The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-10-18 00:00:00

CATHOLIC AHANCIPAIIOII.

COUNTY OF MAYO MEETING, HELD AT CASTLE-
EAR, ON MONDAY, SEPT. 17, 1110.

FFSCCI OF COONalltLut SI4DONNALL, AT THE
ABOVE Keenan.
GENTLEMAN—After the very luminous and elo-
quent speeches which you have heard from the
Gentlemen who have preceded me, I can scarcely
entertain a hope that any thing that can come
from so humble cud so very incapable en indivi-
dual as myself. shall be considered worthy of the
attention of this most respectable meetiug ; but us
it was ary, lot to have introduced the subject or
Catholic complaint at the last General Meeting of
this county, and as I have been iii some degree
accessary to the convening of the present Meeting,
I trust 1 shall not be considered too obstrusive a
trespasser. for eudeivouring to give utterance to
.00 of those feelings with which I am most
deeply impressed. The Gentlemen who have al-
ready addressed you cannot be snapowel to be so
merely affected by the consideratious of this day
as 1 must be; they are in the full elijayuleut
of those blessings which British liberty eta im-
part, while. I am included from them. I appear
before you a supplicating slave. borne dawn by
the burden of toy chains—wan alien in my satire
land—au outcast Irmo the pale of that Constitu-
tion which it is my pride to generate. and my
duty to support—a Cowf • n blamed and
held by Catholic band', and meet pure whin it was
most Catholic. To sum up all my evils and all.
my errors, lam an Irish Catholic. Before I
prnreed to the consideration of this most importing
*wife:. 1 cannot help adverting to the air of dis-
centrist, and, I might add. of sidiente, which
uniformly accompanies the animadversions of the
Right lion. Geettleinau (111,-nis dirowile) on the
aisapplic dints of the term Emancipation in the
present instance. I know nut, Gentlemen, by.
what rule or by what measure that Gentleman
estimates the feelings of others—but of this I mu
convinced. that be would feel himself redui NI to
a state of the most abject bondage, if he weer
declared utiworthy of holding, not only the di--
tinguished station in which he is at present placwj,
but even that of Sabeiheriff ; if he was excluded
from every emotion in the State to which men of
honest and honourable ambition have ever aspired.
as the kids Catholic most pointedly is ; if declared
incapable of voting not only in the House or
Commas% but even at a Parish Vestry; if ex-
cluded from those bemoan, or adv.intages for
which a life spent in honest and successful indus.
try might qualify him ; by being refused any
participation in the government of the National
Bank ; and finally, if be was told that it was part
of a cycles that be should be dirtied the rites of
his church if he should appear in defence of bis
King and Country; yes, Gentlemen. if. when
pounag forth his gasping breath in prayers fie
his con-!•ry's sense, he should be told by hi,
commanding oficew--0• True. you have fought
fur your Kin,,, and bled iu his defence; but it is
part of our system to deny you the hninble con-
volution of esinsumaicaling. at your dying rue.
swots, with a el man of root, own persuasion I"
Yep, Gentleman. ibis is the language lichl out to
the Irish Catholic sablier—e• Fight for your coati-
try, my hero; bleed for that countr, die for
that Sinewy. lost die lite • dog !" If. I repeat it,
the Right Hsu, Gentleman was doomed to sift,
under sects agositiag grievances, I am convinced
be would' consider that an set of Ernaucipafion,
winch ebeeld relent him from each ignominious
exclusioes. For my wwn part I must own, I do
not know oily Wont in the English language xo
appropriate. or which could se justly express the
feeliag I should enjoy, on bring redeemed from
cry preset degesilatiern. It is to declare our
epeeist, whether !web a system •of insult and
aselisise should maim,. we hirer been as:.em.
bled here this day; and 1 make no dealt hat the
decision, will be well worthy of this groat, popu-
lous, and respireisble reality. I Item I shall nut
be considered to wander fro* the subjoct, when 1
remind the Meetingohat it was by a most per-
fidious breach of the very first of the . Articles of
l.imerick, that the Irish Catholic was placed it,
his prevent situation. If any Gentleman doubt,
the fact. I refer high to the Article. Again, when
Mr. William Pitt had dttermined oh establishing;
a (egishitise Video between the two kingdoms,
be lade the most Shone promises of lois cordial
Csepel-sties with the Catholics of leelsild for the
attainment of their object; but when the Union
was established, and the has of trial csine, here
again were we most- basely betrayed; and be-
cause, forsooth, we cannot produce parchment.
and signatures, and seals, we are told indeed that
we must have been mistaken in our conception.
Thus by perfidy were we enslaved, and by r 1111)
we are held in bondage to this hoar !—I come
stow, Gentlemen, to consider the new obstacle to
Catholic Emancipation, which has caused so much
ogitatioi in this cavalry: • Yoe -have observed
with what indignant caution some Gentlemen
have glanced at it ; others would not pollute their
months by even uttering the weed, it was so ode..
011/1 and offensive; but as one Pon. Gentlemen
(Mr. CYDornwl) has in a most generous and manly
Wanner completely disclaimed it with its quo=
litications, and as he has celled, perhaps very !ne-
rdy. upon his Catholic brethren to state their
objections to this measure, I 'twat now let leave
to cal your attention to the Veto: besides, I do
notecenaider that I could, as a Catholic. avoid
stating my sentiments on that subject. oneieularly
es
I have heard that it was the intention of tome.
Gentlemen to come here for the purpose of anp-
• porting that very imeisure. The first inturfple
which I will lay down is—that the King of Eng-
land has no more right to interfere with the spi-
ritual authority of the Pope, thus the Pope liaa
to- interfere with the temporal authority of the
King of England; their jurisdictions are. in my
i
mind, completely distinct ; and I conceive t to
lw entirely in the power of the King of 'Este-
land to erinre and uphold his non withent
tiestui!eanx on the righteof the iirgy ~r. Are not
the hits of wale that crowd the stutter book, to lie
foundered any security If not, why were they
fr.imed, sinless the framer. were anxions to become
seemotrirs to pvijoty ? Beside., -We do not learn
the. sow earl, measure we, prep oeed when the whale
of the Irish Catholic Plies* were educated in to-