The Sun.
London, England, 1822-04-17 00:00:00

LETTER IV.

MR. EDITOR—Since the date of my third Let-
ter, I have seen by the public prints, that an
official return of the population of Ireland had
been laid before Parliament, amounting to six
millions, eight hundred and forty-six thousand,
nine hundred and forty-nine ; notwithstanding
which I must still profess myself a sceptic, not
only for the reasons mentioned in my former
letters, but for these following. In the first
place, the population of Great Britain amounted,
in 1801, to ten millions, nine hundred and forty-
two thousand, six hundred and forty-six—in
1811, to twelve millions, five hundred and ninety-
six thousand, eight hundred and three—and, in
1821, to fourteen millions, three hundred and
seventy-nine thousand, three hundred and seventy-
seven,—giving an increase in ten years, from
1801 to 1811, of one million, six hundred and
fifty-four thousand, one hundred and fifty-seven—
not quite one-seventh ; and from 1811 to 1821,
an increase of one million, seven hundred and
eighty-two thousand, five hundred and seventy-
four, being one-seventh : while it appears that the
population of the County of Cork increased one-
third, from 1813 to 1821—eight years,—that is,
advanced from five hundred and twenty-three
thousand, nine hundred and thirty-six, to seven
hundred and two thousand : and in the County
of Limerick, the most disturbed county for
several years, and one besides, in which there
is more pasturage and less tillage (a cir-
cumstance not likely to increase population)
than in any other in Ireland,—that it had ad-
vanced, in eight years, from one hundred and
three thousand, eight hundred and sixty-five, to
two hundred and fourteen thousand, two hun-
dred and eighty-six--more than doubled : there-
fore, I conceive that, if in Great Britain, where
the lower classes have so many more advan-
tages and comforts than the lower classes in Ire-
land, as stated in my third Letter,—the popula-
tion increased only one-seventh in ten years, it
is really too much to believe that in the County
of Cork it has increased more than one-third
in deight years ; and, in the County of Lime-
rick considerably more than doubled in the
same space of time—Secondly, the population
of Ireland, as given in the late return to Par-
liament, is within three hundred and forty-two
thousand, seven hundred and thirty-nine of half
the population of Great Britain ; although the
entire surface of the former is to that of the
latter only in the proportion of one to three, and
nearly one-half ; and notwithstanding the ad-
vantages in favour of the latter, from the various
and numerous manufactures, as well as from su-
perior habits of industry, cleanliness, and
sobriety of its inhabitants all tending more, I
should imagine, to the increase of population,
han idleness, sloth, and drunkenness.
I am aware that I lay myself open to a charge

of presumption, in thus calling in question the
accuracy of the enumeration lately laid before
Parliament : but in this, as well as in my third
Letter, I have stated, to the utmost of my ability,
the grounds of my dissent; and it is for the candid
and intelligent Reader to determine how far they
are well founded. At the same time, I beg it

may be distinctly understood that it is very
remote from my intention to throw out any re-
flection upon the persons employed in so laborious
an office as making an enumeration of the popu-
lation of Ireland; my idea is,that in many instances
they have been imposed upon by those whose object
is to mislead the Legislature and the British na-
tion, and to intimidate, by an exaggerated ac-
count of the physical strength of Ireland ; and
the increase of the population of the counties of
Cork and Limerick, beyond all credibility, will,
in my opinion, fully warrant such a supposition.
Had the population of the other counties been
particularized in the public prints, in the same
manner as that of Cork and Limerick, we might
have been enabled to have discovered more
Popish miracles.
But, it may be asked, how could imposition
have been practised upon the persons employed
to make the enumeration ? Nothing, I conceive,
from existing circumstances, more easy. It
would have been impossible for them to have
visited the cottages of the peasantry, so as to
have made their returns from their own observa-
tion : therefore, as the Romish Bishops have be-
come of consequence, and are high in favour,
they might have been applied to, to procure from
the Priests under them a return of the Romish
inhabitants in their respective parishes ; and
those that have any knowledge of Popery will
not think it any breach of charity to suppose
that those Priests, or even their superiors, would
have no scruple to add a nought or two : for, if
by so doing they could deceive or intimidate the
Legislature into a compliance with their exor-
bitant demands, the end would fully justify the
means, according to the tenets of their Church.
Be that as it may, I leave it to the good sense of
the Reader to determine how far it comes within
the range of probability for the population of any
country to advance, in ninety years, from little
more than two millions, by Dr. BURKE'S account,
to six millions, eight hundred and forty-six
thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine,—taking
into consideration too the numberless insur-
rections, and two open rebellions, that have agi-
tated Ireland from the year 1731 to the year
1821, particularly in 1798 ; all of which tended,
in a very considerable degree, to the reduction of
the numbers of the Popish party.
I had imagined that I had, in my third Letter,
dismissed Mr. O'CoNNELL, with all due respect :
but two Letters from him, lately published in the
Cork Mercantile Chronicle, one addressed to
Secretary IlAy, the other to Doctor TROY, call
for some animadversion ; 'inasmuch as they
shew that inconsistency, and, when occa-
sion requires, that versatility of character I
have already described ; and that to the
most Reverend Doctor evinces at once pre-
varication, and a mean servile subjection to
the spiritual authority of Priests. But I beg
leave to premise, that with Mr. O'CoNNELL's
private character I have no concern ; nor Shave I
ever heard any thing alleged against him that
could in the slightest degree impeach it : it is as
ga public man, the would-be Leader of a Faction,

that I hold him up to observations and as such
he lays himself open to scrutiny.
Of the letter to Secretary HAY I shall give
only an extract, which is in point ; but the whole
of that to Dr. TROY I shall submit to the con-
sideration of your Readers, as necessary to the
conclusions I shall draw, and the observations I
shall make, which, however, shall be as brief as
possible.

