank, or
fortune ? Has he nothing to lose, and everything to gain from a
political convulsion ? Is he without the enjoyments that make
men cling to life-make the it in lova with peace, and give them an
endearing interest and a tender solicitude iu the tranquillity of their
country ? Is it his ambition to drive the vessel against a rock,
that when it is breaking up lie may catch at • single plank, which
he could hold but for a moment, and which would be washed away
from him by the next breaker that should burst upon his head ?
(Loud cheers.) Gracious (foci ! what feelings would they attribute
to hint ? I. as he no home. no character, no stay, no child? (Hear,
hear, hear.) " He," says Lord Bacon, " that bath children, gives
hostage to the law ;" and where is there • man that has a . ingle
touch of the parental instincts about his heart, who would not re-
coil from a desperate enterprise, in which, with his own existence,
he would have to plunge the dearer portion of himself? (Hear,
hear, hear.) So much for the man to whom, by the general suf.
' huge of his country, the leadership of its people has been assigned.
But are the people disposed to rebellion? The pitch cap and the
triangle are formidable mnemonics. They know that the first in-
surrectionary movement would be followed by the re-enactment of
scenes of which they have had a terrible experience. They have
not forgotten the shrieks of torture, the reverberation of the whip,
the bursting bowels, the scorched forehead, and the lacerated back.
The spectre of Fitzgerald stalks through the land ; the cries
of IVright are still rineing in their ears; tiny hear the screams of
the victim and the torturer's laugh. They still hear the groans that
i,sued from the hiding-house and the Castle-yard—groans to which
Castlereagh was deaf, but which will not the in heaven. (Loud
cries of hear.) There is in these recollections a terrible admoni-
tion. The people recoil from the gulf to which the Orange faction
would impel them : hut if the people shrink from every revolu-
tionary enterprise, are they to suppress their complaints ? Are our
hearts compounded of different materials front the rest of mankipd?
'• Bath not the Jew eves ?" says Shylock. Hatli not the Catholic
eyes, hands, organs, adictions, senses, passions, as the Protestant
hath 1 Fed with the saute food, hurt with the same weapons, healed
by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and
summer, as the Protestant is? If you tickle us shall we not laugh ?
—if you poison us shall we not die?—if you torture us shall we not
bleed ?—and if you wrong us—the Jaw says shall we not revenge ?
—but I would say, shall we not complain ? (Loud cheering.)
PROSECUTION OF THE COURIER.

Mr. Mos steLL-31r. Chairman, the Committee have de.
liberated on the expedient.), of commencing proceedings against the
Courier newspaper for the libel upon Maynooth College, and the
result of their consultations is an opinion that such proceedings
ota4ht to be instituted. The Committee were desirous that this
should be done by a civil action, because in that case the defendant
would have an opportunity of pleading the truth as a justification ;
but this mode of proceeding is rendered Impracticable by a techni-
cal difficulty arising from the peculiar construction of the College
of Maynooth, which, although a permanent, is not • corporate
body. The mode, therefore, to which we must resort is a criminal
prosecution, which, however, is to be accompanied by an offer,
that those who are connected with the paper shall not be affected by
the measures, if they give tip the author of the paragraph, which
bears strong evidence of Irish origin. There is an Act passed since
' the Union called Judge Johnson's Act, under which it is competent
for us to prosecute in any county in Ireland where the Courier
circulates, and ft is but just that the Courier should taste of this
bitter chalice.
Mr. O'COXXEIiI. read the Report, which stated that the Corn.
mittee were unanimously of opinion that the publication in the
Courier of the 16th instant, so tat' as it related to the Royal College
of 3laynooth, ought to be made the subject of a judicial in-
vestigation. The Committee propose—
First—That a prosecution for the libel in question shall be forth-
with instituted its such part of Ireland as shall be deemed most
likely to ensure a fair and impartial trial ; and that the expenses
of such prosecution shall be defrayed by the Catholic Association.
Secondly—That such prosecution should, if possible, be instituted
against the author of the publication, and not against any person
connected with the public press.
Thirdly—That an immediate communication should be made by
a professional Dentleman, to the Proprietors of the Courier, in-
forming them of the intention to Institute the ptosecution, and
offering to abandon all idea of prosecuting any person connected
with the newspaper, in case the author of the publication in ques-
t on shall be given up.
Fourthly—That such communication to the proprietors of the
Courier should contain an undertaking that the defendant, in such
peoset-ution, whoever lie may be, shall be at liberty to I,ive the
truth in evidence, as a complete defence; and further, that the pro-
secutors will enter into a regular and written consent, that there
shall be a verdict of acquit il entered up, in case the truth of the
matters contained in the libel shall be established.
The Committee further beg leave to suggest, that the Law Corn.
mittee should be empowered to enter into an arrangement with the
proprietors of the Courier to have the matter tried in Ireland, in
the shape of a civil action rather than a criminal prosecution ; bus
this can be done only in case those proprietors will consent to waive
the technical difficulties which at present render the civil action
impracticable. The advantage of the civil action would be this,
that the truth of the libellous matter might be put upon tecord and
pleaded in bar: because in civil actions truth is (as it plainly ought
in all cases to be) a perfect defence.
DANIEL O'CONNELL, Chairman.
Mr. O'CoXYELL then moved that the Report should be received
and that the Resolutions, by which it was accompanied, should be

