The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-07-19 00:00:00

PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

MEETING AT EXETER-HALL, THURSDAY.

A gederal meeting of the members and friends of this asso-
ciation was held to-day at Exeter-hall for the purpose of laying-
before the public "the peculiar, perils in which the Protestants.
in Ireland are involved; and to receive an appeal to be made in
the spitit of candour and christian charity to our fellow-subjects
themselves, as well as to the British nation in general, on the
principles from which these perils arise, and evidence brought
forward on the subject of an awfully interesting nature, to which
the earnest attention of all parties is entreated. Incontrovertible
statements will be made by the Rev. Robert M'Ghee relative
to the persecuting principles inculcated in the notes of the
Rhemish Testament, and to certain proceedings connected with
the re-publication of those sanguinary notes in Ireland, which
it is of the utmost importance .should be fully known." The
large hall was nearly filled at an early hour, the majority of the
audience being comprised of ladies.
On the platform we noticed many leaders of the church, as
well as several members of parliament Amongst the latter
were Messrs. Finch, Plumptre, Hardv, &c.
Mr. Finch, on the motion of Mr. Plumptre, took the chair.
Prayers were then read by the Rev. Mr: Page.
The Chairman said that he had been most unexpectedly called
upon to preside on that occasion. His' appearing before the
meeting in that character, however, had arisen not from any
defect or default of zeal on the part of either of those distin-
guished individuals who had been applied to, to take the chair,
but from circumstances which were beyond control. The hon.
chairman then said, that from a sense of justice to the church
of Rome, the attendance of Mr. O'Connell had been requested,
to afford that gentleman an opportunity of refuting the state-
ments, if he were able, but the hon. and learned member had
declined. The committee had therefore come to an agreement
that no other person than the Rev. Mr. M'Ghee and the com-
mittee should be allowed to address the meeting. That ar-
rangement he was placed in that chair to enforce, and with their
assistance, he doubted not of carrying their intention into effect.
(Hear, hear.)
The Rev. Mr. M'Gusg then stepped forward, and was re-
ceived with long-continued cheering. He said that Monday
last was the completion of twelve months since he 'had had the
honour of standing on that platform, in conjunction with mans,
of his rev. brethren, for the purpose of placing before the pub-
lic'some statements to prove the real principles that were circu-
lated and propagated by the hierachy of Ireland. It was
unnecessary therefore for him to recapitulate them. Priests
had denounced, bishops had abjured, senators had declaimed,
the press had ridiculed and reargued, even the muse had lent
her aid, poetry had exercised all the power of her wit, and prose
had exercised all her flow and weight of eloquence—all this had
been done, but not one had disproved those statements. (Loud
cheers.) And there' lie stood again that day, at the request of
the associ ttion, in the plain, hunible, confident, add conscienti-
ous simplicity of truth, itr the face of priestssbishops, senators,
editors, and poets, most deliberatelylnd Solemnly to assert that
not one of the statements as to matter of fact laid 'before the
public on the occasion to which he had alluded had been dis;
proved—not one single argument advanced upon thnse state-
ments had been invalidated, and not one single premise had
been falsified; there he stood, deliberately to reassert, and, if
necessary, to confirm every statement which was made—to
heap fact upon fact, to heap proof upon proof, until he be-
lieved that there was no man of any solid, solemn, reflecting
principles in the empire—he cared not what his politics or re-
ligion were—who, if he attended to the evidence, could in his
conscience before God dispute the facts. (Loud cheers.) Be-
fore he entered into the subject, he would wish to address a
few words to some of his Catholic friends who might chance
to be present. He called them friends from the kindly feeling
he entertained towards them whatever their opinions of him-
self might chance to be. When any strong statement was made
last year at the meeting many of them rose up in feelings of
anger and irritation, on the supposition that those statements
were personally directed to themselves. If those parties felt
their principles were impugned and implicated, he now dis-
claimed all intention of imputing to any Catholic in that
room the adoption of the awful- principles which he was
about that day to present to the meeting. He would merely
remark, that the statements contained facts and doctrines
issued and acted upon by certain individuals, and, therefore,
that they were the parties who were the more immediately im-
pugned. ( Hear.) It was not his fault if that hall were or
were not half tilled by Roman Catholics, whom Mr. O'Con-
nell might have perstiaded to be present; and he would ask,
whether he had not given an opportunity for the most able,
powerful, and; certainly, 'the most caustic advocates of the
Roman Catholic church to stand there and dispute, and dis-
prove if they could, the statements and documents which he
was bound to lay before that meeting ? (Loud cheers.) The
same charges were recapitulated again and again, and every
opportunity afforded for their refutation, but not one person
came forward. (Great cheering.) The charges were de-
nounced in the Hotise of Commons, and from a quarter in
which he should least have expected it. All the charges,
however, were again made and addressed to the noble lord
who had uttered his denunciation in the House of Commons.
