ON THE LINE OF CONDUCT NECES- sures have engaged my attention from the first appearance of the Journal; and it is only because I disturb the erroneous prejudices of my friends, that they object to my taking a share in discussing the civil As the times in which had failed with thday, sest are of no ordinary kind, had I hailed with the greatest satisfaction been guilty of a deviation from the my political dissertations on past fine of march I first proposed to my- events, recorded in the page of self, it ought not to have raised that history. Of political discussions, cry of dissatisfaction with which I they say, we have enough in the have been assailed of late, even by newspapers; you should confine my best friends, unless, indeed, it yourself to matters of religion. This were discovered that I had abandon-opinion may suit the religious re ed the principles I originally avow- cluse, or the man of wealth, who is ed, and had sold myself to one or content to live on what the tax-gaother of the factions which now dis-therer may leave him, regardless of tract our miserable and unhappy those whom nature has destined to country, threatening to ingulf be his successors; but the clergy christianity in the vortex of deism man who presides over a flock reand infidelity. But I contend that duced to a depth of poverty and miI have not departed from the line on sery, by the misrule and corruption which I first set out, though I ac- of faction, unequalled in the annals. knowledge I have been compelled of nations, and the country catholic, to extend my plan of operations, gentleman, whose property is so reoccasioned by the invidious attacks duced by the heavy contributions of my enemies, yet without losing levied upon him for the exigencies sight of the principal object of my of the state, that he is unable to prolabours-the interest of our holy re- vide for the younger branches of his ligion, which I have sought, under family, cannot feel displeasure in all occasions, to place before the having laid before them measures public mind as the best promoter of which would tend to restore happiman's happiness and the country's ness and plenty to the people, and good. Whatever may be said of security to the descendants of a promy launching out too much into po-perty, held from a line of ancestry, litics, it is clear that political mea- extending up to the Norman con ORTHO D. JOUR. VOL. VIII. H necessary is it then to the interests of religion, that the catholic body should cultivate the good opinion of the nation at large, by avoiding party feelings, and espousing civil principles conducive to public happiness. The introduction of religious innovation by the eighth Henry was accompanied by a violation of the privileges of the civil constitution. An unbiassed perusal of the page of history will shew, that, in every subsequent reign, a gradual restriction of the freedom of the people has been the consequence of a departure from catholic practices; and that political slavery has been the reward of those who have so long clamoured for the persecution of their neighbours, professing that religion which formed and matured the con have lost, and are striving, as well as the catholics, to regain." It was not," says the Birmingham Hampden Club, "till the sovereign found it quest, but which is now threatened to be wrested from them, to satisfy the avarice of stock-jobbers and fundholders. These are times which call upon every one to take a share in the interests of the country; and as the catholics, so long shut out from the exercise of civil privileges, have had no hand in bringing on the distresses which now prevail, on seeking to gain a restoration of their rights, they ought to profit by the errors of their taskmasters, and shew the public that the system of exclusion exercised against them has led to the system of exclusion of which the people complain; and that therefore it is high time an equal participation of the genuine principles of the constitution should be enjoyed by men of all religious persuasions, in their respective de-stitution the people now lament to grees of civil rank and dignity.This principle I have constantly inculcated, in opposition to the views of those men who take upon themselves to be the leaders of a self-expedient, for the gratification of formed club, 'yclept The Board of British Catholics, whose measures have been invariably confined to craving the advocacy of distinguished members of the two parties in parliament, totally disregarding the most essential appendage to emancipation, PUBLIC OPINION. For what advantage to the happiness of the country would the admission of the catholics of the empire to their civil immunities confer, were they to obtain this admission through a power odious to the public feeling? Would not the aristocracy of our body become, as a matter of course, attached to that party which had helped them into power? And Would they not thus become objects of popular suspicion and hatred, and a fresh cause given to represent our ' religious principles as savouring more of despotism and oppression, than of constitutional freedom and public justice? How manifestly a criminal ambition, that their (parliaments) duration was extended. History shews, that these innovations were always attended with the most baneful consequences; as in the case of Heury VIII, who, to promote the objects of his brutal lust, his insatiable avarice, and remorseless cruelty, first extended their duration beyond the period of three years; truly calculating, as facts subsequently proved, that, when a parliament becomes, for a long