The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-29 00:00:00

FATHER MATHEW IN ST. GILLS'.

On Sunday a " batch" of aspirants for the pledge at
the hands of Father Mathew received orders to kneel
down. While in this position,
A respectably dressed man asked Father Mathew if it
was absolutely necessary for him to kneel down to receive
the pledge at his hands ; if so, he should refuse to take
it.
Father Mathew said it was not necessary ; he could take
it standing if he pleased.
'l' he Inquirer—l not only object to the kneeling down, but
also to your placing your hands on my forehead, as I un-
derstand is your practice.
Father Mathew—l wish neither to place my band upon
you, nor that you should kneel, unless you desire to do so,
as I have no desire in administering this pledge to inter-
fere with the religious feelings of any man. The fact is
that the large body of Roman Catholics who take the
pledge will not be satisfied without kneeling to do so, in
reverence to the Deity, and without receiving my blessing.
It is natural that they should do so, and that they should
wish me to place my hands on them, for it is one of the
rites of our Church. I do not see why Protestants should
object to, it, for they themselves have the sign of the
cross made on their foreheads at their baptism.
A voice in the crowd—The truth is, Father Mathew,
they come here to receive your blessing. They make quite
a religious matter of it, and are not satisfied with kneel-
ing out of reverence to the Deity unless they also kneel
to you.
The pledge was then administered, the person who bad
interrogated Father Mathew receiving it standing, and
with his hat off.
Another batch of a very motley character next took
the pledge. Amongst them were many notorious drunk-
ards, as well as some of the poorest inhabitants of the
district.
A Mr. Donaldson then addressed the meeting. How
many familiar faces, he remarked, did he see before him?
—(cheers)—and how many had he kissed and wept over
when they were babies in his arms—(cheers and laughter.)
(It was here stated that be had for years past been an
itinerant preacher in the " Rookery.") Yes, he had
watched over them at the time of the cholera, and many
and many a time, on a Sunday morning. he had wept over
them in that very mews, whilst preaching against drunk-
enness. And what had he got for his pains? Why they
had tried to make him drunk many a time—(loud laugh-
ter)—and never but once succeeded—(renewed laughter.)
Many was the drunkard he had reclaimed in St. Giles's,
and he could give them some striking instances.. Let
them look at Joe Birkitt, the cadging psalm singer—
(roars of laughter.) They all knew " Joe"—(cries of
"To he sure.") Yes, he knew they did. Many a time
he had met " Joe" with his hymn-book in his band, so
drunk that he could not speak ; hut " Joe" was at last
prevailed upon to take the pledge, and he was now living
in comfort in a neat and snug little cottage down at Hull.
Then there was " Poll Moriarty"—(hear, hear. A voice
—" My eyes, she was a ruen'un ') Who was there among
them that had not come in contact with " drunken Poll ?'
They all knew what she had been, but what was she now?
A virtuous woman, who had been holding the keys for
" the Sisters of Mercy," at half-a-crown a week—(laugh-
ter.) Let them all come forward and take the pledge at
the hands of the " holy father," and they would then,
instead of being the " rooks," become the doves, the vir-
tuous doves of St. Giles's—(roars of laughter.)