The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-04 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
TlMES.—Under the able tuition of Dr. M'Hale,
and in furtherance of the " solid peace and prospe-
rity" so sincerely promoted by this exemplary prelate,
the Irish are invited to add to the national accom-
plishment of organized murder the desirable engage-
ments of systematic rapine. We are profoundly con-
scious of the difficulty attending every attempt to in-
vest the declamations of Ireland's agitators with the
interest of stern realities ; but, as a document has
found its way to light which even Dr. M'Hale's au-
dacity had destined for privacy, we may as well turn
the accident to some advantage, and bespeak the at-
tention of English readers to the object last selected
for attainment by the creatures of English conces-
sion. The character in which these bigotted and
intolerant Papists—these denouncers of every creed
but their own—these sworn and banded persecutors
of dissent, have resolved to come forward, is that of
" Friends of Religious Equality." Subtle and versatile
as is the genius of Popery, we doubt whether any Pa-
pist, except an Irish Papist, would venture to present
himself to the world as a professed leveller of all reli-
gions in the eyes of the State. A week has hardly elapsed
since our columns recorded a sentence of slavery pro-
nounced against two miserable Tuscans for no other
crime, imputed or declared, than that of exercising a
private judgment on the lessons of the Gospel, and
yet Dr. APHale, acknowledging allegiance to this
very code, and indignant that he cannot introduce
these identical laws into the government of his coun-
try, expatiates on the virtues of spiritual equality,
talks respectfully of " other denominations of Chris-
tians," and liberally recognises " three great divi-
sions" in the religions of Ireland. The "Friends of
Religious Equality" having thus constituted and
styled themselves, proceed consistently to adopt as
their mission the destruction and spoliation of the
Irish Church Establishment, and we yesterday pub-
lished the " private and confidential" circular in which
the best method of action was submitted to the dis-
cussion of the conspirators. In this precious docu-
ment several violations of " equality" are gravely
stigmatized as absolutely unendurable. Those who
forbid the erection of a place of worship at Rome
complain of the " prohibition attaching in this
country to certain spiritual functions ;" those
who will not permit even a Popish layman to dis-
charge any office of government condemn the reggu-
lations excluding certain religionists from particular
places of state, and those whose ineffaceable charac-
teristic is unscrupulous proselytism,.denounce the
" dark and dangerous agency of sectarian injustice"
in making religions converts. But the prime con-
sideration of all is the method of seizing the Irish
Church property, and dealing with it when obtained.
The Irish confederates are modest enough to think
that before their concerted rapine can be legalized it
will be requisite to make out a case, not only for the
plunder, but for the desired appropriation of the spoil ;
and they sagaciously foresee some difficulty in the
task. " Some gentlemen," says the circular, " are for
the withdrawal of all public funds from all religious
bodies." These "gentlemen," however, are not Irish
gentlemen ; nor is this equality of destitution by any
means the equality which Dr. M'Hale approves.
" Others, again," says the manifesto of the committee,
"are of opinion that these revenues should be applied
to the relief of the poor ;" but, as this proposition would
operate to the direct benefit of landlords, and
as the distribution of the funds thus obtained would
not be effected through the machinery of the Popish
priesthood, it finds no favour in the eyes of these re-
ligious Jacobins. The " education of the people "is
the third alternative suggested ; but the increase of
enlightenment which might follow upon so large an
extension of instruction is by no means an agreeable
prospect to those who have done their best to stop all
teaching whatever. When we say that the fourth
suggestion is characterised as " very obvious," "sim-
ple," and " equitable," the reader will anticipate that
it provides for the transfer of all the existing church
endowments to that particular community which, for
equality's sake, is anxious to despoil the present pos-
sessors. This modest proposal is coloured by a hint
that the proceeds might be distributed among the " re-
ligious denominations " of Ireland according to their
respective numbers, and its attractions are qualified by
a reflection that perhaps the State might require the
performance of some public duties in consideration of
such public endowments; but it is plainly the gist of
the whole scheme, though even Irish agitators are
oompwlled to conclude that " great caution is nPees-
sary" in a "matter" like this. Such are the inten-
tions of the new " Friends of Religious Equality" sit-
ting in " preparatory committee" at Dublin. Instead
of circumstantially exposing a piece of impudence
which, even in Ireland, is little less than prodigious,
we tender the Sackville-street couspirators a little
plain advice. Dr. M'llale partakes enough of the
serpent's wisdom to know what he is about, and, in
his freely-worded estimates of ourselves, he has been
pleased to say that we speak the mind of the English
people. We hope the character is not generally
undeserved, and we can assure him that it is thoroughly
merited in the remarks which follow. Irish agitators,
whether priestly or political, have had their day.
They can utter no menace which will create the
smallest alarm, and threaten no extremity which will
not be quietly accepted. We have learnt what con- ,
cession did in the case of Emancipation ; its fruits,
indeed, are before us at this very moment. We
have found what firmness effected in one or two cases
since, and these results are very preferable to the
former. The new confederates will not obtain that
" religious equality" which consists in endowing a
sect sworn to extirpate all others with the substantial
means of promoting its ends. They will not be re-
leased from those " spiritual prohibitions" which the
Imperial Parliament has thought it necessary to
enact. They will not be permitted to acquire any
further political power or to exert injuriously what
they possess already. On these points the British na-.
tion is steadily resolved, and it possesses the means of
enforcing its resolution. Dr. M'Hale and his fellow-
conspirators are trifling with a power which can any
day reduce them to nothing. At this very moment
we believe a numerical majority of the population
would be prepared to undo the work of 1829, and to
encounter without apprehension the alternatives at
which the Government of that day was dismayed.
It requires all the argument and all the skill
of liberal politicians to restrain the temper of a
insult,
and provoked by aggression, irritated by
and convinced of its previous error by the evidence of
experiment. The Irish priests have done far more
than Lord Winchilsea or Lord Eldon ever did to
show that Popish constituencies are wholly unfit for
the exercise of the electoral franchise. The strong tra-
ditional prepossessions of the English people are
confirmed by unmistakable facts, and when they see
some three score Members returned from Ireland as
the avowed and notorious delegates of a mischievous
priesthood, they are irresistibly led to conclude that
such seats are more destructive to the imperial in-
terests than any rotten boroughs. The privileges
conceded by emancipation have been hitherto pro-
tected by that sense of right which originally recom-
mended them, and by that dread of disturbance which
all sober communities entertain; but, if the " right"
of the question stands convicted by the issue, and dis-
turbance proves the fruit rather of concession than
control, this policy is likely enough to be exchanged
for another.

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