period, independent of the people, there happens a most dangerous dependance somewhere else. The latter periods of our history furnish decisive and melancholy evidence of the slavish submission of parliaments of an unconstitutional duration to the influence of the crown; and the experience of our own times, distinguished by incessant war, lavish and unnecessary expenditure, overwhelming debt, insup portable taxation, and augmented representation and falsehood had pauperism, confirms the testimony robbed the catholics of their good of former ages, and loudly demands name, for them to raise their relia return to the ancient practice of gious and civil principles once more the constitution." This statement in the eyes of the people, by coming of the Birmingham Hampden Club forward at this critical juncture was made in the year 1816, and with a declaration in favour of civil could not fail to be highly gratifying and religious toleration. An assemto those catholics who prefer the re- blage of the people in Smithfield on turn of public opinion in favour of the subject of parliamentary reform the practices of their ancestors, to and other grievances was held in the the friendship of party, and that summer of last year, when four reparty too the original promoters and solutions on this most important supporters of religious exclusion topic of civil and religious liberty, and persecution. A long train of were unanimously passed; on which national evils, accumulating in each I took occasion to urge the neces succeeding year, though in time of sity of the catholic body meeting profound external peace, has con- their protestant neighbours with tributed materially to open the eyes "corresponding feelings," at the of the people, who now perceive that same time expressing my decided the cry of "No-Popery and Sla- opinion, from the repeated failures very" was but a cloak to conceal of our petitions to parliament, from them the sinister designs of that nothing but a change of system faction. They now discover, that would produce the emancipation so whilst they were exclaiming against long desired. In this avowal of my the supposed alliance of popery and sentiments I contemplated nothing tyranny, and calling for the enact- contrary to the doctrine of the ment of sanguinary laws to prevent church or the maxims of the conthe growth of the former, they im-stitution; but the servile crawlers to perceptibly became subject to a species of the latter, less endurable than any that man could have conceived. the upstarts in power, to whom I have long been obnoxious from my successful opposition to their degrading schemes, watched my motions In the removal of this delusion, with a gangreened eye. Perceivthe press has borne a conspicuousing that at the time when I made my share, and notwithstanding the greatest part of those connected with it are of the basest kind; yet such is the force of truth, when aided by experience, that the exertions of a few public writers have contributed most essentially to diminish that religious prejudice which has so long clouded the public mind against the catholic religion, and which it has been the invariable desire of the bigot and exclusionist should be rooted and permanent. This favour-gion, and the approver of every able impression of public opinion I viewed with delight, and I felt convinced that a more auspicious moment had never occured, since mis recommendation the public mind was disgusted and alarmed at the zeal and activity displayed by a few individuals in the dissemination of Paine's Theological writings, of which there is not a greater detester than myself, they took occasion to persuade a very worthy, but politically misguided, young gentleman, to represent me, in one of the worst and basest prints of the day, as combined with the enemies of all reli resolution passed at the said meeting, whereas it is notoriously clear that my remarks were confined to the propositions regarding civil and -- tician-the catholic and the protestant-the man of this party and the friend of that, so long as I preserve a consistency in my conduct, so long as I confine myself to matter of fact, so long as I keep my political dis civil emancipation, I feel that I should not be justified, were I to suffer myself to be diverted from pursuing my plan of operations, because some few of my friends are dissatisfied with my sentiments, and others are alarmed at the freedom of my remarks.-As I do not pretend to infallibility, and as I have no other end, than the eliciting of truth, so if accidenttally I fall into error, I can have no hesitation whatever in retracting it, whenever it shall be clearly expressed to me.-When, therefore any of f my friends think my sentiments erroneous, I feel thankful to them in pointing out the mistakes I may have fallen into; but should they, in endeavouring to correct me, argue on wrong impressions themselves, I only solicit the same candour or the part of my correspondents as they claim from me, and there can be no doubt that the ge religious toleration. Indignant at this dishonourable conduct on the part of a writer, whose situation in civil rank, leaving conscience out of the question, ought to have inspired him with more liberal motives, and feeling for the honour of my reli-quisitions within the range of our gion, and the cause in which I had engaged, rather than my own personal character, I replied to him with a warmth of spirit that shewed the strength of ground on which I rested my cause, and which has deterred my honourable antagonist from entering a rejoinder to the arguments I advanced.