The Sun.
London, England, 1828-10-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TUE LONDON JO uRNALS.

(FROM THE Tim Es.

The Irish Government had hitherto remained
wellpassiveo n oroft:..ioLseawpire/soseeaesdionfgst
hilevlroitr.lal,ngraes
party, had disturbed the North of Ireland, au
the part of AI
filled the minds of peaceable individuals with alarm.
On • the return of that missionary to Dublin, he
added to his former indiscretions, by denouncing.
the Lord Lieutenant's proclamation, or rather the
object of it, as unlawful ; and boasted that, in de-
fiance of the official remonstrances, he was ready- io
recommence his turbulent circuit, if the Catholics
would authorise -him to undertalte such a tneasuire.
It is to be recollected, that before the Ballibay
meeting, which is assigned as the ground of Mr.
Lawless's capture, the Catholics had become sen-
sible of the imprudences into which he was daily

falling, and the consequences of which must et-
cessarily re-act upon them, and the great cause'com-
mitted to them by their country. The chiefs of
the Association had therefore forwarded to Mr. Law-
less an earnest, though private, or at least not offi-
cial ,entreaty, that he would desist from an enter-
prise which had been so conducted as to exasperate
their enemies, and to alarm the most reflecting and
useful of their friends, both Protestant and Catho-
lic. It is not to be wondered at that the Associa-
tion felt some delicacy about severely wounding a
zealous partisan, by openly reproving, and for-
mally dismissing- him from an office, to whirls
he must have felt that whatever personal
consideration he enjoyed was in a great de-
gree to be attributed. That in the debates of
doe Association, therefore, the word " invite"
should have been adopted in lieu of " recall," when
the necessity of bringing back Mr. Lawless from the
north of Ireland was under discussion, is no proof
whatever of blindness on the part of the Associa-
tion to the reality or extent of that gentleman's un-
fitness for a very difficult and critical undertaking.
It is plain that the system of Cumberland-Club-
making was much facilitated in the northern coun-
ties by the open-mouthed intemperance of the Ca-
tholic delegate, and that Government could not
have suggested a step more likely to serve the Ca-
tholics by depriving their persecutors of u pretext,
than this of affixing acme mark of disapprobation
upon so much of Mr. Lawless's conduct as deserved
it. That the proceedings against him were not in-
stituted in any harsh spirit, or with any violent in-
tentions, may be guessed from the very moderate
bail with which the law-oflicers of the Crown have
been satisfied, on stielt a charge as that of sedition,
Mr. Lawless himself being bound in no more than
Mg, and his two sureties in '236i. a piece. We
must, hoWeVer, add to the above observations, that
something more than what has yet appeared will be
desirable, to rescue Lotd Anglesea s Government
from the suspicion of an unfair bias as between
the Catholic cause and its opponents. If Mr. Lao
less Was guilty of seditious words, there were
parties of the Orange side of the question, who dis-
tinguished themselves •by more daring am! than-
germ's species of sedition, While he threatewid
with his tongue, there were others whe threatened
the peace of the kingdom with the musket and
bayonet; there were hundreds of Brunswick insur-
gents at Monaghan and various places in the north,
who appeared in arms, and openly proclaimed their
design to keep down their fellow-subjects by force,
without reference to the will of the Legislature. It
is but honest to inform Lord Anglesea and his ad-
visers, that if they stop at the arrest of Mr. Law-
less, they are guilty of partiality. They confirm
the old prejudice,against the King's Government,
that whatever may be the pretences or professions
of its members, their inward and unconquerable
feeling is one of secret attachment to the Orange-
men, and of exclusive hatred to the Catholics.
They will therefore frustrate whatever good effect
might have been produced by an act of justice in
the sovereign protector of the King's peace, by
showing that the Executive Government is an ea:
parte power, and that it takes cognizance of a state
offence only when the weaker side is the offender.
But we feel assured
that
the nosily and upright
character of Lord Anglesea will never stoop to be
the instrument, much less the adviser, of a -partial
policy.

