The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-15 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF 'I HE BRITISH PRESS.

tit IL—Hating dwelt en long In nur former letter upon 11,e mine-
-IZ7bi.,
lotions teepecting the ountinet of the Catholic A trhetravon of
Dr. Blake, at St. Kevin's Chureh.yami, we shall only add
one ether document on that auhject namely, the copy or a letter
meet% ed from that truly-venerable clergyman, in reply to our in-
quirk.. We beg feats to solicit your attention to this simple un-
puma! stateutes:t

(COPY.)
lamer Exchange-street,
A pril '22, 1824.
" Dear Sir,-1 hate jug now hail the honour of receiving your
+avow of the loth inst. and will answer your mimes without a
inalnenes delay.
" First, as to the nature of my interference in St. Kevin's Church_
Laid, on the 9th of lag S,pteniber, you may judge from these
!ads, which ran be attested by thousands who wire present. I at.
bladed with many other friends, clergymen as well as laymen, of
th• inte lamented %Ir. lhirey, as one of the bearers at his funeral,
as they did, a scarf and list-band, and in every other re-
spoil undiwunruished in my dress (ram any other professional
man. I did not appear with either cassock, or stole, or surplice, or
book, or any other vesture, or badge, or emblem. such a. the
rawl if the Catholic l'hurch tires:Al:es to be used by her
for. •I:r.ever they officiate. I as-tamed no authority, nor any of-
ficial charsier; I neither read nor attempted to read any burial
mitoses in short. I did nothing no that occasion hut what laymen
are In dr h..:ait of doing when a clergyman is not present. I re-
peated, in a low voice, from memory, the short praYer which is
vOntaineit in the 129th or /Ml'salm, and even that I re-
mitted, not in any official capacity, bit deference to the retpit-tt
ot it near and remeetNl relative of the deceased. What 111111 is
ha: I have always known to be thine eiilier by clergymen or lay.
met: On ,nett mew:ions, both in Dublin and in every other vat of
inriatoi, *WI the usages of which lam acquainted. And I assert,
with coniolence, that to inkinainte the contrary stples either very
little k of our customs, or what is much worse. Hut lam
not wiltiog in give offence.
" As to the interruption given by the sexton, it consisted in for-
bidding me to offer any prayer over that grave; and when, in a
love voice, he was asked by whose authority did he till me so, he
By order of the If occevary, what 1 heir
state can be maimed by the respectable gentlemen who were then
standing near me.
" Believe me, dear Sfr, very respectlblly, your faithful humble
servant, " M. BI.AKE.

