The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-28 00:00:00

DUBLIN-WEDNESDAY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. )
" As things seem large which we through mists dei,:ry,
Dulness is ever apt to magnify.''—Yore.
" Our natures do pursue
(Like rats that raven down their proper bane)
A thirsty evil; and when we drink, we die."—SIIII:SrEA RE.
You have in the Dublin journals of this day a fall and true
account of the great Protestant Meeting, which was to over-
turn the powers that be, and frighten this island from its pro-
priety ; and I will venture to say that never were (pith:lines
of all parties more disappointed than in the perusal of its pro-
ceedings. So great were the preparations, and so loud the
threats during the last two months, that many persons did an-
ticipste some manly and vigorous demonstration on the part of
tho Tories, likely to produce a sensation at least among their
adversaries. But the history of Irish politics affords no such
signal instance of a complete failure and disappointment as
was experienced here yesterday at the conclusion of this Pro-
testant meeting. Not one single sentiment of novelty, to gra-
tify the curiosity of friend or foe, is to he found in the volu-
minous report of the meeting ; nor is the tautology of the
thrice-told tale of Protestant fear and apprehension redeemed
by one flash of genius or effusion of intellect. Verily Sir
Wiliest Peel can derive but small consolation or encourage-
ment from the efforts of his friends on this side of the Chan-
nel ; and the hopes of ascendancy are extinguished fur ever I
I will frankly confess that the intimations of sonic respect-
able Protestant acquaintances, during the last month, had led
me to expect some powerful exhibition of Tory tactics on this
occasion ; and accordingly I could not resist the solicitation of
a friend to step into the crowd, after they had been a few hours
engaged in their fabulations. We found certainly a consider-
able number of respectable gentlemen and ladies assembled,
intermixed with groups of the vilest and most contemptible
portion of the community. The dregs of Orangeism had been
summoned, not only from every ally of the city, but from
some remote parts of Ireland ; and they contributed their
quota of sound and fury to the oratorical effusions with which
the papers are so well filled. In order to form a proper' esti-
mate of the business of the day, it is only necessary to state
that it commenced as early as eleven o'clock, and did not end
before eight o'clock in the evening. Every sentiment that was
expressed is fully reported, and this will suggest to thole ac-
quainted with the reports of speechifications to ask, " H6w
comes it that the account of this affair is not even more volu-
minous than it appears to be, if engaged in declamation for up-
wards of eight hours ?" The answer is, " That for more than
one-third of that time this rational and respectable assembly
amused themselves with a new species of music called the
Kentish Fire I" No speaker was allowed to exert his lungs
for more than ten minutes at a time, without being relieved, and
allowed to refresh his memory, while a five-minutes' interlude
of this dulcet chorus was being performed. It would be diffi-
cult to give an adequate description of this strange demonstra-
tion of hilarious feeling—for such it appears to be regarded by
the performers--to the uninitiated. But only imagine a meet-
ing, in which there were certainly many individuals of rank
and respectability, seemingly pleased with the notes —" One,
two, three—One, two, three"—sounded forth by clapping of
hands, accompanied with a stamping of the feet, so as to
keep time, on a wooden floor ! This was so frequent during
a great part of the day, as to make it appear that the majo-
rity of the meeting felt more pleasure in listening to it
than to even the best of the speakers. It was occasionally
varied, however, by an altercation between the speakers and
the mob part of the meeting, as often as the former used the
word Catholics. " Don't call them Catholics, was vociferated
from different parts of the room ;" " they are Papists. A
groan for the Papists, the General Association, and O'Con-
nell." I can't say whether the ladies present joined in the
last-mentioned part of the sound and fury entertainment : they
certainly did in the " Kentish fire." Such was the great Pro-
testant meeting, called together for the purpose of petitioning
both Houses of Parliament, praying thorn to adopt measures
of protection for the Protestants of Ireland 1 and calling his
Majesty's most serious attention to the imminent danger
threatening the liberty of all classes of his loyal subjects, and
the attempts to undermine and destroy the Protestant religion !
If this be not a sinking of the cause of Toryism in the minds
of all rational Englishmen, nothing can dishearten the faction.
Contrast with it the Protest of the " Peers," and Representa-
tives of the People of Ireland, most numerously signed in the
space of a few days, and you may anticipate the quality of ar-
guments to be used by the Opposition in the approaching ses-
sion of Parliament.