That was done at a time when the liberties, the property, and
even the lives, of many of his Majesty's subjects were at
stake, but his Lordship had taken no notice of them. His
Lordship certainly did not abstain from noticing the sub-
ject out of any feeling of tenderness towards the accusers,
although, probably, his Lordship's sympathies might have
been awakened for the accused.—(Trensendous cheering.)—
The hon. and learned member for Kilkenny had.bein invited to
attend that meeting and meet the charges,, and to. defend not
only his church but himself, who was peisonally 'implicated in
them, and the hon. and learned gentleman had thtinght it
proper or prudent or best to decline making his appearance.
(Cheers.) He should submit, therefore, to his Roman Catholic
friends in that room and in Ireland whether the fullest oppor-
tunity had not been afforded to them to meet the accusations,
and at the same time he called on them as a christian minister
solemnly to reflect that the persons who had propagated those
doctrines among them as by the authority of (god had refused
to stand forward in their support even before the insignificant
judgment of their fellow creatures. (Reiterated cheering.)
He suggested this fact, then, to his fellow-countrymen—those
principles, which the authors and approvers of shrunk from
standing forward in support of on that occasion, were, as he
should prove to the satisfaction of all present, inculcated by
them up to that hour, and yet they dared not to meet their ac-
cusers in that hall. (Cheers.) Mr. O'Connell had had an
abundance of warning given him to prepare any refutation or
defence he might think proper; but he had refused to appear,
and he had thereby suffered, as would be said in the hon. and
learned member's own profession, judgment to go by default.
(Cheers.) It was true 'Mr. O'Connell had assigned some rea-
sons for declining to attend the meeting. One was, what he
was pleased to term the indescribable conduct of himself (Mr.
M'Gbee) to that rev. prelate Dr. Murray; and the other wag
the unhappy being by whom the accusations were made. He
felt particularly indebted to the hon. and learned meinher, who
described him as that " unhappy person"—" that fanatical
person." The meeting would perfectly understand the appli-
cation, and also they would judge whether he were so.
(Cheers.) It, however, happened that Mr. O'Connell had not
been invited to meet him or any other individual, but was dis-
tinctly asked to meet facts and documents. (Hear, hear.)
Now, facts could not be fanatical, neither could documents be
deranged. (Cheers.) With regard to himself, he did not
know how far the march of intellect might have left him be-
hind, but he could remember the days when it was not con-
sidered the part of the counsel of innocence to decline to enter
into an investigation of the charges set up against his client.
' (Immense cheering.) Such, nevertheless, appeared to be the
indescribable course adopted by the hon. and learned member
for Kilkenny. (Renewed cheering.) He must confess that
it seemed somewhat strange that the hon. and learned member
for Kilkenny was the first person who had discovered that his
client's case was so exceedingly good that he could not under-
take to defend him. (Cheers and laughter.) With respect to
the want of consistency brought against himself by the hon. and
learned gentleman, he must deeply deplore the loss he should
sustain that day in not having the benefit of the instruction and
of the example of that hon. and learned individual. (Continu-
ed laughter and cheers.) What a loss ! 0 happy House of
Commons, what an era burst upon it when such classical elo-
quence—such classical grace—such classical dignity dawned
upon it and upon the country! (Loud cheering.) Happy,
thrice happy should he be, could it stand in equal purity, back-
ed by such goodness and by such oratory, fashioned as that
oratory was on so chaste and finished a style as that pos-
sessed by the honourable and learned gentleman! (Cheers.
