The National Register.
London, England, 1811-06-02 00:00:00

,FfiriST

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Roman Catholics of Ireland was read, as also were the Votes. of
Thanks to Lord Wellington, General Graham, &c. &c.
Mr. GRATTAN" in a speech distinguished by an eloquence,
which even himself never exceeded upon this subject, entered
largely into the injuries sustained by the Catholic Body. The
charge against that great class of people was, that they were a
hotly of idolators. This charge was the confused result of. vehe- -
merit writings upon religious subjects, and of the dogm .s of the
Court of Rome. 'This charge had been refuted by six- Univers.
sities of Europe, which denied eve; y thing that was urged against
the morality of the Catholic Religion, or its coorpatibility ith
the principles of the British Constituti al. it went to argue that
England had failed in every attempt to inAitute a Government.
A good. Government made a good people, and if the laws were
moralized, the people would be moralized. This charge then
was against Religion and against the British Covet nment, and
the inference to be drawn from it was, that Religion be fi. st
expunged, and then that the Government should be abolished.
He represented that the penal laws respecting the Catholics
should be repealed before they would be satisfied ; while they
were In an imperfect state of privilege, they must remain in an
imperfect state of allegiance, and nothing could be expected
from them, unless they were governed as isn6land was. The
policy of the penal code was utterly inadmissible; no Legislature
had a right to establish an inquisition into the thoughts of any
man, or punish him for his religion; it could no more make laws
of religion than laws of motion. The Catholics know this. there-
fore they looked to no body of men ; they looked to the world and
the Bible. What was the religion of our ahcestors Were its, •
men, who made our liberties, unable to make our laws—and
why were the Catholics exempt from so many arid so important
privileges ? It was in consequence of political combina-
tion. The Catholic's religion was considered nut as his
crime, but as the evidence of his disloyal y. When a people
were governed by civil incapaciiy, they were eoverned by
the law of conquest, which was no law at all; by principles
contrary to thole by which God governed the world. He
was aware of the destiny of his motion ; he knew it would
be out-voted; but still he felt that there remained a portion of
the old chivalrous honour of the English na:ion, which would
concede a little, and unbend from that formal severity which
bad been too long exercised. There was not a single Ally left in
the world to Britain, save Ireland; her other allies called for
assistance, and none wet'e strong enough todefeml themselves ;
and he hoped none of that sup; art would be taken away, which
would make bate her claims, and risk her existence, by perse-
vering in an act of folly. Would to Heaven that our Guardian
Angel might descend among us, and stretching her celestial
arm over the land, show to her the whole world forging arms
for British conquest, strew her the grins edge of ruin visitr;e, end
the strength of Europe mate!lafled in terrible combination
against us. ''byre should be no religious quarrels, thsy preyed
upon the vitals of the nation. There was (ere point which the/
wisdom of the Senate had never reached, which the divine, in
his heavenly calling, had not found, but which every simple
swain discovered, that " Ireland tights your battles.' In every ship
of war which travieates the ocean in the path of esenuest, she
is filed with Irish Cathol cs. The lines of your army. thicken
to the foes of Britain with men wham lie has degraded:. And
the numbers employed in our navy and army were greal,ihat
they might turn the scale or empire. Belold at a tine w.,en
all the fire of Austri r was quenched, when the discipline of
Prussia found resistance in vain, and when Russiar fury gt'sviv
• tame before the awful fire of the battalions of France—behtid
that tremendous power checked, and victors wrested fro:a hini.
who had never witnessed defeat before; and that too by people
who had been insulted and considered unfit for the service of
their country. To whom was to be attributed the re cent
splendid victories on the Continent ? To whose bravery did the
French owe the loss of their eagles ? To the Irish Catholics.
To a regiment which was recruited in the heart of Ireland, and
the tenets of whose religion wer but known by their conduct.
Ile couid only say,' that if the religious (pinions of ti.usenne n
were ativassed with as much care as the political creeds of the
Members of that House, thaa France would have an Fagb. reore,
and England a regiment leis.—( Heine hear ! f—lt might naturally
be asked why the Irish Catholics were considered suck -11 isnds
abroad, but such enemies.at home ? To this he would answer,
because abroad they were -but one :limy, and at home they
• were two people.—(Hamer, hear ! )—Having said thus much, he
would no longer trespass on the patience of the House, but
concluded by moving that the Petition should be referred to a
Committee of the whole House.
Sir John Coxe Hippsley supported the motion, as did Mr.
• Herbert and Mr. Matthew.
Dr. DUIGENAN, in opposing this question, uroceeded to quote
a variety of authmities f?bm the Roman Catholics themselves, in
order to expose their real v'ews and principles. The first ad-
verted to the oaths taken by the Roman Catholic Bishops and
•
reests, whereby t ey entoge to support, maintain, and defer