The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-20 00:00:00

TB ;4; BTUTI S tES S.

LONDON,

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1319.

IVe have received Belgian and German Papers
of recent dates. The expectation of a Pseprilitaita-
tive Constitution, founded oil the most liberal prin-
ciples, set•nts to be very generally entertained
throughout the Prussian States, and opinions are
said to be fret ly expressed in Berlin and the other
large tow us, on the nature of political institutions,
and the tendency of political freedom to ensure the
pro.perity oft:nullifies. The Ministers of State are
said to hold the most liberal notions on this subject,
hut at the same tune tte cannot avoid suspecting
the purity of those motives that have so long de-
barred the Prussians from the enjoyment of this
anticipated blessing. Sevtral years bays passed
since the promise of a free Constitution sus origi-
nally made by the King of PRUSSIA ; but it has
not as yet pleased his Majesty to fulfil this promise,
nor do we lied that any measures have been adopt-
ed for uscrrt.iuiog the sentiments of the people
upon this important suhj.i t, If the people are
wottliy of freedom, they might to have some part
in raining the system of their liberty. The excel-
lence of a Coliatittation, or form of Government,
firituded upon [laws, depends tu ita cotiformity
with the wishes nod sentiments of those for a hose
use it iv rstabli,hrd, uluil theoretical freedom might
bet owe practic:tl slavery should it militate against
the: ideas, habits, or even the pr,juilices of the
people.
The Brussels muck, of the 15111, mentiotis that
the Cowl hail j•ist recylved intelligence of the death

(.c tl.c Q,:cen of Wir.roinunc., Lot dnes sot st4te
1111 bei lir,. of the Quern-Cootort, foxmerly the Du-
chess of OLDEN 01:110, or of the Qtreeet-Dowager,
Princes, Royal of ENGLAND. The Circumstance is
slot notice,' in the other papers of the pastor date.
We boy..,,er understaud that the paragraph refers
to the fanner.

An article from Vienna tastes that the F.mperor
ALEXANDER, previous to his departure from that
cvital, had assured many persons of his intention
to return to Vienna in about three years. Front
this circumstance, united with the engagement re-
corded in the final Declaration issued by the late
Congress, for the holding of occasional conferences,
we sl 10 be induced to imagine that the time for
conveneig another Congress hold been arranged at
and *hilt the next visit of the
Emperor ALEXANDER to Vienitti, after a lapse of
three years, is contemplated us tl e fulfilment of
that arrangement.

We have revived New York Papers to the 28th
of last month, by which we are happy to perceite
that the Murders of AILBUTUNOT and AMBRISTEa
are likely to he investigated. both in the Senate and
thrungLoitt the country, with earnestness and asst.
dui!r. In the House of Representatives the sub-
ject had Ic•CII incidentally noticed, on a notion re.
I.ltiVe. to the arrangement of Committee business,
tut with a tone that prosed how highly the import.
alive of the alibject %%;14 appreciated. A motion.
li•mt%vr, ea. made nil the 15th of December. more
thr,ctly on the subject, by slr. Cobs Ton. who sub.
II Resolution,requiring, a.; a preliminary to
investigation, that there should be laid
hi rote the Iloti-e it copy of any coirespornience
Witiell may have taken place between the Govern-
ment of the United States and the Government of

(,:rent I::itints,relative to tlw eliretation of AR RUTH-
N (IT *old A SIBRISTER." The motion Wel however
tieoight nrenHiore, until the information promised
in the ris:stprvt's Message r.hoilld have been kid

before the Hour, and the Itemintion woe ordered

to lie on the table. Th.. F,ubjeet was again miticeil
on the 17dt, by Mr. LACOCK, who embodied the
case of. il.e.e ulifintmeite men in a Itetolotion for

the prnain•tirm of correspondence between the Go•
vernotects of the United States mid of Spain.—
: Mom time the subject has been warmly agitated
in the public Papers, some or which assail JACK-
; lON with great violence; but, on tine other band,
he is no less w•irinly au sported by others. It is
mentioned that l:e is about to " retire" from the