" T.; Clem Alnedonnell, Dui."
What nee b-enmes of all the vaponring declarations of the
Arebbiehmi of Dublin, the Bishop of Limerick, and parochial
Clergy of Dublin ? Will they seriously contradict, in plain tin-
ambyguoun terms, the three lettere of Archdeacon Blake, the affi-
davits of Aleuts. John Redmond, Peter Redmond, and Arthur
Doter, and the micron attestations of the Catholic Archbishop of
Dahlia. ai:l sixty.sic lettholic clergyman, all of whole in the true
spit it and confidence of truth, affix their signatures to their state-
meta. and offer to verify it upon oath, it lawfully required ? They
will not venture mem mach a contradiction. Let them then retract
their itornindol denial of the truth of that all gition in our peti.
non which is distinctly stietainetl by all and teach of those document
whic't they tannin controvert. It will not milk.-for them, now, to
set no the te..s of station," or to ceeese their silence by " a din.
reeses of ns eleirgen," much lean will their ill nee be at-
trinewil to A spirit of Christian crtical/mete. No " sta "tee
con:wet:etc cilattiny ; situ, least of sill can we recognize their pure
ivitte iittlitence in a teatime which produces the anomalous man-
-1;Mo/a of the richest prudery and peeve people in the world ; a
" station" never in coenexion, but ever in collision with those over
whom it is raised ; and so impregnated, so saturated with dwelt.
WPM'S of tiecord, we to neutralize the most earnest ingenuity and
admitted legislative omnipotence of the three estates of Parliament,
in their atoned 1350111% to reconcile the pretensions of that hierarchy
v at: y ju.t remade I. private right or public repose.
A 4 we have underoskee to shew that every material allegation
of three opponents which wee capable of invereigation, is devted of
t milt; w- shall now advert to the transaction at St. Mary's chime.
yer I. whiela in reprefeented to have been " a similar adenine' at in-
eov 41 SS that at St. h:evitee. The facts were shortly these :-31r.
3ofift .liftetnee, a respectable Catholic solicitor, died in Sackville-
etreet. Dehlite last Chrintinan. or Alertly before it, and it was de-
termined tint I:is remain* should be interred in St. Mary's church.
reel, Thfee other member,. of 11111 family had been buried. In or-
der in avoid a repetition of the 'erne at St. Kevin's, a respectable
Cethofie gentlemen ens deputed by the friends of the deceased to
'wait aeon the officiating minister or curate, the Rev. Mr. Bandin,
with titter re•titteet the a latholic clergyman might be permitted to
:owlet sue repeat the usual prayer PP that occasion. It was die.
th ird! stated to Mr. Hamlin, in reply to his queries, that the priest
did not on seteh occasions perform any ceremonies or wear any
-view ; and also that the gentleman himself hail attended the bu.
risi. or s, .e•ral Catholic friends in the different church-yards of
nubble aiel :weer saw one that was not attended by a Catholic
terrevman, eel.• merely repeated the De ,l'utfioolir, and a abort
prev..r. Hr. tlindin promised to communicate with the rector, the
Rev. Dren Graves ; w Ito, nu the next morning, addressed a note
ti elle Wm. Jo:lima:me, the nephew of the deemed, refusing to
ce.e. to the r, quest of the family. lin entering the churchyard,
the rr was conducted to Mr. handle, by desire of the latter,
'who vs...Mee:eel in his cirri. al dr. se, and inquired whether the gen-
•Jeafen bad seen In. fir • ' note to Mr. Johnstone. Ile replied
:fee 1.,. hat inn seen et, but was lid:tinted of its contents. Mr.
Cr stn welted hini it' there wee any priest in the church-yerd ? The
teed:mom replied in the at metise, but that the Catholic clergy.
man meetly attended as a private gentleman. Dom he mean, said
1111 r. Reedit., to perform any ceremonies? I 'tiquestionably not, re-
plied the 6o:tilt:man, nor even to repeat the usual prayers in the
omen.? i mentimmil to you yesterday. 'mime you choose to allow
hint. "That I cannot do," arid tile. Bandin ; " I attend here in toy
°Mehl] capacity, in 'consequence of orders from high authority, to
mart onything of the king!, :Mould it lea attempted; but if you
give me your word of honour, as a gentleman, that it will not be
ettimpievi, 1 /Mali retire." The getaleman having seceded, 31r.
reefitn withdrew, and the b ely was interred, to Mr. Plunkett
world .av, • • like a dead dog," the Catholie clergyman being thus
eenipelled ley the Protestant iniatister send his curate, and the" or.
dere inv.° high authority." to remain perfectly silent, as he did.
no-.t diem:datable interruption of an tenurial usage took
die presence of newel most respectable Protestant and Ca-
titobc gentlemen. IV the !trusser, we cat, name Sir John Edmund
fee I :ere, Mr. ktcelen 'tithbert„ Barrister, Mr. Livesay, Soli.
4.1,1 11 31teoyn, Procter of the Ecclesiastical Court, any
10...1, e,eetd testily whether there Is any truth whatever in the
decleratioe that a grafholie priest had officiated, or attempted to
up iii that occaaion in St. Mary's church-yard, or took any
pArt whatever in the transaction. At the sante time, we can assert,
vs the must positive terms, that '• there is nut a Catholic clergyman
"innate:l situ St. Mary'. pariah who has not from LIMP to time
ettenecil the Motels of Catholics in the church-yard of that parish,
end not one of them recollects a single instance in which the Padua
I!: I 'rt!tiohlis, and the usual short prayer, were not repeated, prior
ter this 'imbibition in the case or Mr. Johietore." Yet this is one
act the two reset selected by Dr. Magee and hi+ parochial clergy as
innovating att. mitt on the part of the Catholic clergy whereas
it lutist now manifestly appear that els Cstbolic clergyman attempt-
... to laitutfeee, directly tar indirectly, at the occasion, and that the
attetllpted anti practised was the joint act of the rector.
snit fee •• high authority" which issued its sinters; and this high
-Mei; y can he no oilier hut the A relibinhop himself.
We shall now notice another misrepresentation by the Lord
fie'iee rick. It is stated, by his Lordship that ' this petis
Pee (itimeine unit petition) thee not represent the read feelings of
the (totem rethelies et Deland." M'ould he say so, sow? The
'Rehr lexerefel lewd mar eels, " agitators have been at work to
teem.. cenee ;" and, agent. lie says, " the aeitators. who hare
trtel to excite collisions. Sill fall, thry 111 Int Gil. The instances in
welch they have been inevessful are nry few, not shove three or
foot throueetote all In he: t." Meeitine. obvitniely, thereby, that
' ell Meet ditigraceful CP11131014 wane predareel by 4 'atholie artames,
otiliotedi the !tight Rey. Lord mews not and could not refer to a
etegle tact Of men n11,44:1..11 to justify this imputation. A brief
et e neve to sari rase sal enable any person to estimate the value
his leuelship's declaretion.

