The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-01-21 00:00:00

POPERY

Let the Christianity of the empire beware! Evil is at
hand, every hour is adding to the actual strength of Po-
pery. Its doctrines have been beaten out of the field.
Controversy has been at an end for these hundred Sears.
No Popish work of the slightest force has appeared since
the gl.rious revolution which allowed men to judge of

truth and impugn error for themselves. Popery can no
more appeal to the understanding in a free country than

an astrologer could be suffered to tell fortunes in an as-
sembly of astronomers. The absurdities which might be-
wilder ignorance and dulness shrink from the certainty of
exposure among the intelligent and rational. Charlatan-
ism dies in the presence of knowledge. Popery knows its
intellectual weakness too well to venture into contact

with the muscular energy and contemptuous strength of
free discussion. It can no more face the light than a

highwayman ; its vocation is in darkness. All that is
plain, clear, and s'mple, is fatal to its existence. Living
by shrouding the understanding of man, it dreads all that

s ,
asserts his natural liberty of seeing with his own eyes. It
blinds that it may lead the blind ; and the moment that
the eve is restored to its faculty the deluder flies, leaving
his idle anathema behind. In England we shall never
see anodicr volume of Popish logic worth its paper. But ACCUMULATED MURDERS.—A woman named Sarah
Popery has more cOegess'.al Teeonns. It teal with Freeman, of Bridgewater, Soweektetshire, is now in ens-
principalities and powers; it barters its blind multitudes t:',•.!y- ehareed with having murdered, at different periods
for power • it startles timid statesmen with the fear of within the last twelve months, her mother, her brother,
reckless rebellion; it buys profligate public men with the her infant, and her husband. She is the daughter of poor
offer of its alliance; it corrupts public men by its intrigue ; parents residing at the hamlet of Shapwick, near Bridge-
and it purchases the dull, indolent, and negligent mass o water. She is 28 years of age, and is the widow of Henry
neutrality by the promise of peace "for their time." Its Freeman, a native of the latter place, who, during his
object is power—solid, active, substantial supremacy ; lifetime, worked as a day labourer. From a somewhat
not the supremacy of doctrine, not the conversion to a early age she is represented as having been addicted to
faith, not the abstract victory of Romanism over Protes- loose and dissolute habits, and before her marriage she
tantism. Popery knows nothing and cares nothing for had three illegitimate children. At the examination be-
speculations ; it grasps at the gross realities of things—it fore the magistrates, the prisoner (who is short in stature,
pants for secular possession—it intrigues for real autho- somewhat square built, and of rather mild expression of
rity—it longs for lands and houses, for tribute and trea- countenance) did not appear to manifest any anxiety.
curies. For those it haunts the death-bed—for those it She was unconcernedly eating some resins which were
haunts the death-bed—for those it clings to the skirts of given her by Mr. Bussel, the gaoler : and the only time
faction—for those it roars repeal in Ireland—for those, it at-which she seemed at all moved was when her father was
whispers compromise in England—for those it alternately called as a witness.
wears the livery of the patriot and the placeman—and for THE LICENSEDVICTU aeLous.—The conference of this
those it equally takes the bond of Lichfield-house, and body took place last week at Nottingham, at which there
tries to wind its way through the obliquities of Whitehall. were delegates (none were present from this town) repre
Ireland is, of course, the first object of possession. senting 60,000 persons. The object of the conference was
There Popery has all the advantages which it ever re- to make arrangements to induce the Government to re-
quires. An immense population, that population utterly frain from carrying any measure calculated to injure the
in darkness; an impoverished Protestant clergy, without trade. A series of resolutions were adopted, deciding
power, without leaders, and without union ; its individuals that a central committee of the licensed victuaders of
often able, and often zealous, but unsustained, acting by the united towns of England should be appointed to rep-
desultory impulses, and already regarding their fate more resent the body in all matters of business. and empowered