' army, on account of ill health and considerations
of b 11l i t less ; brit ire trust that, after having vio-
lated every principle of justice and humanity, and
affixed a ►tain to the character of his country, he
will not be starred to slick away from the disgrace
and infamy that should follow his offence. Ilk

conduct is assimilated in one of the American Pa-
pers to that of Governor Wall, who, it will be re-
membered, was hanged at the Ohl Bailey for mur-
der; but, as far as we are apprised of the circum-
stances, there is no other similarity between the
cases tl•an what arises from thirst of blond. This
eircisniqinice, however, vill serve to *hew the
strong feeling of abhorrence with which his conduct
is vies. ed by his own romitrynien.
A Bill his been brought into the House of Repre-
sentatives, the 01.-crvatioris on which afford a melan-
choly picture of the sufferings of the emigrant* from
Forrope in their passage to the United States. They
are not exceeded by the privations of the blacks in
the Mid lle l'a,sagr, nor attended with less morta-
lily. Of 5,000 who sailed from Antwerp, &c. in the
year ISI7, one thousand died on the passage. In
one imtarice, a Captain bailed from a Dutch port
with 1,287 pa,serigers its a single ship; lie shortly
after put into the Text" ; in the interval 400 had
died, and 300 more died before the vessel reach-
ed Philadelphia. A Bill has accordingly been
brought into the House of Representatives to re-
strict the cumber of passengers to two for every five
tons burden. A proposition was also made in the
Howe of Representatives for allotting certain por-
'Mos of land in the State of Illinois for Irish tmi-
gratth, at two dollars an acre, to be paid by in►tal-
tuents within twelve )ears—but it was rejected.
Mr. Wit.t.tams, after urging the expediency of re.
during; the army. proposed a resolution to that ef-
fect in the Senate, on the I which was ordered
to he on the table.

Nothing has injured the cause of truth and hu-
manity muie than the unwillingness of men to as-
sent to principles which can be no longer doubted,
and to evidence which can he no longer questioned.
%Voided to their own prejudices, they shut !Lea
eye.; to the light of truth—indeed it is the melan-
choly failing of some to cherish moat ardently the
prijoilices which are most dangerous and most un-
charitahlr.

What though their opinions have been o thou-
sand times refuted—what though the charges they
adduce have been repeatedly demonstrated as filse—
they still press them forward with the most shame-
less inalicity, careless of the contempt and repso-
batiuti
sif the wise and good, if they eau inflame
the wor.t pasaitmv of the bigotted and the ignorant.
It is to this infirmity that we must attribute an
article which appeared in The Sun of M lay night
article wheth ciiiihnis sentiments that would be
very rlatiy,-rioti,, if they were tint very absurd—and
iitinneminms, which, would be very distresiing, if
thry Wt.; • mot toiniiii;u%ly fa INC.
The V. Intl' l'!! pc 'PI'S treat alarm., at abet he

die daring c•ia;ti of the Roman Catiniiks,
his fears for the Protestant Church. As to this,

if his fears be sincere, we pity the weakness of his
understanding—if they are affected, to produce thin
alarm in others which he feels not himself, we abhor
the wickedness of Isis designs. But let fools and
bigots rail, still the mighty course of events an!!
proceed—and Britain will vindicate her claim to

justice and humanity by breaking the chains ot
brave and faithful subjects.
The Sun is astonished at what he is pleas.ll to
term the indiscretion of the Protestant Nolnhtt,

Gentry, and Citizens of Ireland, who are at tho
moment anxiously latrouring to forward the eall,t
of their Catholic countrymen. The San most go.

Derou.ly feel, for the Protestanta, who, it w,,„',1
seem, are too weak and too ignorant to f 1%.-
then)%elvea. " Can the Protestants (s iv hp,

ignorant as not to suppose that the Papists will
never satirfied till the lands which belong►d
their progenitors, and which are now iii the hands

of Protestants, shall be restored ? Wh:a then are

they doing but fostering future rehellionsi and pr h.
stiotiag the ruin of themselves ■nd their descend.

ante, Mb well as the destruction of thei► torn faith?'

