The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-02-02 00:00:00

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lab* aliklirodilkAiiii to the semi., a living monument
~04.„„,, ~, taimoirc of civil discord, dist:Actium, seil
is ourse _
Tet the partisans of ibis systerni-iithe advecates , for
Its continuance—the biguts of the old school—the Mo-
nopolists of place, power, and dominion, hate sew.
eat tbeursefees against its dissolution, and ages of ppm,.
elod, of enjoyment, and of practice in its evils, Os •r•
tom and its crimes, will nut satisfy them: tl:ey lute but lie
thirlitical disorder, breathe freely but its the atmosphere of
&Mimetic strife, social disunion, and national degradatiou.
'nay now exclaim, that the Protestant Church is in darer,
lbw Protestant people betrayed, and the Protestant Cassino-
Ition attacked, by the policy of our preseet Guverumeet, as-
suming the great privilege of Catholic Emancipation as one
' tails objects. The Church! what arc the elaugers which me-
nace It ? ft is fenced around by the barriers of aristociary--.
its Noll from whence Its pillars have ariaeu almond rectos. sod (
betonyth to the Est•bliebed Reletion-19 20ths at least ti'
I the proprietors of our island, irLetior rerideut or at :rower.
Ipr:ifess the Protestant faith; they, lit fact, austaia the h.:,..
den of the revenue of the Chu, 4, by rveuiuslly couteii.c.
Ilog, in the abuse ratio, to its supports thee, if coi•
version from this faith he not one of the commie:more,
of emancipation, from whence cometh the danger? Any
modification of the tithe system was titter ioicaded eve
abridge the revenue of the Church, mid an actnil. she.
lition of this whet% except from revolution, could ne-
ver be attempted but on the priuciple of seibotit•tioe,
and this would still fix the burden where it stood, for a tax
I of this description, in whatever shape it coined, must, b^
regarded at abstracted from the revenue of the laud. aril
consequently from the pockets of those who own it ; hat
with a Proteetant King, a Protestant Parliament, eu.l a
Governmeut its all things substantially, ems filially, and
literally Protestant, from whom cometh the Jaeger ?
The Protestant people betrayed! flow is this sophism to
be maintained ? The Protestant population, it is true, bear%
a disparity in numerical strength of at least one to three • I i
their Catholic brethren ; but this Lomeli'sl sumo ioril sin phy-
sical force is opposed by a political predotninsace in all the
other attributes of power, quite sufficient to temos:e any an t it i-
paled danger from its meaning, unless *c appreh.tol a dere•
limit:to of the duties of our Goveisemeut, totally incoueis.
tent with the energy of its character. Along with this, the
commanding influence of the landed interests already stated
can hardly be affected, except by that which would divest
them of their property; nor can property itself be ex-
posed to any greater danger of transfer and revolut:iel
by this mst, than if we remained as we arc, for already
and for many years a perfect equality of right belong to
Catholic and Protestant in the acquisition of landed pro-
perly. While the interests of mankind, therefore, coutiLee
to be regulated by the iuflueuee of property, so long must
the connexion between landlord and tenant, mliaterer be
their religious creeds, continue subject to the same indu.
rime. Heber the legitimate ascendancy of the landed interests
over the political represcatatient of our country smite,.
little danger of declension from Catholic eusaucipation.
But, for the sake of argument, let it be admitted, that
at no distant period the number of Members actually Peat
i to Parliament amounted to one-third of our entire represen-
tation, consisting of 100 Members—a thing utterly improba-
ble, within the range of any ordinary computation—what
could they attempt, however disposed, against a phalanx con-
sisting of MB Member% together with the remaining heal
' of their own representation? An alliance with the Opperei-
lion, however intimate, could hardly endanger the safely of
the Coustilution i• the opinion of the stanchest Tory, or
the most violent Ultra, nor milers we convert them at once
isle a band of traitor% ready to batch another gunpowder
plot, can there be any justifiable pretext, at this enlightened
period of our history, for refusing a privilege, tine cootioued
possession of which must evidently be censtingeot spot.
the constitutional discharge of its duties. This responsibi-
lity must, i• troth, be considered as one of the great eccuri-
ties which connects itself with the measuie, whatever may
be alleged by one of its leading advocates t to the contrary.
II is manifestly a great experienced is legislation, mainly
bottomed epos the confidence entertained in the continued
loyalty of the Catholic people, and retributive justice miss'
necessarily follow any vistiatioa of the compact ; but as Alio
