The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-15 00:00:00

. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The praeecution of Mr. Shiel is working its effect on
the public mind in both countries, and pretty much rfter
the manner in which most former prosecutions for political
offences were found to operate on behalf of their intended
victims, more particularly, since the present Government
of Ireland came to the administration of affairs. The Irish
Attorney-General has certainly been the most unlucky
state prosecutor that ever failed in the castigatory branch
of his profession. Orangeman and Catholic, it is all alike to
Mr. Plunkett. He attacks them both, and is defeated by
both ; because either, unfortunately, the occasion is so ill
chosen that no jury ought to convict, or the party feelings
of the country such that no jery convict, where the
present Government appears as a suitor for justice. If
this were the only thing to be considered, the law officers
of the Crown in Ireland would show more wisdom in
always forbearing, than in always failing. The question
with a man of common sense, so far as practical politics
are concerned,' is rather what he can do, than what, if he
were able, he would do; and after such experience as the
last five years have furnished of the utter .unwillingness of
juries to receive with favour, perhaps we might say with
candour, the appeals which have reached them from the
executive power in Ireland, the Attorney-General must
have either more confidence in himself, or less reflection
upon his own history than belongs to a man of sober un-
derstanding, to court another trial of the temper of his
countrymen, when he might by any human possibility
escape from so ominous a risk. With regard to the
principle and rectitude of this prosecution, we have
twice read over the speech ascribed to Mr. Shiel,
and our impression remains, that it was no crime,
but a • mere and - manifest folly. There does not
appear to us to be evidence in the speech, so explanatory
of the speaker's views, and conclusive of the mains animus,
as to justify an honest man in saying upon his oath, that
the party under prosecution intendedto do more than ad-
monish the Government of what were likely to be the con-
sequences if it persisted in refusing civil rights to the Ca-
tholics. There is no public enemy at this moment. Whom,
then, did the Catholic demagogue invite to an invasion of
Ireland ? Tone and his adventures, his treason and his
death, are matters notorious to all the world, and we know
nothing that should deter a British subject from drawing
what moral he thinks fit, when the premises are so pregnant
with durable interest and with diversified instruction. As
for the influence of the prosecution upon Shiel himself,
whether it succeeds or falls to the ground, like its prede-
cessors, lie will in some shape be a gainer. In the last
case, his triumph is direct--he becomes the unshaken
champion of the people of Ireland : in the other case, he
suffers some legal punishment, it is true ; but the pert and
loquacious mannikin rises at once into a glorious martyr—
all sympathies are his—new hatreds beset the Govern-
ment—the purse-strings of the whole Catholic body are
opened, and an estate will perhaps be purchased, as a na-
tional dotation, to descend with the name of Shiel, as the
record of another grant will adhere through all ages to the
memory of Grattan. Would that the Irish Government
could, with dignity and security, now retrace their foot-
steps through the last three weeks. To the consideration
of policy we need scarcely add that of magnanimity—it is
unworthy of a State, whose 'Ministers profess to feel for
the wrongs which they make no sacrifice to redress—it is
unworthy of such Ministers to visit severely the somewhat
rude complaint of acknowledged injury, in him who suffers
under it.—Times.

The latest advices received from Lisbon, through
France, and stated to be of the 27th ult. mention that the
last dispatches from Count de Villa Flor were dated from
Trancoso—a circumstance which has occasioned a belief
that he had tuade a retrograde movement, as it was well
known that he entered Almeida on the 15th; and some
of the French Papers, in the interest of the Apostolicals,
have since asserted that Almeida subsequently fell into the
hands of the refugees. The Commander of the United
Constitutional Army, having pursued the fugitives after
the battle of the 9th, as far as the Spanish lines, and dis-
armed the militia regiment of Tondella, which had deli-
vered Almeida into the hands of the Apostolicals, had com-
pleted his operations in that quarter, no enemy appearing
there to contend against. His being a moveable division,
and in such a kind of warfare as that now carrying on in
the north of Portugal, Almeida being a place of little
consequence, after icising a garrison there, the Count's
attention would next be called to those districts where the
rebellious bands were still in force. It will be remembered
that the Marquis de Chaves, after being foiled at Amarante,
crossed the Douro, at Regoa, and proceeded to Lamego,
where he assembled the mock Cortes, and called out all
the neighbouring militia. He next passed on to Vizeu,
armed the militia, and would have marched on Coimbra,
hap he not been impeded by the advance of Count de
Villa for from Guards, and his subsequent junction with
Generals Claudino and Azeredo. By these movements,
the Miguelites were compelled to cross the province of
Beira in a.slifferent direction, and eventually driven be-
yond the Spanish frontier, or else into Tray-os-Montes ; but
the guerillas acting in the vicinity of Lamego and Vizeu,
and in considerable force, were still left unsubdued, whilst
the inhabitants devoted to the legitimate Government, in
the character of fugitives, were still wandering in the woods
and mountains. It was very natural, therefore, for Count
de Villa for to return to these disturbed districts, as a
pacificator, where his presence was the more required, as
the Marquess de Angeja, in his advance from Amarante
to Regoa, and thence to Villa Real, had met with serious
opposition on the part of the local militia, who, he states,
were assembled in great numbers. It must not be forgot-
ten, that the Silveiras are connected with most of the lead-
ing families in Tras-os-Montcs and Upper Beira, and, out
of these families, the officers commanding the Militia Re-
giments are usually taken. These officers, almost to a
mani•were either bribed or seduced, and their men joined
the-party their leaders chose to follow. The rebellious
troops were left behind by the Marquess de Chaves, in
the districts through which he passed; and, although his
late defeat must have had a considerable influence over
them, they have yet to be disarmed, and tranquillity re-
stored. This duty the Marquess de Angeja had already
commenced, on the side of Tras-os-Montes; and the troops
under his command, by the last accounts,had advanced as far
As Villa Real and Chaves; and the same service, most pro-
bably, now devolves on Count de Villa nor, in the central
part fl Beira, and along the southern bank of the Douro.
Trancoso is midway between Almeida and Vizeu, on which
place, it is very likely, Villa for was marching.—lllorn-
jag Chronicle.