We conftss we know not in what language w.!
should observe on this moat extraordinary para.
graph. We would take it as the last proof of weak.
WU and of folly in the writer if we could bring oar-

selves to think that he meant it foie the Protertitta.

of Ireland : we are more lochnett to suppose that it
wsr mitten fur another porpohe—that is. an aopeol

In the wort passions of the worst part of the Eng.

lish people—of those who are ignorant of the reel
state of Ireland—of the habits, the s.,Htimetits, and

the views of the people there. It is intended to 611
the [outdo of the people with gloomy and horrid
in+n'. s—it is an attempt to awaken once more the

ttyof6' No Popery than °thous and brutal cry.
whirls every wile and good matt lamented as a stain

upon the stational character—as au attempt to drown
the voice of reason, and to control the high func-
tions, and overawe the important deliberations of
the Legislature.
This most odious appeal cannot be intended for
the Protestants of Ireland—the writer knows that
they would :ilium him—that they would despise his
opinions as absurd, and denounce his charges as
calumnious. They would answer those charges as
*lvey have been often answered before—they would
tell him that they love their Catholic contrymen—
that the chain of social ft tendship, of firmly con-
nexion, and of public sympathy, bound them to
each oilier as friends and as brothers—they would
point to those innumerable ants by which the Ca-
tholic has so unequivocally prove.l his loyalty to
his King, his love to his coffin! c, and his failhful
attachment to his neighbours and his friends. The
Protestants would say, " You are a stranger alike to
our feelings and our conduct, you shall not inter.
rupt our affectionate intercourse—the voice of dis-
sention is hushed in our land, you shall not call it
fortli—we wish for peace, and we seek it in the
union and equality of our people—we wish to see
our country prosperous, and therefore we wish to
see our country free. You shall not disgrace the
Catholic by your calumny—you shall not disgrace
the Protestant by perverting his mind, and turning
him from the path of reason and liberality. As fur
the preservation of our property, that is our cud.
cern, not yours—your observations on this head are
equally offensive to the Catholic and to the Prute—
tant—it charges the Catholic with fraud, it
charges the Protestant with folly, and it chargss
both falsely. We seek for no further security thaii
the security of the laws and the integrity of the
people; but if we looked farther, we cannot forget
that property is at this day distributed amongst the
people in general ; that it is variously settled ; that
property, which was formerly in the hands of Priottb'
twits, is now by right of purchase, of family arraligt-
ments, and other legal ways, in the hands of Catho-
lics; in a word, that the Catholics of Ireland are
at this day as much interested iu the preservation of
property, as now settled by law in that country,
the Protestants can possibly be ; and therefore 1,,s
observation only shews the grossest ignorance, thc
greatest folly, and the most shameless falsehood.
" It is false and foolish, because it imputes to the
Catholic motives which he not only does not elite,.
tain—wbich, as a rational creature, he could not
entertain—but of which he is in nowise suspected
by any fair or sensible man. It 'hews your igno-
rance not only of the situation of Ireland, but of
the feelings of human nature, and the effect 01
human institntions. You would promote religion
by injustice—you would promote tranquillity 1)
promoting discontent —you would secure properi
by the same odious chain thut would bins' to the
earth our friends, our neighbours, our country-
nieti—those who are endeared to us by all the sacred
ties of public and of private obligation. We will
secure them in another way—we will secure them
by gratitude and by justice.
*- We abhor your doctrines—they are against the
feelings of our nature mid the dictates of our reason.
Grateful to God and our country for our lovable-
ble liberty, we feel that we would not deserve the
possession of so great a gift. if we did not wish, in
the spirit of Christian love and charity, to share its
blessings with all mankind."

Ye.terday, at one o'clock, Viscount CASTLE-
DiCAGH arrived in toren front his seat at North
Csay, and went to the Foreign Office for the finis
time sturt• hi. inditivsition.