I I

The first interruption was atteroptA in the church-yard of St.
}lobar, in the city of Cork, in 10,ecinber, 11118. The Rev. Mr.
Cithobc Archdeacon of Cork, war proceeding in the same
nianitrr ON lie had been accustomed to do fur nearly forty yews, to
attend the burial of onc of his parishioner, in that church.rard, of
which lean Magee (now Archbishop Magee) was Minister. Dr.
Cuilins did not wear any porti-olsr dross or mark whatever, that
wish' d.-titizoirb him front a layman, when he was accosted by deo
sexton, who presetitrA tot a written order prryvnting any clergy-
man to officiate in the church or churchlani of that parish with.
out the permission of the Man, who, we are willing to add, stated
afterwards, that the interdict was not Wooded foe Dr. Collins.
'there was no Catholic agitation in this case for the Catholic
clrymari was Fois-thug his usual way, and the collision was
ii pi•orl by the ikon Magee Or his sexton.

second occasion was that at St. Kevin's. 9th Sept. List,
• hi•re it is now proved, berwidi drib' air question, the Catholic
sierlyntan was proceeding merely to repeat, front memory, some
short prayers, according to immemorial usage, when he was inter.
cured by the serum; so that whether the sexton was right UT
slag, it must he admitted that the collision was produced by the
trtenroption riven byhim; so that this collision was not, either,
.cased by C.stludie agitators.
The third OCTAII/0:1 was at Ratliconnuck, in the county l'ork,
on the Vith of last October, and the timimatances connected with
may be corertcvl from the following extract front a letter of the
Cite:oh: clergyman, the Hcv. Sheehan, dated Oct. lit, iiitilressisl
to the editor tat the (',Jr .11..reoetile t'hroo;ete, and inserted in the
. W.. E.:ening Poet, 00.23:- •••• Immediately after the inter.
mon', I set out to a distant part of the parish, unit tm my return,
icarecil from unquestionable antimony, that as soon as the Ref.
./.11111:3 Eltepilfiek. the Hey. W. Cotter, and I had commenced the
u.ual prayer. one of the churchwardens rushed through the crowd
towords us, but was stopped by the people. This attempted lutis-
t _roan did not tall under our observation.
there was, however, a determination to interfere with us
• t!i, occasion, is plaretl beyond a doubt, bit what I am going to
eche.. The lion. and Rev. John Blackwood, our rector, called on
we the following day, and said, in the prtsisinve of a respectable
rutleman, that he ordered his curate, the Rev. Mr. Ryder, an
Suisttsy last, vi infonn me that they ((the rector and curate) had re-
ceived a letter fruit' the Bishop, desiring they should prevent
Roman l'atliolic (tern men from attending funerals, or offenng up
prayers in the church-yard. Thus, it appears, that in this case
the eathol;c cleft:mow did not even know of the collision at the'
time ; and that tt was produced by the churrhwarden acting appa-
rintly under these umbra of the bishop, without ally intcrial ace eel
apcance of t 'atholic agitators.
fourth occasion was that at St. Mary's, llublin, which we
have just now noticed, on which no collision whatever took place,'
*wing Si the moderation of the Catholics. both lay and eccleslasti,al,
*foie submitted to the innovating interdtet which was issued from

16.