The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-07-08 00:00:00

1.

TO WM. EwidlT, Esq., M.P

Sta,Yod.iii-e reported to hove Said, in your place in tha
House of 4, aat a late eeca,ion, that "it was the Pre,
testant orthodox
.agitators, and- not tbe Roman Catholics, that
were the enemies of both the crown and tte,peuple," Itis qttite
possible that some Vethal inaccuracy- may have occurred in the
report of. your .speeeh;,,but it is (pith certaiii that von uttered;
and it is presumed that you are prepared to;deletid the general
statement here quoted. The object of thiS letter is to give you
an opportunity fit such defence in t4e fact of. your constituents.
You are doubtless awme, that the education subcommittee
of our-new town-council have resolved to discontinue the sys-
tem of Scriptural education hitherto practised in the Corporal
tion Schools, and 'to introduce, in its stead, the syatetn,.with
Tittle alteration, and the books, with no alteration, of "the
Commissioners of National Education in Ireland." • ‘;,•'
This is an important step. It is not a lanai matter affecting
`Liverpool only; though even as such it would Le deserving of
your attention. But it is manifestly of a t'.(' ry different charac-
ter. It is a feeler of the pulse of tngland, to aseertaiu whether
the healthful, beat of Scriptural Protestantism has given way
before the hectic flutter of the liberal fever. It will be claimed
as a precedent for extended and extending adoption. The
friends of the "liberal principle," as it is "tow called by many
"sweet voices,"'tiot content with Ireland, I'vlioye they have the
poor but plausible plea of a numerical 'Majority of persons
opposed to the unrestricted reading of the Word of God, are
ambitious of introducing into England, also, a system which in
its workinz; has, been found so congenial:to. those consistent
coadjutors of the 'liberal 'principle, the trionks and nuns of the
south and west of Ireland. The plan is well. laid,—the oppor-
tunity is well ehoseu,.:—because there exist," just noir, several
town-councils in .England, who, in the -pride of this much-
vaunted liberality, and the intoxication of thiiir. brief authority
are ready and willing to fallow such a precedent. •
•To spread this systeni in this country would be a grand eon-
summation. for you and your political ftiends; who would un-
doubtedly have every reason to anticipate'final success in your
un-English measures, it' von- could prevail, upon Englishmen
to lay aside the HolY•.SZriptures, and emancipate themselves
from the principles of national subordination, social integrity,
and individual devotion, which they. inculcate. In every point
of view, therefore, it is worthy of yonr time and talents,' and
eloquence and- influence, to defend this attempt' to inoculate
England (in the spot you represent) with-the views of the Irish
anti-Bible education system. .• : .

I have the pleasure to inform you; that this assault upon the
palladium of our civil and religioes liberty, so wantonly made
by our town-council, has roused into action a new ph;ilanx of
"Protestant orthodox ugitator:,"—men of different parties, of
widely different opinions, both in religion and politics,;—men of
moderate views and habits, whir have hitherto abstained froM.
auy public movement, but are new united in-one firm determi-
nation to "agitate" this Bible question. We are (excuse the
contradiction of your reported words) friends, and not enemies,
to both the crown and the people. As such, we are friends to
Scriptural education in all classes of the community. We have
been sedulously employed in promoting such education amongst
the children of the poorer classes. •
In this, our appropriate—our delighful ivork, our borne, if I
may so express it in a word dear to Englishmen, we have been
assailed by the ruthless hand of a '• tyrant majority." We
have not provoked the- contest. Wc...4PP4r in sell-defence.
13e,. air, we do not intend to confine ourselVes to the .use of the
shield. The majority just mentioned exists in the council, but
not in the town. The council, whoever may be their pilot, have
now steered upon a rock that will be their ruin. SCRIPTURAL
RDUCATION is our motto, and we appeil to their and your con-
stituents. You shall have due notice of the day of our public
meeting. It will be. a meeting of the ''friends of Scriptural
education." I write this letter without any conference, and
cannot, of course, give any pledge that you shall be heard at
our meeting, though I, for one, would gladly make an excep-
tion in your favour.

But should this be deemed improper, then I take the liberty
of .inviting you to another meeting of thousands of your con-
stituents, to be convened expressly for the putpose, under pro-
per regulations, and at .yourconvenience as to time, at which
you shall have ample opportunity to
_defend this unprovoked
assault of the council, and at which it shall be my endeavour
(though unaccustomed to debate) to show that the arguments
advanced in support of their present proceeding are radically
unsound,—that even in Ireland the system of education, falsely
called national, is exclusive and bigoted,—that the proposal to
introduce it into England is an infidel insult to a Christian com-
munity,—and that the cry of "justice to the people of Ireland"
is a.varnished mask, behind which is hid (awl hid perhaps from.
many liberals of " weak intellect" wlro admire the mask)
"ascendancy to the Popish priests iu Ireland."
Should you decline this invitation to ineet one of the " Pro-
testant orthodox agitators," and wrap yourself up in such sena-
torial dignity as will not condescend to discuss, face to face, with
a clergyman who is r6ludtantly compelled. into "Protestant
agitation" by the aggression of your pro-Popery proceedings;
then I have only to hope, that your right lion, and honourable
associates in the [louse of Commons will.know how to appre-
ciate (and will not fail to put you in mipd of) the nature of the
heroism which you display. wilen on any future occasion you so
far forget your dignity as u senator, as to become the accuser
of the absent and, the unrepresented. Be assured, sir, if this
wet e a passing matter of party politics, I
,woold not be induced
by it to for Sake the comparative privacy of my professional
avocations; but it affects the very foundation of our holy reli-
gion, and in so doing it renders interference, to the best of our
ability, imperative upon the ministers of that religion. • •
I have the honour to be, sir, with all due respect for your
station as a member of our legislature, with unfaigned;and un-
disguised hostility to your awl-Scriptural opinions, and with
sincere and earnest prayer, for your present peace end everlast-
ing happiness, your humble servant,
HUGH M'NEILE,
Incumbent of St. Jutle't; Church, Liverpool.
4th July, 1835.