CHAP. X. " emancipation from national contempt, from public ignorance, from domestic depredation. Historical Apology for the Irish Catholics, by W. Parnell, Esq. Public censure private scorn personal hu miliation-in. flicted upon the Catholics treatment. "A Catholic suffers the three most poignant feelings, that can touch the human heart. "The government of his country passes a "vote of censure on him. "His fellow-citizen expresses his contempt "for him, and expresses it with impunity. "The child of his affection blushes for him, and mourns for himself, when he learns that he necessarily inherits from his father a blot " and a reproach, which no private virtues, or mental endowments, can obliterate or " conceal. " "How can we torture with this refined bar barity? "Do not we shrink back at the sight of a "limb being cut off, and feel it in our own "marrow? Can we not feel, because the suf"ferer is a Catholic? Barbarity of this. O hearts of barbarians, of zealots, of • Protestants! the flames which made the name " of Bonner accursed, the hideous night of "St Bartholomew, are not so great a disgrace "to the character of man, as your cold contriving bigotry. "They at least had the excuse, the varnish, CHAP. X. " of religious feeling; they sprung not from Historical "selfishness, but from a visitation of fanaticism, Apology for the Irish Catholics, Esq. "as inscrutable as physical insanity. These by W. Parnell, merely made a mistake; they worshipped a "demon-and thought him a God. "But you, with perfect possession of your faculties, with a calm pulse, and minds un"affected by the slightest emotion, perpetuate "statutes, to gall the best and most honourable feelings of many millions of men whose "sensations of pleasure and pain are exactly "of the same nature with those, from which your own happiness or misery is derived. "The Catholics can feel; and do suffer. poor of Ireland and scorned. "The very peasantry acutely feel the stigma Peasantry and "cast by government upon their sect and their stigmatized, religion. The lowest order even suffer most. "The wealthy Catholics acquire a degree of "consideration and legal security from their "property_but the peasantry are left naked to "the pelting of the storm, to all the jibes and "jobs of Protestant ascendancy. "Not only a Protestant lord looks down upon a Catholic lord, and a Protestant gen"tleman on a Catholic gentleman, but a Pro"testant peasant on a Catholic peasant ; and, in СНАР. Х. "the expression of contempt becomes more "marked and gross. Historical Irish Catholics, Esq. "Now, let any man say-can such disqua by W. Parnell,lifications be perpetuated with justice or "humanity or can they be borne with pa"tience? Iliberality of power. "Can we then find too strong terms to ex pose to Europe, every where else enlightened " and liberal, the dull and malignant conduct "of the Irish and English Protestants? "Can we find words to express our astonish"ment, that the English cabinet should become an echo, not to ravings of Bedlam, but to a "cento of every thing that is gross, vulgar, 66 " and perverse; "Council-men, Dublin Guilds, Common Aldermen, Corporations ; "hitherto non-descripts in the classes of science, "literature and good sense? 66 "Can we too warmly deprecate the disingenuousness, with which every variety of "rebellion in Ireland is attributed to the "Catholic religion, with out ever taking into "consideration the injustice with which the professors of that religion have been "treated? "The Protestants, in their terror of persecution, have become persecutors; their alarm "at Catholic atrocities has made them atro c "cious-to hear them speak, one would CHAP. X. Historical Irish Catholics, Esq. imagine that they had been the patient and uncomplaining sufferers, from the reign of Apology for the "William till George the Third; that they by W. Parnell, "had borne this long and cruel test of loyal "resignation: that they had been deprived of "property, of arms, of every legal and honour"able right. No, it is not suffering; but it is power-it is the pride of artificial ascendancy, it is "the jealousy of exclusive privilege, that corrupts the understanding, and hardens the "heart." CHAP. XI. CHAP. XI. Retrospect. Complete sub RETROSPECT of the Penal Laws-which aggrieve the Catholics of Ireland. THE afflicting labour of wading thro' these ruinous and disgraceful Statutes now draws towards a close. We shall offer a summary view of their operation, taken from the foregoing "Statement." 1. The Catholics in Ireland are, by jugation of the Law, completely subjected to the ProtestantsCatholics, in all affairs. and delivered over to their exclusive domination and disposal, in all affairs of property, liberty, and life. Powers of mak ing Lawsaltering executingall Law's. 2. In the Protestants, solely and effectually, are vested all powers of imposing exponding taxes upon the Catholics, for public and general purposes, and indeed for every purpose-of enacting and altering Laws of every description, at their freewill and pleasure, for the regulation and controul of the Catholics in all particu |