The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-18 00:00:00

DR. DOYLE.

TO Tilt EDI Ton OF 'THE SUN.

Sir--Having alreldyoccupied too huge a‘ portion
of your columns, I will endeavour to be inore-brief

in noticing " Exoniensis,'? who in his last communi-
cation_to the Courier -"asserts boldly, that even ad-
mitting conscience to be frequently In error, it is
more for the real .bappiness of mankind that they
should act from its genuine impulse, than that their
conduct should be deprived of this Salutary, though
sometimes mistaken monitor."' I -Colielude, in -using
such general terms, Exoniensis cannot:mean to limit
his remark to that small portion of mankind to be
found in these kingdoms, let us see, therefore, to
what his hypothesis leads. I must premise, that 1
don't understand his application of the text as to
going two miles with him rather than one, but be-
lieving he would prove a very dull companion, he
must excuse my going further than he shall compel
me to do. In imagination, however, lam content
to go as far as the Indies, and. I would there -ask
him, in the' sup-posed —presence •of a native widow
burning alive with her dead husband, how such a
, transaction tends to the real happiness of mankind ?
Exoniensis will not assert boldly that she don't act
from a conscientious principle. Surely nothing but
'the strongest conscientious principle could induce
this poor victim of credulity and mistaken faith to
sacrifice her existence and die a- lingering "painful
death ! See again an Indian mother sacrificing the
infant of her fond affection on a conscientious prin-
ciple, is such" an adherence to a conscientious prin-
ciple more for the real happiness of mankind than a
departure from 'it ? If so, why do we pay Missio-
naries for advising such a departure from the dictates
of conscience ? Now suppose (there is a great deal
of imagination in all this I confess); but suppose by
any extraordinary chance that one of these Indian
ladies should be placed upon the throne, not of
British India, but of this very Island of Great
Britain, and left there to consult the dictates of her

conscience without any advisers., The King can do
no wrong, and who will controvert the maxim? but
•if no • one presume to' advise this Indian native so
placed on our throne of England, and she he a
'virgin Queen, therefore ho'chance of her burning
Myself, yet nevertheless she should command all
widowed ladies ofthe land to burn with their dead hus-
bands, and moreover enforce the practice of exposing
their infants, as pleasing to her God, and in
conformity with her conscientious sense of right and
wrong, would Exoniensis assert-boldly this would
be more for the real happiness of that small portion
of mankind yclept Englishmen, than if the poor
Suttee Queen had been advised that her conscience
was in error? There is nothing Jesuitical, I hope,
in thus exposing Exoniensis, or in my declining to
accompany him, in imagination even, over those
other parts of the globe where the greatest
atrocities are continually perpetrating from conscien-
tious motives. I refer Exoniensis to Marmion's
former letter for a more serious refutation of his
hypothesis; but I now boldly assert that he is him-
self in error in all he says about conscience, and that
it is. Wholly inapplicable to the case which he wishes
it to meet. If Exoniensis thinks lam treating him
and his Reverend Brother at Chester irreverently
and with levity, his suspicions are better founded
than his arguments. It is difficult to cope with
these gentlemen seriously; indeed, they are not
worthy of it; but I again assert boldly, that the case
of conscience is not a case in point when applied to
the Coronation Oath ; nor, generally speaking, can
conscience, in our pre§ent fallen state, be a safe or un-
erring rule for human conduct. • I really begin to think,
Mr. Editor, there hus been a confusion of names, and

that the " who some time ago published cer-
tain letters which had passed betwixt our late vene-
rable Monarch and his Lord Chief Justice, could not
be the .present Dean of Chester, but that Miller
celebrated in song, who lived upon the River Dee
many years before the Dean's elevation, or he would
have seen that the publication was against his own
argument; for the legal adviser did all he could to
liberate his Sovereign's conscience, by declaring
that in permitting the emancipation of the Roman
• Catholics he would not violate his Coronation Oath.
He (the Miller) must have edited these letters after
one of his jolly potations on the River Dee, when
he could not discern that by so doing he was
cutting his own throat, us it were, with his adver-
aaraes weaponT and really, if this Fillpot system be
.persisted in, we may chance to be appalled by' the
vision of two Coronation-Oaths, for if the pot be
filled very often, we know the consequence. is we see
double. I certainly thought all that refers to the
Coronation Oath bad been set at rest, till the Miller
-or the Dean ‘vrote something about it, which called
forth a reply front Dr. Doyle that was much vilified
by the Courier. 1 once- raore assert &Willy that
.:this reply comes nearer to the truth than any thing
which either the Miller or the Dean, or the
Courier, or the Standard, or the St. Janies'i
Chronicle, have said on the subject of conscience;
but I maintain that the whole argument arising out
of a case of conscience is inapplicable to the point
at issue ; at least, if I (Marmion) were placed on
the Throne, and of course had taken the oath, I
-could give my assent to the emancipation of Roman
'Catholics, without feeling the slightest consciousness
that I was infringing it, but on the contrary I should,
-by such concessions, conscientiously believe I was
doing my best to uphold the Protestant ascendancy.
This instance of Marmion's feeling on the subject
would go further, perhaps, towards convincing Exo-
niensis of the dangerous consequences of his hypo-
thesis, had Marmion any chance of such elevatioo,
than any argument I have brought forward, more
- convincing than the imaginary occupancy of the
-Throne by the Suttee Queen. But I must have one
word with the other respectable individuals who
advocate the cause of conscience on a point which,
if they are right, would go the length of justifying
all the enormous opinions that the wit of man,
lightened or unenlightened, ever entertained. Speak-
ing of light there has been a great deal of quizzing
about the recent march of intellect. Now, really if a
great portion of the human race are advancing in intel-
lectual acquirepents and marching forward,there abso-
lutely is a small portion of God's creatures who are
marchi rig back ward ; and how far back they will march,
to what chaotic, benighted, besotted ignorance, this
blundering bigotry of the Miller and his Men will
carry us, „God only knows. It has carried the
Courier so Tar back, -that he asserts boldly the salva-
tion of the country to depend on the formation of
Brunswick Clubs. (I suppose he means by their
encouraging Gordon mobs to enlighten the Metro-
polis, anti to spread the illumination through every
town, village, and hamlet, of the empire.)
It has carried the respectable Editor of the St.
Janies's Chronicle so far back, that his Journal is
almost entirely filled with speeches made at their
clubs, and his correspondents complain there is no
'room left for any other subject ; this has been going
on so long, that it may truly be termed a chronic
disease, the most inveterate and difficult to cure ofany
in the whole Materia Modica. But, to speak more se-
riously for a moment, I do regret to see a Journal,
formerly so respectable, so moderate, so candid, and
so impartial, that an order of men whose office it is
to preach up and practice the virtues of faith, hu-
mility, and charity, were wont to consider it the
real Standard of their opinions, should have dege-
nerated into a mere factious partizan, and vainly
erected a false Standard, which they must ever dis-
claim, as using language unworthy even of-Billings-
gate; I say, sir, it must be ti subject of regret that
the master workman should have quitted his post-
and consigned the business to a journeyman, who,
when he is at a loss for rational argument, dares to
giCe the lie # to those who are opposed to the
Standard under which lw fights. Exoniensis
dares his letter to the Courier of the 6th inst. con-
tains hisfinai remarks, fie this as it may, lam re-
solved, though I will not assert it boldly, that this
* Vide Standard of I,2th inst.

Martnion believes that the enemies to concession are
rejoicing at the fay and violence of the Irish agitators,
and dois not think John Bull will suffer himself to be
bullied, but that be will prove the stropt•est brute of the
two, if TeWP is discarded.