Those who err in the exercise of power, muft of 'courfe belong to that divifion, to which power is confined, but furely the men of whom I fpeak are a minority, a narrow and a despicable minority.— How have I rambled in this defcription! Let the man in humble life be protected, and treated with regard, and he will be frugal. If he is to be religious, communicate to him fome better impreffions, than thofe he has received. If you cannot fucceed in this attempt, or will not try the experiment, do not weaken his attachments, treat with refpect the things and perfons he is used to reverence.* "May I live, faid the Great Henry, to fee every peasant in my dominions, eat his fowl

in

* Unless it is wished to plunge this country into irredeemable barbarism, the body of Clergy, from whom a great part of the people choose to receive religious confolation, ought in common prudence to meet a very confiderable degree of attention and encouragement. Inftcad of this, the Catholic Prieft, is, in fome places, treated by our rural magiftrates as a fort of wizard, who is to be answerable for the demeanour of the Parish. For his example and doctrines he ought to be flrictly refponfible; but if this be extended far, no man will enter into that miniftry who in any refpect is fit for it. It is inevitable to have a Catholic Clergy in this kingdom; a very important care then should be, to have that Clergy of the heft poffible defcription; fo refpectable, as a body, and individually, that they fhall fet a value upon both public and private reputation, and dread the diminution of either. Well-inftructed men fhould be provided, and induced to undertake this function, as fuch only are fit to conduct the people, and mould their character. It was at all times a matter of precarious policy, to fend an order of men, fo important to this kingdom, as the Romish Priesthood, to feek education in a foreign country, at the hazard of being alienated from their own. This inconvenience is however at an end, as the establishments for that purpose: have perished in the present troubles on the Continent. Still a clergy is to be fupplied to the wants of the people, and candidates will not be backward for that function. You must have this Clergy of one kind or the other cultivated or illiterate; the powerful men of the country are to decide; they may incline the balance either way. Let them be affured, that if they fuffer this order to be debafed, the people

all

[ 37 ]

in comfort."* Let them come to the fight! is the war-hoop of Ireland.

More penalties have been ordained in this kingdom fince the commencement of the 18th century, than in any other country during any space, of time whatever. And the refult, as might most naturally be expected, was to leave the people in their primitive condition, as to manners, as to comfort, and cordiality with the government, The end of legislation elfewhere, is to protect man against man; but here it was an entrenchment thrown up, in order to fortify one people against another. I do not propofe cither to justify or

impeach

will fink with them. A rational laity will not fubfift under an Abiffinian Priesthood. If they will not accept of the chriflianity of the polished Catholic world, they may have those abject fuperftitions that exift under the name of Chriftianity, in fome parts of the Turkish dominions near the Archipelago. The government has, by the eftablishment of the College at Maynooth, fhewn a moft laudable difpofition. But one is aftoniflied to find that the inftitution meets very affiduous oppofition from a party, who in general difplay their zeal against their Catholic fellowcitizens. Moral inftruction is to be provided for four millions of the people. and can any man regret that the ftate takes up the cause, and contributes to it moft bountifully? Is the inftruction of millions to be compared to the accommodation of a fingle parih? Having faid fo much on this fubject, I fhall add that the project of making provifion for the Gatholic Clergy is not fo eaty of execution as at firft view it appears to be. Son ething of that nature might be practicable, and in many refpe&ts ufeful.

See in Sully's Memoirs this interefting anecdote.

An anonymous writer, whom I have before me, expreffes with fo much juftice and good fenfe the fentiments I wish to convey, that I fhall tranfcribe his words. Speaking of the religious liberty granted by the Empress Maria Therefa, he fays. "It has been obferved even in its firft operation, to have produced, particularly in Hungary, the happieft effects. The moft mortal animofities fubfifted between the Roman Catholics and Proteftants in that country, occafioned by the power which the laws afforded to the worst members of one communion (who are thofe that are always bufy in fuch matters) to grieve and harrafs even the best of the other. The taking way of this unnaturai and ill-beftowed power has strongly ope

