Star.
London, England, 1815-09-21 00:00:00

Clergy, once the first' class in the State, is deprived
of them, that it will not even have the right of being
represented in the Provincial Assemblies ; that its in-
fluence on the acceptance of the new .Constitution is
carefully removed, so that the most distinguished
Members of the Clergy, According to the expressions
of your Majesty's Proclamation, are not among, the
persons must worthy of the confidence of their fellow
citizens ; lastly, that they are not allowed to inscribe
their disapproving votes on the lists of the Notables.
All these area:Aires (we say it with grief to your
Majesty,) which can appear to us only an unhappy
omen for the future, since your Majesty's Ministers
already account the opinions and votes of the whole
Clergy as nothing, upon subjects which are as much
within their cognizance as that of other private per-
sons, nay their peculiar province, as far as the interest
of religion is conceived.
" It is impossible to calculate all the ill come.
nuances that may kriselroin the continuation of such
a plan. For if the Catholic Clergy are no more to
be consulted upon the concerns of -ale Church, if it
is decided that they can have no share, or at least
only an accidental share in making the laws, espe-
cially those relative to ecclesiastical jurisdiction, how
can they hinder any encroachment upon the inalien-
able rights of the episcopal dignity which belong to
the Catholic Church, and to the privileges which
your Majesty ensure to it ? May they not be arbi-
trarily lessened in national assemblies, when the
clergy hive no influence, or at the most a very pre.
carious one ?
" Experience has proved how important it h thei
the Clergy possess a high rank in the State. The
respect they enjoy extends to the religion itself, wbiok
teaches it. However great the personal merit of the
servants of the Church may be, yet in MN times, if
it is not supported by high rank and legal privates,
which ennoble the functions of the priesthood its the
eyes of the people, the Clergy can oppose but a weak
bulwark to the disorders which it has continual) to
contend with.
" The interest, peace, and welfare of a State de-
pend chiefly on the state of morals—there ate no
good morals where there is no religion. As things
uow stand religion is snore or less respected, in pro-
portion as its servants are more or less honoured and
respected, according to the existing laws. It is easy
to confine the good in due bounds, but the wicked
dare every thing against a elegy, which does not
e.ijoy a certain respect in the Stare.
" Your Majesty has doubtless remarked that the
Catholic religion, which was established again in
France by the emeordat, did not produce the ex-
pected effect, because by the system of the Sovereign
the clergy eejoyed no rank, no e•msideration, no m-
floence tine State—they were to be accounted as
nothing ; they were oppressed by all the inferior au-
thnrities—they soon became, as it was intended they
should, incapable of exercising good, or of prevent•
ing evil.
“ We have the confidence that your Majesty will
deign, in the submissive and respectful representa-
tions which we make to you, in the frank expression
of our smniments, to see only the fulfilment of one of
our most important duties under present circum-
stances, only a new proof of our devotion to your
sacred person, only the sincere wish that your Ma-
jesty may reign over these fine pprovinces in constant
piece, by a perfectly imersial and by 1
a powerful and durable union between the Clergy nod
the Royal Authority.
" We are, with the profoundest veneration,
" Your Majesty's most humble, obedient,