The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-24 00:00:00

LORD WESTMEATH.

The following letter was addressed by Lo'd
Westmeath to Lord Lorton, in the expectation
that he would have taken the chair at the Bruns-
wick meeting :

10 Clonyn, Dec. 2, 1831.

" MY DEAR LORD LORTON,—I have received a
circular this day, inviting me to a meeting on the
7th, in Dublin, for the purposes named in it; and as
one of the signatures is yours, I take the liberty of
asking you to be so kind as to answer for me there,
as I am obliged to be in London on the Bth, and un-
fortunately cannot attend that meeting on the 7th,
which I deeply regret.
" If you will he so good as to burden your memory
with my sentiments, they ale as follow :—I was not
in Parliament to give a vote on the Roman Catholic
claims, but I gave my mite of aid to them out of
doors, thinking that for justice sake they should
have been conceded. One reason, however, for my
30 doing was, that the leaders of that class, and those
employed to answer for them,•never hesitated to as-
sure the Protestants, that when that question was
adjusted, all party animosities connected with reli•
gious subjects should be buried for ever ; nay, at a
meeting called the Leinster Meeting,' held in Mul-
linger, at which I presided, I heard Mr. O'Connell
condemn the folly of England for not acceding those
claims, as he himself (supposing that she did) would
answer for producing two millions of men to aid
her,' if ever she should have occasion for them.
" Ever since that time Mr. O'Connell has been,
in my opinion, unceasing it► his efforts, both in and
out of Parliament, to ruin England by foul and
wicked pretexts, to accomplish a repeal of the
Union, and the separation of the two countries.
This he denies, but I judge by his acts. For this
purpose a system of terror has been established to
gain general aid in this island for these truly infernal
objects. Many of the higher classes, and many of
the respectable and educated among the commercial
classes of the Roman Catholics, I believe, deplore
these proceedings, but few have been bold enough
to oppose them. The ignorant pea-antry, in the
mean time, have been appealed to, and every effort
has been made to imbue their minds with a spirit
of hatred and ferocity against every one who will not
enlist himself under the egotism and political tergi-
versation of Mr. O'Connell. No man who has ever
learned to think for himself can believe this system
can be permitted to go on. The laws of nature
forbid it. The Christian doctrine is altogether op-
posed to the spirit he is endeavouring to infuse into
the people of Ireland, and the British Constitution
under which we profess to live is every day violated
and insulted by his language and proceedings. The
power of Government has been for the moment pa-
ralysed by the demand for Parliamentary Reform in
England; and Mr. O'Connell has set himself up in the
crisis in Ireland to brow-beat Parliament,to endeavour
to supersede the source of the laws, awl to undermine
their authority, as well as that of the Executive, the
Magistracy, and the civil power in every branch of
it. But Mr. O'Connell is the sponsor, I may say,
for the compact of the Roman Catholics made with
Protestant England, when they obtained their
emancipation; yet, regardless of this, he is, not-
nithstanding, forward with calls for further political
power to be placed in his grasp (who has so faith-
lessly exercised what he has usurped over and above
what was conceded), under the name of Reform in
Ireland. I, as an humble individual, consider these
proceedings as a gross breach of faith with rne, for
one who gave my mite of aid to admit him i►►to Par-
liament; ►t was but a mite, I acknowledge, but it

warrants me in thinking for myself now, and I am
determined to do so-.

" As professing the Protestant religion, I feel
myself hourly insulted by his boasting, and his pre-
tensions to rule Irelaind of himself. I can have no
comMunity nr politi'eal feeling with a man, who, I
He certain, wishes to subvert th'e present order of
society, lord substitute nothing 'evv_ot respectable in
its stead. think every Protestant in Ireland
should make common cause against ilrim and his
principles, till they are put, down. think con.
tirmal meetings should be held td etpo,e his medi-
tated t'rea'son to 'the *_.?ettglish people, and to strip his
odiou4 intentions of their flimsy covering, and
which could not impose for a moment, except on
our ignorant and uneducated peas'Antn,.
" Such meetimgs will omote a community of
feeling p.tnr!, il'oe Protestants from one end of Ire-
find to the other, and excite their high spirit, too
long trifled with. I think the Protestants should
closely associate and organise if necessary. I, for
one, will go every length the laws of lod, and of
man, rind of the '.an'erl, authorise me., in repressing
the tide of revolution which threatens the destruc
tion of the country and of its institutions:
" I have written this in gt.eai haste; being on the
move to•-moriow,Iiving en!), received the invitation
this (107, and having much to do. Had I had more
leisure, I should have written at greater length and
in a more connected form; but though I am not
writing for effect, I am sure this plain statement of
my genuine sentiment will cot be the less cordially
accer4ble to the loyal meeting about to be con-
vened ; and I shall be much flattered by your assur-
ing them, that while I have supported his Ma-
je-ty's Government in what I thought a necessary
Reform of the British Representation in the Com-
mons House, I will expose to the utmost the pre-
tensions and encroachments of the revolutionary
band, who think they are about to succeed in sub-
stituting themselves for the British dominions in this
island. Their compactness shall not daunt me, nor
their denunciations deter me.

" Before I would stoop to be ruled by such a set,
I would t•acri6ce, did I possess them, fifty lives.
Let every Protestant in Ireland but say this, and the
country will be saved.
" Believe me your's, very faithfully,
" WESTNIEATH."