The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-12-24 00:00:00

LETTER FROM THE REV. HUGH M'NEILE TO

MR. ALDERMAN EARLE.

Roscommon-street, 20th Dec. 1839.

Sir,—l could scarcely believe it possible that you had
spoken concerning me in the council, such language as I
found ascribed to you in a public paper ; at the same time as
it could not be classed with those anonymous attacks which
more than defeat their own malignant purpose, I felt it my
duty to notice it. But first, it was right that I should ascer-
tain whether you were correctly reported or not. For this
purpose, I enclosed you the version of the report, with a few
lines, asking if it was correct, or if it contained inaccuracies
or misrepresentations of what you said : thus supplying you
with an opportunity for that sort of explanation which I con-
ceive no one gentleman should ever hesitate to give another.
If you used the words ascribed to you, 1 expected that you
would candidly say so ; if not, that you would gladly avail
yourself of the opportunity to disclaim them, or any part of
them, which you found erroneous.

In this, however, I was disappointed, your answer neither
avowed nor disclaimed anything in the report I sent you, but
referred me to " a much better account" in another journal.
I read it there, and still feeling called upon to notice it, 1
wrote ; Ist, to complain of your evasion of my first inquiry ;
2nd, to ask you if you admitted the accuracy of " that much
better account" to which you referred me ; and 3rd, to
transcribe for your' especial attention two particular passages,
concerning which I requested to be informed, whether they
had been spoken by you or not. One of them represented
you as having charged me with double dealing.
In your reply, which I received on my return home from
Market Drayton last night, you deny any evasion, and pro-
ceed to say—" it was never my intention to answer your que-
ries; and I beg now to decline doing so, inasmuch as Ido
not, recognise your right to put them. I shall be ready and
able to defend my conduct, whenever any act on your part
shall make it necessary for me to enter upon that defence."
This is language for which I confess I was not prepared,
either from a reformer of your liberal school, or even a
member of gentlemanly society. It savours more of the
crushing- arrogance of the middle ages, and the chair of
Hildebrand, than of the freedom of inquiry, which is the
boast of the present age, or the forbearing from threatening
which is the characteristic of a well tutored mind.

I am at a loss which to depltire most, on your account,
the implication that our - town-council is an irresponsible
StarsChainber, the members of which may vilify their neigh-
house as they please, without recognizing lice rigid of a
fellow-subject even to ask, did you do it? or the courageous
threat of self-defence against a clergyman ! whom you have
publicly accused of double dealing, and whom you have en-
deavoured to turn into ridicule to the extent of your ability.
You ground this charge upon a passage in a speech of mine
at the commencement of the school controversy, in which
I commented upon what Mr. Blackburne was reported to
have said in the council. Upon that controversy, and in
reply to my speech, Mr. Blackburne wrote a pamphlet.
There the matter rested between him and me, and upon the
showing of my speech and his pamphlet, I was willing to
allow it to rest. I presume Mr. Blackburne also was con-
tent, or he would have added something more.
If you think he has left anything material unsaid, and feel
detous of re-opening the controversy with me, do so in the
way of argument,without any ungentlemanlike call ing of names,
such as I grieve to say your late speech contains, and I will
endeavour to answer you. In the meantime I make this pub-
lic call upon you to substantiate the chargesof double dealing
which you have publicly advanced against me.
There are several other passages in your speech, upon which
I shall take the liberty publicly to comment, as it best suite
my convenience. But first, on this charge of double dealing.
It is a grave charge, affecting not merely the judgment and
discretion of the party accused, but his moral honesty. It
Should not be advanced without unequivocal evidence. This
you will admit. You will thereforebe so good, without loss
of time, to defend your conduct in advancing this charge,
now that an act of mine, in challenging you to the proof, has
made it necessary for you to enter upon that defence.
Be assured, Sir, that it is with sincere regret I find myself
brought into this sort of personal collision with you. I did
not provoke it. lam not conscious of ever having spoken of
you, or alluded to you in any way previous to your late attack
upon me. I deal with principles and not personalities. If I
occasionally mention the names of individuals it is merely for
the illustration of sonic principle, and not for any personal
abuse. I defend the great fundamental truths of Holy Scrip-
ture in opposition to the false doctrines, vain traditions, and
deceiving inventions of Popery, and its old ally Infidelity. I
defend also the great fundamental maxims of liberty on which
the British constitution is based, in opposition to the anti-
social intolerance and persecution of Popery, and its new
ally Radicalism.
In return, I am honoured with abundance of personal
abuse, but I look in vain for any answer to my arguments.
Anonymous abuse is of course disregarded, and the most
flagrant falsehoods, and malicious misrepresentations, whe-
ther by suppression or exaggeration, are passed without com-
ment. But when a gentleman of your connexions and station
In society becomes the organ of an unfounded charge, I am
compelled by a sense of duty towards him, as well as to my-
self and the public to demand an explanation. Had you
given it in private, the courtesy with which I asked it would
have characterized the only use I would' have made of it, but
my courtesy being rejected, I am forced neon the only other
-course open to sue. -"boeth7e iailae charge, I wait for
the proof. I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
HUGH M'ICEILE.