with the resignation of the martyr than the noble ardour to act in all matters in which the trade are interested—
and magnanimous courage of the missionary. Of this that a general fund should he placed in the hands of the
condition of things we: shall speak but little at present. committee—that the central committee shall, until another
The Papists pretend to be prodigiously angry at the exist- be appointed, sit at Birmingham—that there should bean
ing aspect of their affairs. This is hypocrisy. They are annual Meeting of representatives of the trade, the first
prodigiously delighted, and with ample reason. On this of which meetings is to he held at Birmingham—that the
topic, too, we shall be silent until we see the further de- central committee shall be composed of or selected from
velopments of the plan ; we shall in all Probability not the Licensed Victuallers' Association of Birmingham, &C.
have long to wait. In the meantime let Protestants hear The draught of a memorial' was referred to a sub-corn-
what the enemy is doing, from his own organs. The mittee for correction in minor matters.
chief Popish •paper of the last month declares that the THE ITALIAN Boys IN LONDON.—An inquest was
Protestants who apostatize to Popery in the single chapel held at Seven Dials, yesterday week, on view of the body
of Moorfields amount to one hundred and twenty in the of Joseph Leonardi, who was found dying from destitu-
last fire months, or about six a week ! A new establish, tion in the streets on the previous Wednesdays and ex-
ment of female devotees, who call themselves " The Sis- pired shortly afterwards in St. Giles's Workhor s The
ters of Mercy," is about to be formed in Nottingham. A deceased was one of the great, number of Italian boys
brought over to this country to perambsitate‘fthne
tastreetsia
nunnery in Sunderland is increasing its members, and
two of the females have been put in charge of the large with hand organs, and he was in the erspisy
named Rabbiotti. Two Italians in 0 schools belonging to their congregation. A convent of
that he was a kind and consideras the same sisterhood is on the point of being established at
Killarney, the lake district in Ireland. Such are a por- were well lodged and fed, a ••• e master,
named Fortunati, said he '.sadl and that they
same' employ stated
u not overworked. A lad,
tion, and but a portion, of the efforts which every hour
vice of Rabbiotti, and I
sees making by the Popish priesthood for the propagationformerly been in the ser-
of their darkened and unhappy creed. In the British is-
were from nine in
practised upon him. Pit him on account of the cruelties
Their hours of parading the streets'
lands nunneries, monasteries, and masshouses are form-
they slept tl ing in every spot where they can obtain land for the pus- they
from t;re'''' :the morning till eleven at night, and
pose ; and the system of conversion—not to the doctrines,in a bed. He considered that the deceased
for of the doctrines the converts have no comprehension, by his ap, se cruelties and assaults practised upon him
nor does the Papist make any inquiry (all that has been vatior aster, and described one instance of great aggra-
settled long ago by the Council of Trent), but to the name doe - Deceased was labouring under disease of the
and numbers of Popery, is urged with restless activity. ~ st, but was compelled to go the usual time into the
But in America, where there are constant and large _,treet. A gentleman present, said the cruelty practised'
emigrations of Papists, the rapid movements of Popes by the masters of the boy was inconceivable. The sur-
are still more remarkable. A Popish cathedral has' •Y geon said he found deceased's lungs one mass of disease,
:seen
lately opened at Natchez. In Cincinnati there b- but there was no mark of external violence. The jury
a new importation of what are called " Sisters of ' been'haasrit' returned a verdict of " Natural death," accompanied by
At Quebec the Popish Archbishop has just 19'.
r(el ot'ruesttlifsoorooa a severe censure of the conduct of Rabbioiti in allowing
on land for ecclesiastical purposes—amour th the deceased to be exposed to the inclemency of the yea.
residence. A bill to incorporate anotb' r' Popish i st't tber, while he was so ill. It was stated that in the me-
rlon. named " The Ladies of the Saar Al. erat.tof JnesuisTh tropolis and principal manufacturing towns of England
there are 1,000 Italian organ boys, who draw from the
is before the Canadian legislature A Fopish cathedral public a sum exceeding £20,000 annually.