The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-09 00:00:00

E LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANLARD.

SlA,—Should you deem the following observations
suited to your highly respectable paper, please give them
insertion.

You are aware that a cry has been raised, and so often
re-echoed, wit bout contradiction, that many, not knowing
the real state of Ireland, are led to believe it. The cry I
allude to is, that the Established Church in Ireland is the
greatest cause of the miseries and disturbances in that
country. Now, in direct contradiction to this, a true and
simple statement of facts will clearly shew that the Es-
tablished Church, so far from being the cause of any
degree of misery in that country, is the greatest blessing
which could be conferred on it. The only reason given
by those who propagate the cry is, the exaction of tithes.
Now, to any rational mind that will at all think on the
subject, it must appear that tithes never did, nor ever
could be any cause of injury or misery to any country—
tithes being altogether 'a reserved, head, or crown rent.
The proprietors of the land got the grants of it, subject to
this reserved rent ; and all tenants got their leases subject
to it. And now I would here premise, that what•l now
say of the present established clergymen in Ireland, and
of the state of parties in that country, I•speak from per-
sonal knowledge and observation, having spent a period
of more than fifty years in Ireland, and often visiting
almost every part of it ; and having bad ever in view to
gain a knowledge of the feelings and views of all parties,
very few can be better acquainted with the subject. The
clergymen of the Established Church are gentlemen
of high moral character, and being resident landlords
amongst their tenantry, are foremost in every charitable.
and good work. Should, at any time, cases of distress-
arise in their neighbourhood, the persons distressed do.
not, if Roman Catholics, run to their clergy ; no, the first
place they go to is the parsonage, where they are sure to
receive every assistance the minister can give: yes, and
in almost every such case his lady willingly assists. And
I do assert, without fear of contradiction, that all the
holders of property taken together, do not do so much
for even the temporal happiness of the people of Ireland,
as the established clergymen do. This is viewing the
case merely as it relates to temporal matters; but let it
be viewed relative to spiritual or religious matters. In
doing away with the Established Church, (of course all
support of the clergy is done away,) then how are they or
any other preachers of the gospel to be supported ? Will
five, ten, or twenty protestants in a parish do so ?' No,
to do so is altogether out of their power now. It is a fact
that a very few years ago, in many parishes, the number
did not exceed the lowest ; and even now many do not
amount to the highest number,—hence it is evident that
the greater part of the kingdom must be left without a
gospel minister. In these remarks respecting. the esta—
blished clergy, I have had fully in view, as in a great
degree connected with them, the clergy of the Presbyte-
rian church, as also receiving government support, For
if the Established Church should be put down, so must
the other. But, say the voluntaries, our principles would
then be acted on, and gospel ministers would be established
throughout the kingdom. Will no experience teach such
the absurdity of their principles ? They have had the
wide field to operate on, and with all their exertions for
two hundred years they have not been able to support
teachers over more than three or four churches, and these
few in the large towns, or where many protestants were
residents; and in the meantime what are the ministers
endowed by government doing ? They are preaching the
gospel clearly, and their labours are owned by their Lord,
by making them the means of turning many from dark-
ness to light —from the grossest errors to embrace, yes, and
many to publish the faith which they once endeavoured
to destroy. I know many will say that the writer is a
complete bigot to the Established Church; but when I
tell such, that I was brought up a dissenter, and have
ever continued one, they should not hold such an opinion ;
but 1 do look upon and esteem the Established Church as
a very efficient branch of the Church of Christ on earth,
and latterly I am more than ever attached to it, in con-
sequence of the noble stand it has made in the support,
and upholding the word of God against all who are en•
deavouring to undervalue and disparage it. Only I,t that
church hold firmly this high vantage ground, and it may
despise all the efforts of its enemies to overthrow or
injure it.
Liverpool, sth April, 1844. A. M.

Jackson was applied to for his patronage, to the under-
taking, which was readily gratted : and thus ptovided,
the individual who got up the whole sent on to Nevi York,
where the rage for speculating in lands and city lots was at
the highest; and forthwith, a nuniber of those !entlemtn
came to Washington to purchase. When they had bought
their lots at Jackson, at high prices, they repaired balk to
New York to sell them to other speculators at still higher:
and General Jackson having, at the request of the founder,
attended the ceremony of laying the foundation of the
Exchange of Jackson City, before a single dw, Bing s% as
erected. and delivered a long oration on the occasion, the
lots rose in value, because the city had been actually be-
gun, and buyer after buyer continued to give a higher
price I At length, however, the sums per yard of this
waste land were so extravagant that no farther' advances
could be bad upon it, and the last buyers consequently
found themselves stuck fast."
Any comment upon the above narration is unnecessary.
I am, sir, yours obediently,
H UM AN ITAS.
New Brighton, March 30, 1844.