The National Register.
London, England, 1808-06-13 00:00:00

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Out fling, Consititution, anb

No. 24.

MONDAY, JUNE

POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

I

All these

these are
enemy ;

NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR.

ON THE CATHOLIC PETITION, AND ITS
RECEPT .
(Continued from our last.)
We have pointed out some of the chief advantages to be
derived from the Emancipation of the Catholics; let us,
in this Number, say a few words of the dangers that attend
a continuance of the present system. But first we beg
leave to observe, that me do not urge this Emancipation
as a certain mode of instantly removing every evil which
their degradation has occasioned. The work of good must
probably be gradual and slow. A body that has long been
the prey of disease, revires a considerable time, even after
the malady itself has been expelled, to recover the tone •
and strength of its former habit. But we must not, there-
fore, refuse to attempt the cure.
The dangers then, which we have principally to appre-
hend, arc the dangers that must generally threaten every
Government that sways by force instead of ruling by jus-
tice; and the dangers that in a more particular manner
menace this unhappy country, from the insidious attempts
of foreign powers. We have to deal with no common
enemy; with no puny retailer of half-measures, who be-
gins to-day what he trembles to accomplish to-morrow.—
We arc not engaged- against a foe whom conscience, -po-
licy, or cowardice, can withhold from the adoption of
those yast plans which he conceives will be conducive to
the ends of hii own magnificent ambition : be will spare
no prejudices of education, he will respect no niceties of
religion, he will draw no practical distinction between the
professors of one religion and those of another, between reli-
gious people and people who have no religion at all. No
plea will avail his subjects as exemption from service :
all alike gnust be called into the actual business of their
country's warfare. The English Government has no such
seminary methods of fortifying itself. We are not, thank
'Heaven, a nation of slaves, except only in the imaginal-'
tons of ignorant declaimers : the Ministers cannot yet
drag every Englishman from his home, and force him into'
the Operations of their hostility. ...What thert remains for'.
Etig;hind, what hope is left to her, except the collect:ra-
t:on Of the largest possible body of British subjects, in.
%opposition to the threats of onr enemies ? The spirit of,
the Constitution does not permit us to recruit our military
powers by violence : let us then employ conciliation to
recruit them, for recruited they must be, or the downfall
of England is at hand !
And when at last that awful hoar are'Yes(against(aainst which
it becomes every man to provide, however confidently he
may look forward to its events) in what part of the United
Kingdoms can we suppose that .the main attempt of
Bonaparte will be made ? In England ? or in Scotland ? or
in Wales ? No : we ha:e too great a confidence in the
natives of' those districts, 'to believe that they wo-Ai jcir.
the foe of their country. They cnioy 1,4 Rights of.Bfi-
tons and tho.se rights are too valuable to be thrown away.

once must

may gain
plc 1 Why, he will find then: among the Roman Catho-
lics of Ireland. The Catholics who petition, desirous of
avoiding every thing that can, look like a threat to the
Government of which they make their request, say no-
thing of this dangerous disposition among the people :
but the enemies of the Catholics arc very ready to own it
and that is sufficient_for our purpose. We- will not here
discuss the question : " Would not the Catholics be blame-
" able in joining the Invaders of their country- ?" because
that question has nothing to do with the present affair.
We certainly think that they ought by all means to avoid
such a step : but we are reasoning now, not from the pro-
priety, but from the probability of their avoiding it. If
it appears, and we think it has most fully appeared, that
the Catholic Priests, who labour under dreadful restraints
and embarrassments, are•, on all occasions, eager to stir
up revolt among the misguided people whom they govern;
if it appears farther, that these people are not only goad-
ed by their guides, who cannot brook exclusion from
clerical benefits, but stung by their own civil injuries also,
surely it becomes us to consider, and to g,eard against the
probable effects of so general an exasperation.
It was the intention of the late _Administration, avowed
by Earl Grey, then Lord Ilowick, in his speech in vindica-
tion of the principles which had led to the removal of his
party from power, to have followed up the measure of
Catholic Emancipation by regulations for the improvement
of the condition of the Catholics with regard to tythes.
There can be little doubt that if to the salutary measure of

Catholic Emancipation a relief from the Tythe Laws were
superadded, Ireland would rapidly recover her tranquillity.
The priests would no longer have a ground for inflaming
the minds of the people, and the people would no longer
have a pretext for insurrection. Seine turbulent spirits
must necessarily remain, who would be desirous of continu-
ing the original acrimony i h..3t such persons must gra-
dually become extinct, when a pretence for insurrection
was withdrawn : and the mass of the people, who care
little for the schemes of tyrants on one hand, or of des-
peradoes on the other, as long as their humble comforts are
not abridged, will not trouble themselves to co-operate with
insurgents, nor leave the peace and safety of the cpade furthe
riots of the market-place. or the triumphs of the scaWold.
It is fortunate for the friends of the Catholic cause, that
they have a striking and undeniably analogous case already
in their favour, we mean the case of Scotland. During
the reigns of Charles 11. and hislueces,sors, the Presbyte-
rians of Scotland, who were, as the Catimiics are, in Ire-
land, a large majorii v of the whole popnlation. cot only
here the hurtful: of an Episcopal Establishment. but en-
dured the most cruel perseesitions for their non-coefomiiiy.
Ancient and hereditar) pre; 2dices, prel.e.ces powerful
an all nal itms,but pei•lip Fs particalai y rwerfol among
the gallant and Lubl t•;.cots, •,/,:re all in favour of

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!se have something to lose ; little to gain. • But .
re not fit subjects then for the experiments of an
; Bonaparte knows that his best chance of assist-
.
ust be with those who have nothing to lose, and
tin every th'ng, and where will he find these peo-

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