The Sun.
London, England, 1813-02-13 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLICS.,

following extract from a• paipplilet lately
puldished at Conk, entitled, " Observations. on
the'Qneition whether Irish Itoinan Catholics are,
or are not, at present, entitled to Ungioliti,!il
Ellirtncipation, by. a Member of the Estabikhed
Church," deserves the attention of all friends' to
tlic British Constitutiiin.

" To see this question, in a more striking point
of view, it is expedient ,to cast our eyes upou the
proceedings:of the last elections. :,What the feel-
jngS:of the British people will be, I shall not un-
dertake to say, but even to us, accustomed as we
are to. the openexereise of the Popish religion, and
the general eonduct of its spiritual guides, was pre-
sented a sight no less novel than alarming, 'alarm-
ing indeed to every man regariing purity of chris-
flan principle, and freedom in the exercise of po-
litical rights,---'-alarming, I would even say; to the
liberal Catholic himself. We beheld there the Bo-
rman Catholic Priest insolently overstepping the
limits of his legitimate duty, becoming the politi-
cal agent of a political, party, representinggrati
rude as an offence to God, charging• his flock to
dissolve their engagements with friends and be-
n:!factors, endeavouring to break the counexiOn
between Landlord and Tenant. Let me ask for
a moment what would have been the consequence
of success ? Neither more nor less than this, that
it would ultimately place the power, of returning
111,embers for this, as we.lt as for several other
coenties, in the hands of the Priests,- and 'that in-
stead of soliciting, the interest of land-holders and
hiudef!. :proprietors, the candidates for counties
wort d be rednecil to the necessity of humbly sub-
Miging their pretensions to:the Irish Roman Cas
tholicliierarrhy,'byavhom the Priests are go-
verned, and requesting the honour of their sup-
port. But they were upheld: and abetted by some
Protestants.. It is most true, and sorry, am I to
record to, witi-tt imprudent and-ruinous lengths
Own, professing to be wise, as well, as respectable,
were led by, the irritation 4, disappointed hopes,
'anti the prospect Of a temporary acquisition. Were:
they indeed too blind to sec-to what the establish-
meat of such a principle and such a, practice would
lead ?It is hard to believe in the event of
.(.-ttltolie eaumeipation, were. Ponsonby
to
.otter himself again under still stronger ?retch-
sions, ivhat would be his chance of successagainst
a Catholic rival? He had consented to the eSta-
bliihment of the prineiple
,and consistency as,
well as necessity wank' oblige hint to abide by it.
:Nay; were there none but Catholic candidates, :I
,should be glad to know kow far it might be agree-
able to them to submit their pretemions: to the,
same 'tribunal, niad see their own tenant enlist-
ed under the banner of the Priest 'instead of the"
landlord.
" The imprudent admission of -a new infhtence
for a temporary purpose is the very rock upon
which so many retunnists have been wrecker ---
Theptionceived that when their own turn
served, when the ozetiSion which .brought in, the
third party had passed by, matters w'ould, return
to their pristine level, and - that tir:2 nett/ pOs;
sors of power would quietly relingois the au-
thority with which they svere- inve.ted, when
the ends of those who -gave it had bvea or.)-
tained. History teaches a very tliiferent
and if she did not, Common sensetnight s'opplY the
deficiency.
" I shall he told, no doubt, that the attempt
was unsuceessful, and that the attachment of the
tenant to his lendlord'Strengtheued by a sense of
his temp Oral interegt, did for the fee greater port
counteract the insidicius effrirts of 'spiritual influ-
ence. ft is true, the entleavoitr was not exteniiVely
successful, hut it is also trite, that it succeeded in
many instances.. The idea was started tot) :short
a'iline before the election,Ato allow its to form a
fair judgment or what ought have beeu accom-
plished; hadgreater scope been given to the ope-'
ations of those spiritual politiciuns.. The failure
of a first experimtsra, even in sciences more with
in reaph of accurate calculation, is ntit always (ie..'
cisive against the conclusion it, teas brought to es-
tablish. One point, however, is incontrovertible,
that such. itifiecuce, whether likely to oßcrative
or not, must be eternally precluded horn the pos--
sibility of future recurrence. I will not insult the
jiulguient, of any intelligent reader by supposing'
that he is not prepare to reprobate such
thin, as Well as anti-constitutional inference, nor
entertain so mean :an opiriion of an
Legislsturc, as to think that they can fOr a ino--
meat harbour' the idea, Of its sufferance. I, have
no hesitation to say,- that, if not other Wise redo
it' must be, put down by Withdrawing the elective
teauchisefrom the abjects of seiinction.---ThiS
psi-
vilege has been alreadrtaken away from the - re-
vetnie officers, and one would hardly allow the Pc-)
it Clergy an infittencedenied to the Goveinninv
itself