The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-07 00:00:00

DENUNCIATIONS FROM THE

ALTAR IN IRELAND.

TO THE MOST NOBLE THE EARL OF
SHREWSBURY.
My Lord,—lf I had been written to by any other
Peer in England, I might take exceptions to some
portions of the letter with which your Lordship
honoured me.
I allude to such parts as would seem to convey an
impression that some of the Irish bishops were guilty
of a dereliction of duty in not inveighing against the
horrid crimes attributed to some of our clergy, of
sanctioning and encouraging assassinations, &c., by
public denunciations from their altars.
Allow me to assure your Lord.ship that I have never
ceased, both publicly and privately, to denounce all
and every species of illegal combination, that I
have often exposed my life to imminent peril in my
conscientious efforts to prevent crime and reclaim
the deluded miscreants from their guilty pur-
suits. I have even, in the chapel of Strokes-
town, about three or four weeks previous to the
horrid murder of Major Mahon., with all the energy
I possessed, pourtrayed the dreadful and awful con-
sequences of murder and seekiug private revenge. I
have declared to them that all vengeance pertained
to God. I preached patience, resignation to the
Divine will, &c. I visited Strokestown subsequent
to the murder, and cc,uld never obtain the slightest
information that could implicate the Rev. Father
M'Dermott in the crimes imputed to him. The re-
sult of my inquiries and investigation has been, that
he has not on Sunday, Monday, ferial, or holyday,
nor at any time nor in any place, directly or indi•
rectly, denounced Major Mahon, or encouraged any
species of harm or injury to him. Why, then, should
I hold any investigation upon an innocent and un-
offending priest? lam not fond of publishing my
acts in newspapers. If I can only have hopes that I
humbly discharge my duties to God, I do not wish to
seek human applause.
The Rev. Mr. .M.'Dermott was, according to the
reports of the public journals, most wickedly calum-
niated and most falsely accused. I knew his inno-
cence, and relied upon the motto, " Magna est veritax
et prevalebit." II there could be found one single
individual deserN,:ing of any species of credit on his
oath, long since Father M'Dermott would have been
committed to the felon's prison if there were grounds
for any charge figainst him. My Lord, the Irish
bishops must b e the best judges of the time and
periods when it is most prudent to issue public pas-
torals. If we were to do so at every time that the
ministers of our holy religion are calumniated by in-
temperate bigots. we should have much to do. I hope
for England's w ealth and treasures I would not have
the sin on my s,aul to permit a priest of mine to offi-
ciate at the altt tr of the God of mercy and love if I
could have any well-grounded reason to believe that
he could be cap able of the horrid crimes so maliciously
imputed to the Rev. Mr. M'Dermott. As to the speech
reported to ha ye been made by Lord Beaumont, as
an Irish his'nop I care little for his applause or
censure. For your Lordship's high character I have
the most profound respect, as I believe in my soul
that although your Lordship seemed, by the tenor of
your lettex, to give too much credit to the malignant
slanders of our enemies, yet in doing me the great
honour of addressing me, those who know your
Lordship must be convinced you were solely actuated
by the purest zeal for the credit and defence of our
holy religion. In deference then to your Lordship,
I beg leave to send the accompanying document,
signed and most solemnly attested by the principal
parishioners of the Rev. Mr. M'Dermott, all men of
good and excellent character, all in the clearest and
' most unequivocal terms perfectly exculpating their
maligned and much-injured pastor.* If I had put
forward such a document at an earlier period, while a
Government prosecution was urged to be taken against
him, I might be suspected of trumping up a case to
screen him. Believe me. my Lord, you know but
little what poor Irish priests and bishops have to
contend with in these days of appalling misery and
famine. The landlords, if assailed for their cruelty
and oppressions of the poor of God, have many
champions to defend them in the Imperial Senate.
The destitute and their maligned clergy, who are in
season and out of season consoling the broken-
hearted, preaching peace and resignation to the will
of Godedience to the laws, have few de-
and
obedience
de-
fenders.
lam even this moment raffling my carriage to
support a few religious women of the order of St.
Ursula—so extreme is the misery of this country
that I cannot support them—such the miseries, such
the straits to which we are reduced ; and for all that
we humbly aspire, through the grace of God, to do,
we meet, like our divine Mas ter, with nothing but
calumny and vituperation.
I have penned these lines hastily. If your Lord-
ship (they are not fit for publication) deem it prudent
to make any extracts, or to publish the accompanying
document, I leave all at your Lordship's discretion.
I have the honour to be, with the most profound
veneration for your high and religious character,
your Lordship's most obedient and humble servant,
X GEORGE J. P. BROWNE,
R.C. Bishop of Elphin.
Athlone, Jan. 3, 1848.

* The document here referred to appeared in cur
columns wider the head of " Ireland."—ED. Suns