The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-10-16 00:00:00

TITS CATHOLICS OF IRELAND.
--Nam—
For nett. century did the Catholi s of frelend
smart in silence ender the most feroci.,u ~••• of

la s tbat ever disgsaced a civilised country. Iht •e
Is•s originated in calumny, ware upheld by calumny,
stud calumny was daily improving the %ystem.
Catholics had always among them men of 11.erstute,
men of knowledge, and men of talents Ii .v. 111,%
can we account for their extraordinary silence t N.
tare urges the aggrieved to complain. the calumni-
ated to self defence, the pros( rihed to appeal to
justice. We cannot account for that fatal silence

W t hou t supposing that the Volt of infl Pare among
the Catholics, did exert themselves to bring it
snout, actuated as they most have been by timidity,
weakness, nr corruption. Beware then, we souk,

say to the Catholic People of Ireland, of s,ch
advisers: they are either ignorant or careless of
your interests. But they know how to fit y ~o to a
yoke, which, if it find you fit, will stick to you for
ever. It would not be unworthy of the Catholics of
freland; it would materially serve • 4rir interests to
study the history of Orange prejudice its this country;
to trace it to its metre, to point yur its ell-ets. to
ascertain its causes, whether those which origiealle
produced it, or those which continue to uphold it.
Among these vanities causes it would appear that the
Press furnished cooilderable %rid in propagating the
greatest misrepresentations and the greatest take.
hoods. Facts were forged, facts were distorted;;
motives were assigned, principles imputed ; and from
false suppositious, false conclitaions copiously drawn.
Such were the materials That first furnished s founds..
Lion (or the Penal Code; and while there was a plena
tiful supply of the same matesiala, the admired
building cupid be kept in perfect repair, nay, there
were additions continually made to it. The fatal si.
lence of the Catholic' continued, and prevented any
interruption to be given to the towering fabric of in.
tolerance. At length a distant thunder was heard, a
distant earthquake was felt, the sightly fabric was
shook and tottered to its basis ; part of it fell!!! The
Catholics were roused to a setise of their rights, they
spoke the language of men. There was no time to
repair the fabric. The foundation, however, still re.
mottled, and other materials might be used to false the
structure to its (wilier height. The times grew more
favourable ; the warring elements took another di•
rection, and the archi eds of intolerance began to
use their new materials. Figure apart. This
was the time when the advocates of intolerance,
the Orange ascendancy, commenced new scenes of
persecution by perverting the administration of jus•
tice, by rendering liberal laws nugatory, and by
procuring new Penal Laws to be erected under fair
names arid for pret, tided good purposes. This was
zra of trick arid conning, and deception. Some of
the established Clergy whit kit the Unitersity unin-
cunibered with philosophy or theology, were plenti.
fully stored with 9.iphistical arts. They could by
ambiguous words bewilder common sense; and lust
one way whsle they were steering another: they were
useful auxiliaries to the party, if they were trot lead-
ens in it; and their deCeptive practice 4 did not well
accord with the duti.a r.f their pi fession. Mr. Peel
was the favourite of the parts—he possesved power,
and he would either act opeilly -wriiist the Catholics,
Or according to the pew mode entrap them by tows.
genk—he prectiseel both, 114 regular time for remain•
hie hi office was noti'ahoot in expire with Lord
Whitworth's administration. The party set to work,
and in order to perAistle the world that Mr. Pliel:ea
administration was popular in Ireland, they pr
cured the signatures of, we believe, the majority of
the Irish Members in both Houses of Parliament,
and among them, of several pretended friends of the
Catholics, with many others, to a Petiliou, praying
Government to continue Mr. Peel in the Secretary.

ship of Ireland. Government acceded to their wishes.
The fatal silence of the Catholics had returned ! ! !
They stood by like mutes, while their enemies went
plotting their ruin. We will follow this up.--(lrish
Guardsan)

PROVISIONS AGAINST' IMMORALITY

The following statement, drawn up shoot 20 rare
ago, will show that, however unsuccessful, neither
we nor our ancestors have been inattentive to the
genuine 1111011411 of the immense population.
Within the Bills of Mortality, there are—
I. Five hundred and two places of Public Worship.
2. Four thousand and fifty Seminaries fur Educa-
tion (including 237 Parish Charity Schools).
3. Eight Societies for the express purpose of pro.
moting gond morals.
4. Ten Societies for promoting the learned, the
useful, and the polite nits.
5. One hundred and twenty-two Asy!ums Nod
Alms-houses, for the helpless and indigeto (including
the l'hilatithroptc,Society for the reclaiming of cri..
mina' children). 1.
6. Tt,i't Hospites and Dispensaries, for sick und
lame, and tor delivering..prior pregnant women.
7; Seven hundred aftli four Friptolly or Ilsoofit
Societies,l,and Institutions for charitable rod humane
pupoves. Which several instit•rions, including the
Rate, are supported at the Monist incredible
sum of 750,0001. per atmum.
8. Fur the adininistiminni of justice, there are
provided the following Courts, Offices, &c.
I. Thirteen supreme Courts. 2. Forty-eight suhor..
dinate Courts (including Quarter Sessions, Ctilris of
Reg Jest, &c.)
9. There are 7040 Lawyers practising in these tele-
rat Courts.
10. Then, ire 14 Jails, and 6ve Muses of Cot..
rection.
It is added to the above statement, that 64 Not.
withstatidii.g all these, it is a melanctioly.,atuth. that
vice and immorality are dad gaining wirepAlb, cud
spreading their baneful influence over the iiihauttanta
of this district."

t

• 411
••. • •
r _
w 4
a
"•
• ..
•
•
t 3 1
•