The Sun.
London, England, 1834-11-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The great Protestant Meeting of the county Down,
which was held on Tuesday. (a report of which, from
our own correspondent, we give in another part of our
paper), was one of the most important meetings in
point of numbers and respectability, that ever was as-
sembled to support British connection and the Protes-
tant faith in the province of Ulster. The meeting was
held in the open country, near the town of Hillsbo-
rough. An eye-witness computes the numbers present
as upwards of 70,000, being of the class of substan-
tial yeomanry of the country. They marched to the
ground in detachments, headed by their respective
landlords—for they have resident* landlords in the
north, who keep up the best feeling with their tenantry.
The mischievous influence of the itinerant demagogue
has not there succeeded in breaking down that union
of sentiment and affection so beneficial to both parties.
The absenteeism, which spreads its " blessings " so
extensively over the south and west of Ireland has not
yet so far " improved" the social and moral condition
of the north, as to have deprived the rural population
of their natural protectors. It has not delivered them
over to the glorious misrule of rent-exacting repealers,
and the instigators of agrarian outrage and crime.
What is the consequence ? Let the people of Eng-
land, who are taxed to keep up a large military force
to overawe and coerce disaffection in Ireland, mark it.
Out of 25 regiments employed for the purpose, only
two are thought necessary to protect the peace of the
great and populous province of Ulster. This is a fact
stated at the meeting, which is highly creditable to the
Protestant population of that province, whose ances-
tors struggled so gloriously for the principles which
seated the house of his present Majesty on the throne.
The page of English history proudly testifies that the
last hopes of the tyrannical family of Stuart were
wrecked in vain attempts to subdue the invincible
spirit of the men of Ulster, who preserved unbroken,
at the same time, that British connection which the
sword of ambitious France would have severed link from
link. The Constitutional determination of the thousands
assembled at the Down meeting, to defend to the ut-
most of their power the threatened Protestant Church
and Constitution, was not more remarkable than the
peace and good order which they undeviatingly main-
tained. Such conduct is worthy of such a cause.
" We have come here," said Sir Robert Bateson, " for
a purpose that is peaceable, and consistent with the pre-
servation of good order. We have not come here to
assail any man. I trust that no man who knows me
or my character will suppose that I view my Roman
Catholic fellow-countrymen with feelings other than
those of christian benevolence. My desire is to do
them all the good in my power ; and I never make
any invidious distinction between people of dif-
ferent religious creeds. lam always desirous of acting
towards them in a spirit of chnstian charity, and
the same feeling I am sure actuates all around me.
But we are on tile defensive. We are attacked, and we
only seek self-preservation. As was properly observed
here to-day, we have met not to offend but to defend.
We have tried concession, and it is All vain, useless,
fruitless—the more we concede, the mare the enemies
of Protestantism demand. What they zetred was
uiven and still they are requiring more. ihey were
placed upon an equality with us, and with that they
are not satisfied. They cannot now say there is any
such thing as a Protestant ascendancy, but they are
struggling for the establishment of a Roman Catholic
ascendancy. They wish for domination, and we only
struggle for the preservation of our religion. Our sove-
reign has called upon us to support it, and has assured
us that he will support us. We will support it, and
our Protestant and universal cry will be—' No surren-
der: " It is on the principle laid down by Sir R.
Bateson in the above passage, that we support the
present exertions of the Protestants of Ireland, as
long as they are constitutionally directed to the de-
fence of their menaced altars and civil rights
against the establishment of a Papal ascendancy,
whose champions even now confess their ulterior in-
tention to be the dismemberment of the British em-
pire. At this meeting some of the most distinguish-
ed Whig or liberal Protestants, as well as Conserva-
tives, attended. Among the former were the Marquis
of Downshire, the Marquis of Donegal, and Colonel
Forde, the latter of whom stood on the liberal interest
for the county at, we believe, the last election. Every
one who knows any thing of the North of Ireland,
knows that the Marquis of Downshire 'is one of the
most liberal-minded of men, in the true sense of the
term, and one of the kindest and best of landlords.
Nothing short of a conviction that the crisis has ar-
rived when Protestantism in Ireland must stand upon
its defence, or submit to be ingloriously extirpated,
could induce such a man to come forward, and take a
part in a proceeding which bore the appearance of areli-
gious conflict. But he sees that the declared objects of
Mr. O'Connell's agitation—the compromising weak-
ness of the Whig Government—the secession from his
Majesty's councils, rather than be consenting parties to
dishonourable compromises, of such men as Earls Grey
and Ripon, Lord Stanley, the Duke of Richmond,
and Sir James Graham, and the extravagant lengths
to which Papal ambition and agrarian outrage are car-
ried—he sees that all these things are unequivocal
symptoms of such danger to the Protestant Constitu-
tion as can only be averted by the judicious co-opera-
tion, manly firmness, decision, and temperate energy of
the Protestant people themselves. He quoted to the
meeting the testimony which the Viceroy of Ireland
recently bore to the orderly and peaceable demeanour
of the Protestants of the county Down, and other
counties in the North, and which testimony is on
official record. He exhorted them to pursue the same
line of conduct which had called forth that eulogium,
and, after expressing their sentiments upon a question
to them of the deepest importance, to return peaceably
to their homes and firesides, satisfied that they had
done their duty according to their station in life,
and resolved not to contravene the laws, or give the
slightest cause of offence to their neighbours—an ex-
hortation which, we believe, they strictly obeyed, for
we understand the town of Hillsborough was as quiet
the same evening as if no " gathering of the clans"
had enlivened its neighbourhood during the day. It
was observed by one of the speakers at the meeting,
" no doubt Mr. O'Connell is playing a good game for
himself. He is pursuing a wise course. He is ex-
torting from the wretched people—from the miserable
beings who are without shoes and stockings, is he ex-
torting in pence and halfpence a greater salary than is
paid to any Minister of the Crown—he is wringing
from what may be called the beggary of the country a
larger stipend than is paid to the whole Synod of
Ulster." Dr. Cooke, who is or was lately Modera-
tor of the Synod of Ulster, was present, and indig-
nantly disclaimed on the part of the Presbyterians any
feeling favourable to the repeal of the Union, and the
other objects of the agitators. He also declared that
the Presbyterians were animated with the strongost
feelings of sympathy for their Protestant brethren of
every denomination in the hour of danger.—Morning
Herald.

We noticed some days since with great surprise,
the report that Government had resolved to fit up the
ruins of the House of Lords and Painted Chamber for
the temporary reception of the two Houses of Parlia-
ment, at the estimated expense (estimated of course by
those who are to have the job) of 30,0001. It seemed
to us incredible, not only on account of the magnitude of ,
the sum to be thus thrown away for a temporary and
2nake-shift accommodation, but because—even if we
admit the scite to be the fittest for the Houses of Par-
liament—the temporary occupation could not but im-
pede and embarrass the plan and execution of the ulti-
mate design. We regret to learn, however, that the
works are actually proceeding on this monstrous plan.
But it is not too late for an expression of public
opinion to correct the error, for we understand that
while under, we suppose, some authority,,the workmen
are proceeding in this course, the Chief Commissioner
of the Board :f Works, Sir John Hobhouse, has sum-
moned a council of architects for to-morrow, to advise
with him on the subject. It would be strange to find
that the Government had decided first, and consulted
after. We hope, however, better from the good sense
of Sir John Hobhouse, and we will venture to say that
there is not a man in England, except those who may
be personally interested- in it, N 7,110 can approve this de-
sign. But where then would we a,?commodate the
Houses ? Why, in the most natural, the mOgt conve-
nient., and the least expensive of all places—in the