Page images
PDF
EPUB

address to his flock to be aware of the insidious 1305. promises of an undefined equality and liberty to

had said, that unless they rolled with the wave they were left on the beach.

"Had Mr. Garrow faithfully quoted me, he would not have converted a short note into a whole chapter, nor have retailed to the jury as the words of a Catholic historian, those which were expressly quoted from a Protestant bishop, the Rev. Dr. Stock, who is still living to explain and defend them. In my 3:1. Vol. (p. 716) is to be found the following note, upon which the reader will make his own observations and comment:

[ocr errors]

« The Bishop of Killala has, in his narrative of what passed at Killala in the summer of 1798, (p. 82,) given the following reason, why in every popular commotion in Ireland, some Roman Catholic priests will probably be found concerned in it:""The almost total dependance of the Romish Clergy of Ireland upon their people for the means of subsistence is the cause, according to my best judgment, why, upon every popular commotion many priests of that communion have been, * and, until measures of better policy are adopted, always will "be found in the ranks of sedition and opposition to the esta "blished government. The peasant will love a revolution, because he feels the weight of poverty, and has not often the sense to perceive that a change of masters may render it hea"vier; the Priest must follow the impulse of the popular wave, or be left behind on the beach to perish."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Essex-street.

"FRANCIS PLOWDEN".

He now finds himself more than amply justifie in writing this letter, by the subsequent publication of Mr. Garrow's eloquence, as taken by Mr. Gurney in short hand. He was the less excus able for the falsehood and misrepresentation, because it appears. from that report he had the book with him in Court. For he said "I think Mr. Plowden would have abundantly better ground to support an action against the writer of this article, "for the observations, which he has made on his four volumes,

(p. 57)

[ocr errors]

one of which I hold in my hand, and shall have occasion to

1805.

be licentious, holden forth by many modern constitution makers, by specially referring to all the

"refer to presently." In order, however, to keep in unison with the anonymous libellers of the Anti Jacobin, he solemuly and reflexedly quitted truth and candor, as must appear to every one, who compares the quotation with the context (p. 71, 72.) "I had the curiosity to look into a book on the subject, which "lies before me, written by a learned gentleman of our profes

sion, Mr. Plowden; I had been reading it as I was travelling, "and was struck with a passage which I wanted to shew to a "friend; I could not find it readily; I knew Mr. Plowden was

[ocr errors]

a man of method; I thought he would have an index to his book; I turned to his index; I thought the thing I wanted to "find would be under the title Priest; I found the refer❝ence "Priests, p. 116." just as a man writes in his common

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

place book," actions upon the case." Then under that:

"Goods sold and delivered," What do you think is written “ ́under Priests? Why-" some Roman Catholic priests always "must be found in a rebellion." Now what do you think is the "argument of this gentleman why some Roman Catholic priests always must be found in a rebellion? I will tell you what his argument is: He says, "Whilst the Roman Catholic priests "are so dependant upon their flocks as they are, it is impos sible, if there be an insurrection or rebellion, that they should "not join with them. Why? Because the people will always. "be disposed to rebellion, in the hopes of bettering their con"dition, without considering the sad reverse that may happen "upon it and the priests being so connected with the people, "must either roll upon the wave or sink with the people, and "that accounts for why in the rebellions of Ireland we have had

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

a pretty sprinkling of priests; but I would not do any body injustice, because I find that a person interested in the charac "ter of a Roman Catholic priest in Ireland has published a "catalogue of persons found in this situation, and it is but "fair to those, who are respectable, to distinguish them from "such persons; there is not one, I believe, that has not, af ter he was gone, been found to have been a desperate repro"bate through life."

first horrors of the French revolution, which ran into a frightful anarchy, and then settled in an atrocious despotism, under which the most violent disturbers of the ancient order of things insufferably laboured. It ended with a pathetic admonition to them, not to be deceived into ruin, as many of the States on the Continent had been; but to follow the divine injunctions of God, which applied to all times and all circumstances, which they had been taught in their catechisms, as it was recorded in the holy scriptures, and would bind the Catholic Church to the end of time: "Fear God, honor the King, obey and respect your superiors, &c."

1805.

Mr. Hamil

Towards the close of Trinity Term 1805, the Pardon of public was gratified with a scene in Dublin, which ton Rowant produced the happiest effects. On the sitting of the Court of King's Bench, Mr. Hamilton Rowan appeared at the bar, when the Attorney General informed the Court, that he attended on behalf of the Crown, in order to consent to the reversal of this outlawry, and asked Mr. Rowan, what he had to offer to the Court, why judgment should not be pronounced against him. Mr. Rowan then handed in the record, observing, that he was advised, there was error in fact upon it. The Attorney General informed the Court, that he had a warrant from the Lord Lieutenant, authorizing him to confess the errors assigned: upon which Mr. Curran moved, that the outlawry should be reversed, and it was ordered accordingly. Then Mr. Rowan

[blocks in formation]

1805. having been formally put to the bar, the Clerk of

Lord Castlereagh vacates his seat for Down.

the Crown shortly stated the indictment against him for high treason, and put the question to him, guilty or not. Mr. H. Rowan pleaded his Majesty's gracious pardon, and handed in the letters patent under the great seal and enrolled, which having been allowed, he addressed the Court in a dignified and impressive manner. He expressed the warmest sense of his Majesty's clemency, not only for his own restoration to all his civil rights, but more especially for the favourable indulgence and protection, which his wife, his children, and his family had experienced during his absence and legal incapacity. His feelings were not pressed upon by any call for a formal renunciation of his political opinions, nor was reference made to them by any other person in Court. The Chief Justice then addressed Mr. H. Rowan to the following purport. "Mr. Rowan, from the sentiments you "have this day expressed, I trust, that the pub. "lic will feel, and your future conduct will prove, "that his Majesty's pardon has been worthily be "stowed." Mr. H. Rowan howed respectively and retired; evidently strongly affected; as was the whole Court, which was unusually crowded.

The defection of Lord Sidmouth, the impeachment of Lord Melville and consequent shiftings in the Cabinet created the necessity of Lord Castlereagh's vacating his seat for the county of Down, in order to accept of the office of Secretary of State for the colonies and war department. The disgraceful result of the election on that vacancy to

the ministerial candidate, inflicted a fresh and deep wound in the humiliated and harassed mind of Mr. Pitt. It brought to a genuine test the real sentiments of the public in Ireland upon the merits of his system. Lord Castlereagh from his entry into political life, had been considered the most abject tool of that haughty minister in all his designs upon Ireland. Before the tender of his services to Mr. Pitt, he formally read his recantation of all the popular principles, under which in the year 1790 he had worked his way into the representation of the independent and high spirited county of Down. In no part of the abandoned process of forcing the Union had the minister's profligacy been more barefaced and base, than in erasing the name of the late Marquis of Downshire from the list of privy counsellors, removing him from the government of the county, which his ancestors had uninterruptedly enjoyed, depriving him (who was the father and founder of the Irish militia) of the command of the regiment of the Downshire militia, and displacing him from the office of Register in Chancery, in which he had surrendered his life interest upon the proposal of the government to grant the reversion of the place to his two elder sons: and all this was effected, merely because his principles summoned him to oppose that fatal measure*. The loyalty and patriotism

The vindictive littleness of government on this occasion betrayed itself in a pitiful display of its power by this most tyrannical abuse of it, with the intention of crushing a generous heart, the honest dictates of which had uniformly been obeyed by zea

1

1805.

« PreviousContinue »