The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-08 00:00:00

but it was only the tail of the Manchester meeting
of the preceding week, and though it might be
more lengthy it was weaker than the head. The
Tory epithet Great applied to such meetings means
a couple of score of parsons, a few respectable lay
dupes, and a mob of about two thousand, indiscri-
minately collected. The recent experience of Mr.
BURNS and the Revivals in Scotland was not re-
quired to convince us that the weaker sex form a
favourite congregation for fanatics, and give them
the most support. In all times the priests have
sought to conquer the men by first subduing the
women. We are not surprised, therefore, to
learn from the Liverpool Albion, that the Great
Protestant Meeting at Liverpool on Friday, was
composed chiefly of women and children. As a
political demonstration, such an account deprives
it of all importance, and at once makes the rhodo-
montade of the Tories appear eminently ridiculous.
There are some things, however, in connection
with the meeting, which are not unworthy of re-
mark. At present there is considerable distress and
considerable discontent in the land. The army has

been increased, and a new species of police force
has' been ordained. Though the Chartists are
hushed, Chartism is not dead. A good deal of alarm
is felt at our prospects for the winter. What the
clergy ought to do in such a case was done lately

by the good Bishop of NORWICH. He gave
valuable counsel „to the poor. Far from fol-
lowing such an example, the M'NEILES and
O'SULLIVANS, who are still the leaders of
this Great Protestant Meeting of English people,
and in England—not in Ireland—pass resolu-
tions about Protestant ascendancy, and speak
fiery words, as far as nonsense can be fiery,
in order to kindle furious political and
religious passions in their auditory. Again,
the Reverend MORTIMER O'SULLIVAN was

the hero of the day, and spoke a long politica
phillipic, that might have been cut from the
leaders of the Times or the Standard. Again,
Mr. APNEILE harangued against the religion of
our ancestors, and of seven millions of our fellow-
subjects, and of all Christendom, during a period of
upwards of ten centuries. When there are so many
causes of contention and strife amongst us, arising
from political institutions, from social laws, ill under-
stood, from the wretched poverty of some, and the un-
due wealth of others, it should be the especial busi-
ness of the clergy to soothe those contentions, the
causes of which they are unable to remove. That
is at present their duty. Such is now their mis-
sion ; hut, with a total forgetfulness of what is re-
quired of them, of what they are sent for, those
of the Great Protestant Association, go about
from place to place with all uncharitableness, blow-
ing up, perhaps unavoidable, contentions, into hot
and furious strife.
Mr. M'NEILE appears to have felt some castiga-
tion from the Press ; and those writers who do not
howl for Protestant ascendancy as he howls, he
denounces as utterly incapable of understanding
what " Christian patriotism" means. The inordi-
nate greediness of the priesthood, who continually
prostitute the sacred name of religion to gratify
their own lust of pelf and power, has naturally
called forth much censure. To get rid of that, Mr.
M'NEILE denounced those who have attacked him
as incapable of appreciating the softer and en-
nobling feelings of human nature. So he takes
refuge in calumny, when the hypocritical motives
and conduct of his order are deservedly exposed.
When he uttered his denunciation, and Mr.
O'S tvAN his political phillipic, it would
have become them to notice of what persons their
auditory consisted. It adds to their turpitude, in
kindling religious and political strife, that they en-
deavour to make women the copartners of their
wickedness. Their audience was composed chiefly
of females, and they were not ashamed to endeavour
to excite in them the passions that are hateful in
men. To females and children the Rev. Mr.
M'NEILE addresed his denunciations of Catholic-
ism, and the Rev. Mr. O'SULLIVAN his political
sermon against the Government.
There was one reasonable thing said at the
Meeting. The Chairman, a Rev. Dr. TATTE-
SHALL, described the Pusevites to be almost as
bad as the Romans
" It was well known," he said, " that of late some pub.
lications had issued from a place which they ought to look
up to as the centre of all that was orthodox in religion.
Publications had issued from individuals—he would not
blame the whole body for the faults of a few—in the Uni.
versity of Oxford, which were more than tainted with
Roman Catholic principles. It was not too much to say
that doubt and discredit had been thrown upon the suffi-
ciency of the Scriptures as the exclusive rule of faith and
practice for the Christian : traditionary lore was exalted
beyond its proper limit—the right of private judgment,
which was connected with the sacred duty of reading the
Scriptures, was much undervalued, if not set at nought,
and the great doctrine of justification by faith—the key-
stone of all Christianity—was tampered with."
Ministers, he added, wou'd justify their con-
duct in favouring Catholics by the doctrines taught
at Oxford. Amongst the Anglican priesthood
there is no union and no harmony ; and if they had
fully established the ascendancy of the Anglican
Church, for which they are now striving, they
would then necessarily continue the strife in order
to establish the ascendancy of some one of the
sects into which they are split. The community
will perhaps think it will be as well to remain as
we are, and not to call on the State to put down
Catholicism in order next to put down Dissent.

We direct attention to the letter of a well-in-
formed Correspondent as to the effects of allowing
silver to be a legal tender, so far as that would
operate in preventing the exportation of the precious
metals. On this point we do differ from our Cor-
respondent. N'Ve have not the slightest doubt, that
were silver, or even copper, made the standard to-
morrow, and paper were issued to excess, the metal
would be banished from circulation. But it was
not on that ground we recommended the use of silver
in large payments, but to give present relief to com-
mercial men, to get rid of one obnoxious legal false-
hood, and to take one step towards establishing a
safe and a sound currency.