mischief sever could arise under rircesenstaneee ineurtitio;
less danger to the security of the Empire, neither can Ite
experiment be made tinder a coincidence of relations more
favourable to its adoption.
The Constitution attacked! The constructive application
of this charge has been already anticipated; two, in fart, • f
its constituesit and most important brunches have been euth-
eiently examined, yet enough remains behind to render it
still of paramount interest. The Constitution implies the Cu-
vernmem, for we must regard both in this cave to he ay-
nemyrauus terms; not so much because they might in them-
selves bear distinct application% as because they most'be
indissolubly united to give force to our mg...mews. What
are the dangers then to which nor Government is liable to
be exposed from Catholic Emancipation? The physical
energies of a people, however numerous, eau only be ren-
dered available to any purpose of hostility by an organised
disposition of their force. In this rase the highest ratio
which can be maintained with troth is one to three. Taking
the strength of the *bole empire at 21 millions, and 'et-
limiting the Catholic people of Ireland at above five Mil-
lions (excloolve of at least 2,000,000 Protestants), we ski.,
then, could say effective, ur suceeessful disposition of five
force be attempted against the peace, and without the know.
ledge of the other three-fourth% practised, as the greater put t
have been, in vigilantly watching, mid socressfully resitting
civil commotion in eve. y shape, whether of civil war or pea.
(Mal agitation ?—we confidently soy, impossible. But why
should any suspicion be now esocitaioed that airy such eke-
position smelly prevails among the Catholic peoplel Thiry
have no encouragement ft ors experience, the monitor Ads
wisdom, to hazard another attempt at separation, &for key-
ing failed under circumstances Mitt favourable to the melt
enterprise, than any which ever can occur aosi a. The ittealty
of a devoted people, comparatively week is plepvcal
strength, hut mifficieutly organised is military elieeiirier,
iucluding, let if be recollected, a militia force, almost win.
sively Calkofic, was atiuudautly sufficient to sustain die
contest, nod, with trilling succour fium Euglanel, to vital'
the spirit and extinguiels the hope which f.d and commeuce it
it ! But have they any encouragemeri from the de-dosing
strength of Iliitish power? Nurse: for that was never mute
furoodable, su ad the attributes of civil and political etitr.2ll.,
during the exiettuce of the ssieriarchy Yes, more forni,do.
ble to her euemirs, more glorious to herself, more em"iieut
and distinguished throughout the world—mute ce en peient, iii
fine, to crush setsellioo, punish treason, lied to control, yet
to consolidate, by bold, liberal, and cunslit.itionad emits,
all the elements of leer greatness.
But bare the Catholic people any putierefesi metiers for
wishing an entire cuosolidatioli of .d.ength, moral, pont cat,
and physical, with the British Couetitutiem ? They have time
and anxiously desired 'leis itui .... , is.fitietieed ii•d -0.-..- be
the superior eminence, the purity and *iodine of tin ( 1/3,6"-
her, but that instinctive pessiiiii which the love of comic. f
tied time unrivalled glory of the empire toast hove He-
spired them oath. It is besides in tie 1131111IC of ILA*. it
gather wisdom from expelienee, and the le•sena of ilitsel _
tuae have generally au extra tendency to beg. t emeteeno-
Every circumstance which could s xctte a diapoiatioit Ito or
wive the embers of pulisical hostiiity to iii di-li :o.n.o.:eye
sad connexion, have beets enter removed tit t t.th.e.c.t.ti,
while the political settlemeet of Europe has it., il .i..ur.
mountable obstacles to the future pewit.% of e.-re:eti to.
tropic. Suppose she uneasiest then accomplished, rill site
vigilance of the British Government relax, ill probe. ::•in ele
they confer power on those who might indulge a lateut oh&
position to bossy it? %Vial they repose coufide bee in rod-
(erring places of trust and resiponsibility, without tried tel-
terrify ' Will they reward ambition *Muesli merit ? --iei-
vices wiihuut desert ?—dieti 'Owe Geom.& in iii,.... ma.
rate oegligtote of the duties of their bust ?—aud 'warden
the adesiontration of their affairs over the must imminent
portion of the empire to men utiworth) of the char.:et it
such mischief-, us such M00...01e0, as we might better boil
them, wise eeppos..l to re,tiit es a necessary conseeloyaca
of cleave:meows, then melted *4e should be honied to mid;

• Mr. O'Cunsell %list's the Catholic population of Lt_
laud at ..w-thud of the *bole empire ; Ist.t this is est-
dently au extoffetasiou whicS I base uodispositioo to adopt.
t Mr. OTostoell, srho shades to tba menu:twat of Ow
peal statairaaa, if the Ineaattre'of Emauctpativa toicrecnily
itoplittl nays taJclually.

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