rated

impeach the state expediency of thefe proceedings, In a general system of severity, poffibly no parti cular measure might have been mifplaced; one harfh exertion of authority created the neceffity of another. They were the laws of war; they were the lines and outpofts of a garrifon. Be it that thofe rigid courfes were neceffary to protect the recently acquired property, you will not therefore require of me to receive them, as a peace eftablishment of morality. It is enough for my argument, that in the agency of the Irifh legilature, a competent caufe is to be affigned for the ill-condition of its fubjects. The British branches of our state occafionally interfered to correct the fpirit of angry legiflation, but never to excite it. Thefe Popery laws never found an advocate out of Ireland; they were difcredited in appeals to Westminster. Lord Camden and Lord Mansfield were the first who cried fhame upon the fyftem. Lenity came from abroad, whilft harfhnefs was the immediate and natural propenfity of our own government; no unfavourable omen for the medi, tated change; no light inducement to prefer the ufual compofition of the British Legislature, to the native rule, recommended by volumes of coercive laws, and a century of inaufpicious interference.

After

rated to fubdue all animofity and diffenfion, and it probably may not be long, when both they and the caufes from which they originated will be equally forgotten."

Mr. Jebb who treated this fubject at its outfet, with a degree of good fenfe, to which little has been added, speaks of the Catholic queftion as a matter requiring the appropriate inter ference of the Irith Parliament. I beg leave to call that gentleman's attention to the facts I here ftate; from what appeared to the public, it must feem that the relief of the Catholics was effectually debated in the British Cabinet.

1

After the revolution war, the spirits of the Irish were completely broken: It is impoffible to fup. pofe, that with the aid of a conciliatory adminiftration, they might not have been rendered useful and obedient fubjects to the new fucceffion. The Highland clans engaged rather more zealously in the cause of the houfe of Stuart. They felt the wrath of the government which they had exafperated; but precaution and punishment were temporary, and a calm was permitted to fucceed. That bulwark of the empire, which Scotland is, Ireland would have become, had the been blessed by a fimilar policy; and refourceless as we are, would Scotland have remained, had the grantees of forfeited eftates been negligently permitted to eftablish themselves in the government, at once independent of the crown and of the people, and with their power to tranfmit their jealoufies to pofterity.* The propriety of these forfeitures is no queftion for modern investigation. They come to us fanctioned by the laws of property, and facred let them remain for ever. But I may be permitted to lament the confequences of the event. I may be permitted to arraign the inexpedient policy that accompanied it. When England changed the property of this land, the ought to have taken measures to prevent the clafhing of the old and new pretenfions. Against the old indeed, the effectually provided, but took no precaution against the proba

ble

*It is ftrange that when gentlemen impeached the efficacy of the Union, on the evidence of the Scotch rebellions, they did not perceive the inference to be directly againft their opinion. The Union-government could not be put to a better teft than this. It has withdrawu the Scotch from an ancient prepoffeffion, which three times prompted them to take up arms, and under which they were on many occa fions ready to act, if circumftances permitted. See Lockart's Memoirs.

ble errors of the new. She gave us a government of hereditary alarmifts, whofe minds, fatigued with the eternal apprehenfion of reaffumption, would never settle, and would never permit a fettle-, ment to form about them. Your notions of political propriety will probably be shocked at my affertion, that fimple monarchy, without representation, had been preferable to the reprefentation of a party. So at the present day, a representation, which does not tell for all descriptions of the people, is better altered than adhered to, for it can never produce an impartial and uniform administration.

A

It was religion fay fome; it was democracy ay others, the prevalent perverfion of the hour, and tranfitory as its caufe, which alienated the people from their duties.* Give me leave to affert that it was neither the one nor the other. principle was planted in our conftitution, when it received the feeds of life, and unfolded itfelf at maturity. It was foftered by the manifold difcouragements under which the common Irish labour, by the intercourfe between fquire and peafant, and by every thing that throws into the hands of the former an exorbitant authority; it was the refult of that fentiment, fo frequently difavowed; yet fo affiduoufly encouraged, that the mafs of the people are to be fufpected. Religion, it is true, was the catch-word of difcountenance; the victories of the French Republic fuggefted

*A question is very often put, why may not the Irifh Pafliament inveftigate and redre's the grievances of the country ? why could not the French nobility, affembled in their chambers of notables, redrefs the inconvenience of the people? Because, joined to all the other difficulties of drawing thein to the difcuffion, one of the most inconvenient things in the ftate was their own conflitution. An Incorporating Union is the only change that can be made in Ireland, confiftent with the fecurity of the propertied, and the rational encouragement of the non-propertied claffes.