But he had one bit fif intelligence to communicate to them
which he hoped would be received and accepted' with thankful-
ness by the meeting; it was, that the hon. and learned member
had told them they had his full consent to draw up and pass any
resolutions they pleased. How long a protestant might be per-
mitted to stand up in public in support of christian truth, in sup-
ped of the cause of God and of an eternal world, against the
superstitions of the church' of Rome, it was impossible for him
to calculate; but this he would say, that since they had the
permission of the hon. and learned member for ItilkennY,
they would proceed that day to inquire into it. (Loud cheers.)
The rev. gentleman then proceeded to read the first resolution
he intended to submit for approval. It ran thus :—" That from
facts and documents already laid before the public, and from
those laid before this meeting, it is already established that the
Roman Catholic bishOps of Ireland have, for 27 years past, and
upwards, set up a standard of theology, as the best guide for
priests„ which contains principles of the most intolerant and
persecuting nature towards protestants of all denominations;
that 'it is also clearly established, that the Roman Catholic
bishops of Leinster have set up the same standard of theology as
the conference books of their province since the year 1831 ;
and that, notwithstanding the j
ust sentiments of indignation
apd alarm repeatedly expressed on this account at numerous
public meetings of their protestant fellow-subjects, they con-
tinue to hold up this book as their standard still." That reso-
lution he submitted to the meeting to confirm in part its coo_
vietion of the truth of the facts laid before them. It was not
his intention to dwell upon or to 'recapitulate the principles or
Dens's Theology, hut to produce to theni one or two documents
which had come into his possession; but which bad not been
made public. One of those was a catechism, a sort of sketch
of Irish history. It was one of the most infamous description
he had ever read. He hail heard that it had been compiled by
a' catholic priest, who had been one'of the greatest agitators of
Irela'cd, and who was sent to America to import the principles
which were prevalent in his native country. The rev. gentle-
man.then at great length adverted to the various editions of the
Bible which had been published, in which' the notes of Dens's
Theology were preserved, and then lead the second resolution,
which was to the following effect :
"That, from the facts and documents laid before this meeting,
it is clearly established that the Bible containing the Rhemish
notes, which had been published in Dublin iu 1816, and which
protestants were led to believe was totally disclaimed by the
Roman Catholic bishops, was again reprinted at Cork, under
their patronage, 1818, and that it has for eighteen years been
privately circulated among the Roman Catholics of Ireland,
and that this bible establishes the fact that the doctrines of in-
thlerance, and cruelty, and persecution contained in Dens's
Theology, so far from being obsolete or the mere opinions of
individuals, are not only held by the Roman Catholic bishops
and priests in their private conferences, but that they have been
by them propagated and inculcated on the Roman Catholic
population
as the authoritative and infallible principles of their
church, and that these notes and principles so taught to the
people are ofth:mael VCR sufficient to account for all the convul-
sions and crimes
Ireland." upon that have disorganized the frame of society in
and
then
read which
he commented in forcible and eloquent
terms,
"That, from the a third
resolution to tnis effect :
documents laid before this meeting, it con-
jtemplates the solemnityilil,trwith which these looks have' been ab-
ured as an awful i
inculcate, calculated to of the principles. which they
to the'eiils of the Church
,Qt.itoallrotestanta into a fatal security as
and 'their Roman Catholic fella Tn-e, both as affecting themselves
tesea nts are bound to tnaliibaepi
~tg:,ietbj,e:sts; and that while pro-
irpls of eternal truth
and .of civil and religious
heir duty to use all
pleased God
so long and so signally tooesfsethhi:ismti,ain' it
if
is'
th t
h a s
fronte
h y
aan„risktimniiflantess
warto
faithful diligence in a spirit
rescue their Roman Catholic countr
ymen
with all sanctions, human and divine,
cannot aven stand
bunal of the holy God."
the test of' hurnan judgments, far less shall it enaure-at tae• tri - • -
The Rev. Mr. Thelwall then read extracts from correspon-
dence between Mr. Coyueand Dr. Troy, and from a declaration
of the latter, from which it appeared that Dr. Troy disclaimed
having approved of the new edition of the Rhemish Testament,
with annotations, Sic., published by Coyne in 1816.