Our readers saw, in our olumns of yesterday, a state-
ment from a Roman Catholic Correspondent, conveying a
hint that it is the intention of Mr. Shell's party, should'he
be convicted on the present prosecution, to console him for
the consequences by the purchase of an estate. That his
friends should 'send forth such a report before the trial
Irks as if there was a sort of apprehension among them
that the, legal champion wanted more encouragement than
what the mere glory of his cause could give him. It ap-
prs, indeed, as if they had a suspicion, that being a
1 wYee. he conk' not defend even himself without a fee l—
ithe deserved en estate for failing in his defence, he would
certainly
merit a greater estate for succeeding, and thereby
oalising that modest comp son which he instituted be-
tween himself and Mr. Plunkett, of being the little David
who was to smite the gigantic
_G. oliah to the earth ! If
estates are to be procuredbythis sort of political martyr-
dom, there will be found Barristers enough in Ireland, as
there might be in other countries, sufferß at the stake of
A state prosecution. In Ireland 'ti!,o,
and gowns are absolutel dar is greatly over-
stocked—wigs rugs in the market
—and therefore it is not at all wonderful üblutshinat any debating
club which promised an extension
boates: by an in-
creased introduction to attorneys, should
robe,
among its
some of the gentlemen ofhtahsebleoenng
a sort of Cape
members e. In that
way the " Catholic Association"
of " Good Hope," which a certain number of legal enter-
prisers
think may lead to the golden Indies 'f the pro-
fession. But it is said there is a precedent for purchasing
an estate for Mr. Shell, in that purchased for the late -
Mr.

. •
Grattan. The two names suggest ideas eo different, that
we fear it would prove a hopeless task to attempt to esta-
blish their historical identity. And in the next place, the
substantial gratitude of his country was bestowed upon
Grattan, for services not only splendid, but successful—
the obtaining what was called the " free trade" for Ire-
land. Now what has Mr. Sheil done ? He has made
several extravagant speeches, tending to injure the cause
which he professes to advocate ; but that speech for which
he is prosecuted is the roost foolish of all. Nothing could
do more mischief to what is called the " Catholic cause,"
than such a puerile intemperance of declamation. If such
be the advocates of this cause, it would be better for its
friends to purchase them all estates, on condition of being
silent !—Morning Herald.
We deem it, at present, a matter of some moment, to
ascertain the projects and sentiment cherished and avowed
by the Catholic Priesthood towards the Established
Church. We have an unexceptionable witness in the no-
torious J. K. L., alias Dr. Doyle. He has published a
letter to Lord Farnha'm, in which he presumes to speak of
the Established Church of the country in the following
decent and moderate language :
" I think the Church Establishment must fall, sooner or later ;
it; merits in Ireland are too well known. It has been brought
to the light, and its works being such as do not bear the light,
it will, it must, suffer loss, as soon as an impartial judgment can be
passed upon it. Clamour, bigotry, enthusiasm, and a spirit of
selfishness, constitute its present chief support. It derives no aid
from reason, justice, or public utility. Its old connexion with
the Crown, and that wise aversion to experimental innovation,
which characterizes every wise Government, unite to defend it;
but, if the passions of the people were calmed, some man, with
the spirit and power of Burke, who arranged that chaos, the
Civil List,' aml purified, without injuring them, the revenues and
prerogatives of the Crown itself—some such man would arise and
free the nation from the reproach of the Irish temporal Establish-
ment ; lie would relieve religion from an incubus, and the land of
the country, with its proprietors and cultivators, from an intoler-
able pressure.
" It is monstrous to think of an annual income, amounting to
several millions sterling, being appropriated, in such a country
as Ireland, to the Pastors of less than one-thirtieth part of the
population.
A man of reflection, living in Ireland, and coolly observing
the workings of the Church Establishment, would seek for some
likeness to it only amongst the Priests of Juggernaut, who sa-
crifice the poor naked human victims to their impure and detest-
able idols."

These, let it be remembered, are not the words of an
O'Connell or Shiel, willing to purchase notoriety by any
extravagance of nonsense; they are the deliberate expres-
sion of the sentiments of a Priest, who affects to take a
leading part among the Catholics. We are not surprised
that a Catholic Priest should burn with intense hatred
towards the Protestant faith; but when we find that he
deems it both safe and prudent to avow his hatred in lan-
guage unmeasured, we think it time to bid the warders of
the State take good heed what they do. It is clear that
the Catholics regard the subversion of the Protestant
Church of Ireland as an object which they will, ere long,
be able to accomplish. If they can accomplish it, we
shall have our own supineness and short-sightedness to
blame. Let no man delude himself with the vain fancy
that the Protestant Monarchy, or the Protestant Aristo-
cracy, can survive, for a single twelvemonth, the Protestant
Church.—New Times.