The National Register.
London, England, 1819-05-24 00:00:00

MONDAY, MAW-, fth 1819.

Rights, on the part of the Catholics, and that justice
has surely time too often reoogoieed s• bandy., den:eds
then it may be safely urged that the terniceseistion h at
least as inappropriate on one hand, as osarecipalion call
be .on the other. Whatever right is withheld. is,
pro 'unto, subjugation, but the restoration of Right is no
concession. Again, the securities, he says. which were
once talked of, are now no longer mentioned. Upon
this point we arc happy to assert that alarms are
entirely groundless. Securities are neither forgotten by
the ativocates of Catholic Claims among Protestants, nor
are they refused by Catholics themselves. Every secu-
rity than can be eithei framed ordemanded, as coastected
with civil allegiance, the Catholic is quite ready togive.
even the Vera Itself .though necessarily in some cases
connected with their spiritual concerns, the great body
of the Cathulicswould not have refused, and the Pope,
without hesitation, expressed his perfect readiness 105311C-
-110(1 such an arrangement. Dr. Milner, though one of the
original proposers of that measure did indeed of
succeed but too well itt exciting that sort of •clamour
to which, Protestants themselves are no xtrangers, of their
Chute& king in changer, and prevailed with a few
indiri-
duals, calling themselves the Catholic Board, todelegate
a person, not unlike himsel; named Hayes, to remon-
strate with the See of Roast upon the conciliatory ten-
dency of its conduct—and let us observe the issue
of this mission-.-Hayes was (measly banished from the
Papal States for the mischievions office he had under-
taken, and the Pope immediately addressed a letter to
those who had sent hint, beginning with these words
With what pain do we find it expressly declared in
your letter that the expedient for satisfying the govern-
inent of the loyalty of those to be elected Bishops, did not
only 1101 meet your approbation, but appeared toproatets
destruction to MK:mitotic religion of I 'eland. It is founded
on a principle laid down by one of ()inmost disunion,. pre-
decessors, St. Leo the 'Great, that none be ordained
Bishop without the consent and postulation of the flock,
lest an unwelcome intruder incur its contempt and
hatred. Now this pipet*, although literally applica-
ble to the people only, mast rightfully be extended to
Princes also, even to those who are not in communion
with us, who, from the very nature of their power in
temporal affairs have so easily the mean .f preventing a
Bishop, who may lv the object of their ditlike or suspicion,
from the care of the flock committed to his charge."
And he concludes in the following words of feeling,
gratitude and respect to this country, both for its general
course of liberality towards the Catholics, and particu-
larly for its services towards himself. " Remember
that the f'sovernment which you cm accusing of designs
hostile to tour faith, is the same, which by laws, and
especially those of 177:3, 178, and i 793 repealed a
great .part of those penal statutes by which gun were
;vies irmsly oppressed : remember how George 111. sad
his i!lustrious Son have extended their protection to
Catholics, and that the.Britisli Government was among.
the chief of our supporters in procuring our return to
the Pontifical Chair, and our restoration to our
ancient independence in the exercise of those spiritual
rights which the hand of violence had wrested from us."
Such was the language and such the sentiments of
power, whose doctrine and diseipinte we are nevertheless
now to he told are just as intolerant as they were in the
dad s of Crantner, and McVey, and Latimer, and Bonner.
But the plaits history of the Pete is, that a snore mature
consideration of the subject has led all our ablest States-
men to view it as a thing not worth demanding nit nor
part, and to agree with one mind that the whole ques-
tion is °sestet of religious het purely of civil policy. But

[Paws 94d.

let to jusi coonskin skis iptestion of securities in another
view. One of the best and noblest maxims of British in-
tlependence is, that every man be held innocent till he is
proved guilty! Now in what has the Duke of Norfolk.
or Lord Petri., or Sir G. lersingham offended, that they
are to be bound over to keep the peace before they can
be admitted to the common privilege of the constitution
tinder which they live, and the support and protection
of whick they hold so valuable a stake? In what has
the whole body of Catholics offended to merit the ex•
elusions to which they are exposed? Do we talk of
securities to the Presbyterians, to the followers of Wesley
or of Whitfield, did we demand them ever from the mad
and deluded followers of Johanna Southcote? And yet
are these, or any of them, more friendly to Protestant
ascendancy than Members or the Church of Rome. No,
and if any of them were asked whether their own pecu-
liar faith had not their first and dearest wishes for its
preveleere, must they not answer, " Yes?" Yet
who thinks of subjecting them to civil incapacities ou
each pounds as these? In short, to legislate for thought
and conscience is a system of which experience has
abundantly shewn us both the inutility and folly. But
then " the Order of the Jesuits," says the Alarmist "the
Popes lest Gulioork," has been re-established," and )et
in the very same sentence we arc told that in 1773 the
Pope himself suppressed it; and why, " for their
mischievous interferencein temporal concerns." This
objection might assuredly be safely left to its ewe mormar,
but We will further normal this trembling Alarmist, that
considerable numbers of these very Jesuits have for years
and years'beest living in thia country without any detri-
ment either to its civil policy or its religion, that the
Catholic youth of England have been very generally
educated under their care, that the establishment of
Stonyhurst, an establishment under the immediate
patronage and protection of Government, is chiefly, if
we are correctly informed, its their hands, and that it is
therefore now too late to begin to hold up these " itub,
fatigable Papagandists" as objects of terror and dismay-
Again, we are told that 4004) souls have within a few
years been added to the Runtish faith; where. this won-
derful scrnc of conversion to Popery has occurred, we
are not informed.; brat if it embraces the whole scope of
Europe it is hardly as a grain of sand in the Irdance,
ar,,l men if it he intended for our own Empire it is but
as 1000 to Inci millions and totally inadequate' eve', in
the increase of the populating. But can it be for-
gotten that persecution is of itself not only the firmest
bond of union, but the strongest instrument of conver-
sion also, and thatthe maxim of Snoods Markgrwis sewn
est Rectesica, is coeval with cl sully itself? But
as the last asserted fact which we shall notice.
the Pope is an many Societies, and therefore
the Catholics should not he admitted to their civil
rights. How many of the high and mitred Dig-
nitaries of the Church of Ent:land are enemies to
to Bible 6tocieties likewise:? glow many more of those
who ate loud in crying the watch word of Protestant
ascendance? But granting even that it is co, has lets
Holiness ineYented the hirmation. of these Societies,
either in France or Holland ? Have not the Monarchs
of both these Catholic commies not only permitted their
establishment, but themselves heroine their patrons?
And are net sonic of the leading-Catholics in this coon.
try amount theAvarm and eager sonporters of these be-
tivolent Institutions I Whither fail the zeal anti blind.
pelts of. new conversion carry us? In short, if there he
any iroloartial man who .ntay do us the fat our to read
there remarks, to him we may safely appeal whether
such objections es have keen .crapril together, do not
savour of the last days Of u falling contras era'', and that
if such be the strongest aranments which can lee
le,nal for comittriiitg opon the necks of the Catholics the
yoke of their Liu-vitae, whether every friend of justice.
and ewers'lot Cr of his country vvill not devouty wish
and pray that such a staitt may he soon wiped bolo out
civil pbes.. and that they may speedily be restored to
• the free ei,inyinent of that inheritance which their fa-
thers fought and bled to establish, and the W36111'24 01
.11Cii fir:7 have tntintdVes douse every thing to deserve.

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