The Sun.
London, England, 1828-08-20 00:00:00

CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION.

(Abridge 4 from the Dublin Morning Post of Monday.)
, The Association met on Saturday—Mr. Quin in
the Chair.. Mr. J. Murphy, acted as Secretary.
Mr. BRADY proceeded to observe on a recent
event, 'calculated to excite the highest emotion ;
such events were said to give joy in heaven—he
Meant the conversion of an enemy.—Loud cheers.)
George Robert Dawson, born and educated in the
densest atmosphere of Irish Protestant prejudice,
bound to the faction by the influence of early asso-
ciations, of private friendships, of ,family conmee-
ki"sllsi Qf politicit.l interest, of official obligations
e tt is, the Child and the champion of ascendancy,
Who even amid its BabYlonian banquet, was heard
to utter its inevitable dooM. (Loud cheers.)—
The.JlePresentative of a, great Protestant county,
a Member of our Adthininistrtion, deemed
a4ti-Catholic, proclaims to his constituency as a
conviction resulting from domestic experience and
official information, that the salvation of the empire
depends on the concession of the Catholic claims.
(Cheers:) What Mr: DawSon has announced is the
conclusion of the Cabinet or it is not. If not, and
that he has once braved the prejudices of his consti-
tuents, and forfeited the favour of those who wield
the power of the Crown, he has given more une-
quivocal assurances of sincerity than ever politician
FaVe before upon a change of opinion. But take
life other hypothesiS, and suppose that Mr. Dawson
nas hilt uttered the impression of the Cabinet, is he
then to be taxed with the want of candour if his con-
vietion has yielded to the same force which has over-
come minds not les strong 116 r less reluctant than his
? Protestants of Ireland to you I appeal. lie
as icing been the darling object of your love and ad-
miration ; you have known him long and well: Be
You.„ prepared td question the honour of George
Robert Dawson ? While he was bur opponent we
Never ventured on such an outrage. Is it for ydu to
Plant a brand upon his manly brow ? Oh, then, if
not—if though ydu may be disposed to differ from
him, you have no reason to distiust him—listen to
the 'apt ful warning he has given you—think of the
ourtes of information from which his new opinions
atej derived—recollect what were his early prejti-
oii.es—calculate their strength from your own con-
victions and feelings, and judge what force was re-
'luisite to overcOme them—consult your better
understandings, and prepare to lay down your
erroneous ideas of ascendancy—your exclusive and
mistaken interests, as a sacrifice to the general
Welfare—to the tranquillity ofour common country—
to the stability and grandeur of the united empire--
to the glorious cause of civil and religious liberty,
to which you are fond of believing yourselves at-
t;'ehed.—(Loud cheering.)—But if you are unwil-
hlug to give ear to the advice or authority of Mr.
"awson ; if you disregard the argument of justice,
the appeal to your generosity, attend, I pray you,
to the stern necessity of the case. What is the
alternative, said Mr. Dawson, concession or what ?
The men of Derry sat appalled and silent at the
awful interrogatory. I shall conclude by asking,
Wh • thatY it is such a revolution is produced at once
in our feelings, and such joy, nay, enthusiasm, ex-
cited amongby us an event of this kind ? Is it,
that it assures us of our emancipation ? No; we
feel that our cause must triumph without the aid,
nay, in despite of the assistance of more powerful
individuals than Mr. Dawson.—(Loud cheers.)—
It is because it affords a foretaste of what we desire
more than Emancipation, concord and good-will
among Irishmen. It is because we desire no tri-
umph over our fellow-citizens, nar wish to wring our
privileges from reluctant hands. It is because we
wish our Emancipation to be an act of national am-
nesty, that we are ever ready to grasp the proferred
hand of friendship, and to acknowledge as a boon
what we know to be a right. The Learned Gen-
tleman sat down amid loud and continued cheers.
The amount of the Rent was soon after announced
to be 695/. 2s. 41-d,
Mr. W. R. MAHON was called to the Chair, and
the Meeting adjourned.