(FROM THE MORNING CHRONICLE.)

. .
Mr. Lawless has been arrested on a charge of
heading a riotous mob of twenty thousand people
or upwards, on the 23d of September, in the neigh-
bourhood of Ballibay. This event could hardly
fail to produce a strong sensation ist Dublin, and so.'
COrdinglY it formed the subject of warm discussion
at the Catholic Association on Thursday last. Mr.
Sheil, who opened the discussion, did not say that
the charge against Mr. Lawless was not warranted
by law. We should suppose there can be little
question that the proceeding at the head a a multi-
tude with colours is illegal. But Mr. Lawless pro;
bably was not aware that he was acting contrary to
law; and he immediately complied with the wish
expressed by a Magistrate, General Thornton, not
to enter Ballibay. The Catholic Association re-
called Mr. Lawless, too, the moment that it appeared
against
sg,dailways
. '.
the farther prosecution of his mission might be
Lawless stands
at-
tended with danger. An interval, too, of three
c'ealividliwoi ttillhari
weeks and upwards has elapsed since the offence
otthopeopko
ndeelpietlpsa
charged. While this harsh measure of justice is
dealt out to the Catholics, how fares it with their
defi-
ance ? "Blood," says Mr. Shell, " I repeat
albllooladw, aCtutlwlicblood, has been spilt at Ballibay. The earth is
yet wet with gore, and the Orauge bayonet which
went into the Catholic heart lies red in its sheath—.
a Coroner's Jury has returned a verdict of ' Wilful
Murder' against the Orange assassin, and yet he
walks abroad with impunity; he insults the sun with
—he
his presence—the full light of day is upon him
does not lie deep in a dungeon, but walks forth in
but the
the Orange procession, or howls at the Orange
orgies.
Orange
Popish misdemeanour draws down the vengeance of
i‘ThihredeCraetrhiosliicet
jEonevseoyuipsocnonulsir
itilii,d
while a
the Government, the Protestant Felon is overlooked,
and left to the special and disinterested vigilance of
:wliitihunaigclhlywosileidtr,.
nst tchaethsnvlrieesteahndtoprjoutsetsitcaen?tc"
Have the Government taken a single step to arrest the
villain who, in the open day plunged a poniard into
the bowels of an unoffending Catholic ? Have they
the
cea
dNinooaprittlehndiaLni
toy:
of
e whirl,lti
the
ee rtsfhil
offered a reward for his apprehension ? Three weeks
The
nh a.
1 ivi.
Suchisea rGaPi are
Government
executedheeaeridiisdmo ef n bringingt
mightily vigorous when
the object is to punish Catholics,
but looks an-
other way when Protestants perpetrate crime.
It revenges itself for the bullying{which
it sus-
tains ft •
om the Orangemen by be"
.ing big . against
the poor Catholics. ssLord Anglesea, in his capacity of
Viceroy, may be compared to a poltroon, who, after
every kicking lie receives, revenges himself on his
unoffending wife at home, by bestowing on her the
blows he had not the courage to bestow on his ag-
gressors. The laws are habitually violated by the
Orangemen; the Catholics are the sufferers; but.
the Government takes no cognizance of the habitual
violators, but lies in wait for some oversight of the
sufferer, to make up for its deficiency. This is
nearly as clever as the Penal System to which the
British Solomon in his youth was subjected, accord-
ing to Sir Walter !Scott, namely, the giving him
the benefit of a discipline a posteriori, exemplified
on the bottom of another. This proceeding of the
Government is no doubt an admirable mode of ob-
taining respect for the laws from the Catholics, and
of procuring respect for itself. The Catholic Asso-
ciation have determined, in this case, to attempt to
supply the defect of the Government by offering ;t
reward for the apprehension of the murderer. On
the recommendation of Mr. Sheil, they voted three
Resolutions, expressing their surprise at the wrest
of Mr. Lawless, and at no efforts having been made
for the apprehension of the assassin of the murdered
Catholic, and offering a reward of 5001. to any person
i or persons by whom the Orange assassin shall be ap..