" I ans, I own, greatly shocked at the part Dr. MURRAY
is taking. I had the highest opinion of him, and the greatest
respect for him. But I see he wishes with Dr. TROY'S See to
inherit the patronage of the Catholic Church of Ireland. Oh !
it is melancholy to think of his falling off—he who compared
the Vetoists to Judas. As for Dr. Tnolr, better could not be
expected from him—his traffic at the Castle is long notorious.
But the sneer at the Board, and the suppressed anger of those
Prelates, would he ludicrous, if the subject were not so im-
portant and vital. Are they angry because we urge, not the
name but the reality of domestic nomination ? Alas ! the fact
is, that is just the cause of their ill temper, and the source of
their attack upon us."—" My Lord, there has appeared a let.
ter in the Evening Post of yesterday, bearing my signature,
and addressed to Mr. EDWARD HAY. I have not the least
recollection of having written that letter. I, however, eagerly
seize the first possible opportunity to offer my humble apology
for any expression I might have used derogatory to you, and
to implore your pardon."—" The contents of that letter will,
I have no doubt, convince your Grace that it was written with.
out deliberation, in great haste, and merely as a private com-
munication ; and Ido most solemnly, assure you that I have
not directly or indirectly sanctioned its publication."—" I ac•
knowledge, my Lord, that I should not, even in private confi-
dence, have used the expressions that letter contains, touching
a Prelate of your years and virtues. lam sincerely sorry for
having used them. I feel no humiliation in thus publicly re-
tracting them ; and even if I felt it, I should cheerfully sub•
mit to that humiliation by way of atonement," (probably by
way of penance too).—" I hope I shall obtain your Grace's
pardon, and feel that I ought not to obtain my own."—" Allow
me, my Lord, to include in these sentiments your respected
coadjutor, the most Rev. Dr. MURRAY. I have the highest
opinion of him, and the greatest respect for him. A more in-
timate acquaintance since that period has confirmed those sen.
timents. If any man were peculiarly formed to conquer preju-
dice, and abash calumny, that man is Dr. M uRRAY—the
gentle courtesy of his gentlemanly manners, the persuasive
mildness of his sound eloquence, and the meek piety of his
whole demeanour as a Christian Prelate, have formed for him
a character that may set every assault at defiance.'—" I am
glad that the force of that character restrained my most sple-
netic moments, and that I have so much the less to apologize
for to Dr. MURRAY : he may be assured that he possesses my
most unfeigned respect and veneration."

Mr. a'CONI;ELL sets out by declaring, that he
had" not the least recollection of having written
that Letter :" but almost every line contradicts
the assertion; for, if he had no recollection of
having written it, how could he so well remem-
ber, that " it Nfas written without deliberation,
in great haste, and merely as a private com-
munication ?" or " that the force of Doctor
MURRAY'S character restrained his most sple-
netic moments" ? My idea is, that the man
who recollects all these circumstances, could not
have forgotten that he had written : but there is
a considerable degree of prevarication and equi-
vocation in his letter to Dr. TROY—I will not

say jesuitical, though bordering upon it. His
charge against those most Reverend Gentlemen
is either true or false : if true, what can we
think of the writer of the second Letter ; or,
if false, what of the writer of the first ? That,
however, is a matter that chiefly concerns the
most Reverend Doctors themselves ; and to
them I leave it : but there is a conclusion to be
drawn from his letter of apology which I think
concerns every Protestant :—it is this, the spiritual
influence, so manifest from thence, that Priests

have, however he may vapour and swagger for a
time, over a mind, supposed to be enlightened
and enlarged by a liberal education, and a liberal
profession, which ca❑ only arise from bigotry, and
its consequent dread of ecclesiastical censure and
excommunication, and which would not have dis-,
graced the darkest ages of Popish superstition.
As a hypothetical course. to be deduced from

this tyranny, exercised by Priests over the minds
of the adherents of the See of Rome,—suppose

the Roman Catholics of Ireland arrived at the
summit of their ambition,—that Mr. O'CoNNELL,
and fifty or sixty others of the Romish commu-
nion, shall have obtained seats in Parliament,
and some of them seats in the Cabinet,—and that
the Romish Bishops should propose to them a
measure for the aggrandizement of their church
on the ruins of the Protestant ;—would he or they
be likely to refuse to give it their support ? Or,
even in case of disapproval, which, however, is
by no means probable, dare he or they, from the
recent instance we have had of his abject sub-
mission to his ghostly fathers, refuse to accom-
plish what they ordain ?
Protestants, therefore, will do well, while they
yet retain the power, to guard with jealous care
our happy constitution in Church and State ; nor
yield it "up to State Empirics, who affect to think
that the harsh features of Popery have been soft-
ened and ameliorated. But let them remember
that Dr. TRO has declared, in his Pastoral Let-
ter, published in 1798, that " the religious prin-
ciples of Roman Catholics are unchangeable,
and applicable to all times ;" and that Mr.
FRANCIS PLOWDEN, the celebrated historian, has
mentioned in his Case Stated, "that the modern
Roman Catholics, who have been late objects bf
the bounty of Parliament, do not differ, in one
iota, from their ancestors."
I shall now take my leave of Mr. O'CONNELL.
In my next, I shall introduce to the attention of
your readers Signior PASTORINI and Priest
O'SULLIVAN.
Cork, 14th March, 1822.

SIDNEY.