The Sun.
London, England, 1818-04-27 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

MR. Eti.Orci.RT,:4—Observing sated in your Pa-
per, in .a Vitinerreiter; under the signature of
." Terra Filins," relative to the above question,
" that as4O:stihstantial reason, can be given,
fbcingh' many an artful ;and flimsy one has-been
set up,, for receiving. Roman Ci-itholiCs into the

army and navy of a Protestant. Kingdom,• and re-
cononending that they-mightenjoy their religious
liberty in gratitude and peace,'' &c. &c. I cannot
resist imparting to you the following remarks,
penned some time since; upon the subject at con-
ceding the Veto, which will prove, most satisfac-
torily, -that while, as. your. Correspondent ob,
serves, no snbstautial reason can be foond for
admitting C'atholics to offices of command .in the
army and navy, powerful, cogent, and irresistible
reasons concur to forbid such an experiment, alike
dangerous to the existence of Our Eitablished Re.
ligion and Protestant Asectidiney..
The Veto has always appeared an ply fer of the
very tir:st itoportatice atid crentiot, certainly be.
• considered as inconsistent wi:IF the-Constitution
of the Chinch cr:' Rome, infall.ble- as iris said to
- be; whrte, as is piety gei.erally known, miny of
the chief advocates for Cott-it-41c, anancipation
thought it.well rt.; assent to its 1011iiitling with the
Crown. if the Catholics:come" torwaret, with a
Brett to require everything and to concede no-
thing,.auch a spirit cannot be too carefully guard-
ed against ; forit•is in
.vain. to expcct concession
after their objects are attained : the in-
fallihility of their religion, and the
.enthusiastic
cal of its votaries, preclude such a. hope. The no-
tnrol gradations of influence, as repeatedly pointed
our,—from the Pope to the -Bishap,, the. BishOps
-to ,the inferior Clergy, thence to their. flocks,,
fithSt and will happen ; it. springs from. and, is. the
vital spirit of-the-Catholic Religion itself, lloay.
far such authority, so delegated„ may be-able to
warp and constrain,men in the. discharge of their
duties in civil society, is the whole jet and hazard
aif the momentous experiment of Emancipation.
134; there is an influence more dangerous, if pos-
sible, than any of these, that must and will arise
from- the permission of unlimited privileges to
l'apists,--it is the influence- of military authobity in
command.. The idea of -paramount power to that
oldie Exectoive is'not only formidable, but dan-
gerous. Experience has shewn that men's con-
liciences ;et at rest, civil or moral-duties ate nut
nauch, regarded, when opposed to their passions,
their interest, or -their wishes. Pre,cience trem-
bles to contemplate what may be, while shudder-
ing
with hofror at the temembrairce of what /ws
Tice.) the con eipenCe of bulls and dispensations
flora Pope. -What may. they riot produce
when directed to the Catholic. __Anumander of an
11,4 y, of a fleet, or even of- a singlesitip! How
Avill'the Catholic Commander of a ship of war
~conduct himself bet wren the Pope arid his Legi-
timate Suvereigi! ? - Ault it may justly be dues-
tinned, how, under actual milimited emancipation,
the religious duty of a British ship of war is to be
regulated ? Sailors. although they are (as they are
generally esteemed) careless, happy, open-heart-
ed fellows, yet theirthoughts, hearts, and minds
can ascend to- heaven, in congregated Union, as
-fervently and devoutly as other men's ; and pious
-prejudices are sorwoimes as
,prevalent an -boars!,
-of ships as on shore. _A-ship of, war is more parti-
cularly adduced, because the power w controul
leste in the breasts of an individual, the Com-,
mander, and is us unlimited as it is dangerous, it
left to mere-choice in matters of religion.

"CANT IDUS.