adopted.
31.1.ounumt seconded the motion, and it was carried
unanimously.

(OBBETT.

Mr. °Toxic:mt. said, with respect to Mr. Cobbett's works, I
already stated, that the Report of the Committee was to be subject
to their consideration as to how far any interference on our part
might clash with the interests of the trade. I see from the Moroing
Reg4tee of this morning, that Mr. Cobbett has engaged one Gen-
tleman as a regular agent in Dublin, and others have advertised
his works for sale. We shall, therefore, postpone the report
until we see how far any steps on the part of the Association
may be expedient.
THE CATHOLIC RENT.
Mr. J. I). MULLEN read a letter from Kinnrgad, stating that
the publication of the names of the members had had a very
salutary effect in promoting the collection of the Rent.
Mr. O'Coxxxxx again rose and slid—Mr. Chairman, I trouble
you so seldom (a laugh), that I am sure I shall be permitted to say
a few words: I am very glad to see Mr. Mullen moving on the sub-
ject of the Rent, and I shall be still better pleased if be will take
the trouble of mewing actively through Francis-street and Thomas-
street (A laugh.) 'l'o speak seriously ; it is much to be lamented
that the Rent in Dublin is not as forward as it ought to be. Really
efforts ought to be made to give those who are anxious to contribute
an opportunity of doing so. If some gentlemen would ta'-ie the
trouble of dividing the different parishes into streets, and devoting
a little time in the course of the week to visit the residents, I
am convinced a great deal of good could be effected. I otvscll
have received a hundred complaints, from persons interested fur
the success of the cause, of the want of collectors.
At tine close of the proceedings, Mr. O'rxessksrry, one of
the reporters for the Morning Post, delivered an explanation of the
circumstances under which he had appeared at the police oilier,
In Mr. O'Connell's case. It was quite exculpatory of Mr.
O'Flaherty, and was extremely well received by the Meeting.
After the reading of several letters, thanks were voted to
Doctor bleats:, the Chairman, and the Association adjourned at
j six o'clock.

EI-OTTICIO AGAINST SIR HARCOURT LESS.—ite
have just learned that an ex-oJJiei(• has been filed by the
Attorney-General against Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart., for
some seditious expressions which appeared in a letter of his
inserted in the Correspondent newspaper. It is said, that
Sir Ilarcourt has already engaged Mr. Saurin and several
of the most eminent lawyerv, and that it is his intention
to summon Lord Sithnouth on the trial.—lrish Times.

ALAesis.—The most comical farce of all is enacted every
Sunday in Arklow. The folk there will not go to church
without a military guard inside and outside the gates. So
saith our correspontlan ; but, really, our own feeling is,
that the joke is too.ricli to be true.—Tite Dub!illferling
Register.