-But although I shamed my opponents from making any further public attacks upon me, it soon became apparent that they were secretly at work to destroy my reputation, which I noticed in a letter addressed to the dignified members of the catholic church and aristocracy, and, the result has been, that I find even many of those whom I heretofore considered as holding the same sentiments on political economy as myself, possessed of fears and prejudices which it is necessary to remove, if possible, before we can expect any solid advancement in favour of the principles of the catho-nerality of my readers will derive lic religion in the public mind; and, much useful and instructing inforwithout which, emancipation would mation. In a country like this, be an evil rather than a blessing. were public opinion is the spirit of To dissipate groundless prejudices, the constitution, public discussion is to inspire constitutional feelings, to as necessary for the preservation of incite an active co-operation in pro- that constitution, as the air is necesmoting our country's good, and thus sary for the existence of life. Pub raise in public estimation those re- lic opinion and public discussion are ligious principles which propel us to likewise component parts of the the work of real national charity and constitution of the catholic church, patriotism, is surely not unworthy of which the generality of protestthe labours of a catholic journalist, ants are uninformed. Yet such is nor can my readers in general feel the fact; and no one has appealed displeased at my undertaking the with more force to the former, or detask. Were, indeed, the circulation rived greater advantage from the of the journal confined to one parti- latter, than the venerable Dr. Milner, cular class of individuals, to gratify who,by the acuteness of his judgment, the taste of that class my e ideavours and the ability of his pen, has provwould be directed; but as my read-ed a match for all his opponents, and ers consist of the divine and the poli- given a striking proof that truth is . always more bright the more she is diabolical, yet the mode or plan of exposed to public view. These re-his defence was such, that though flections are occasioned by the following communication received late in the preceding month, which I here insert, before my own comments on the points therein contain ed, and beg the reader's attentive perusal of each. WM. EUSEBIUS ANDREWS. he was not (and very properly) permitted to adopt his design, yet, in silence I may say, it spoke volumes against such a variety of sects which at this moment inundate this nation it spoke volumes against the bible distributing system, and proved to a palpable demonstration the necessity of that guide in the interpretation of the sacred scriptures, which the Divine Author of religion has provided, when he promised his apostles that the "Spirit of Truth should abide with them even to the end of the world." Vain, therefore, are the various and contradictory interpretations of the sacred and divine words of truth; and in vain will a remedy be sought till there be a return to the pillar and off obedience to this guide that the human mind, left to itself, suffers shipwreck in regard to faith, and gives into every extravagance, even the most ridiculous and absurd; and, throwing off the yoke of reli MR. ANDREWS,-A constant reader and subscriber to your Journal hopes you will receive the following remarks with the same candour with which they are sent to you. You have often testified your willingness to receive the sentiments of your readers, and I hope to be as brief as the subject will permit. The subject of the remarks is occasioned by your letter on catholic emancipation and reform, in the Journal for No-ground of truth. It is by shaking yember, and the fourth letter on the same in your last number. I shall begin by observing, that, in the former of the above letters, you say, "The thrones of sovereigns have been shaken to their bases by the discontents of the people, and the region, both rich and poor have given fusal of those, whose duty it was to remedy their complaints, to lend a willing ear to them." This appears to me to be totally a mistake, and the evidence of facts stand against that assertion; for the real origin is to be traced evidently to a want of the true spirit of religion, by which heterodox principles and doctrines were disseminated widely by the heresiarchs, Luther, Calvin, and their disciples, who again split themselves into various sects, confounding every religious feeling, and destroying the foundations of faith.Hence the Voltaires, and those detestable philosophers whose principles have even lately caused so much alarm in this kingdom. The trial of Carlile evinced this truth in the most striking manner; and although his doctrines were most infamous and into the same destructive and diabolical errors with Voltaire and his followers, to the destruction of society, and corrupted even princes on their thrones and their ministers.Thus was cast the firebrand of discontent, which has spread such devastation in the christian world.Deluded by false theories, kings did not see their error till the bases of their thrones were dashed from under them, not merely shaken, and themselves deposed or exiled by their own subjects. All was confusion and anarchy; the fire raged, and only He who holds in his hand the fate of empires could say, Thou shalt go no further. I look to these causes for the source of the awful events which, within these few years, have taken place, to the consternation of the christian world; and I |