IRELAND AND HER COMMENTATORS. 615 



more southern. A Protestant merchant of Cork combines gaiety with 

 business, runs into profusion equal to or beyond his income, and 

 seldom provides for the casualities of commerce. A protestant mer- 

 chant of Belfast denies himself trivial indulgences, adheres to his 

 ledger, and takes time by the forelock in his expenditure of the "pro- 

 vision for the wet day." This, we think, is a satisfactory disposal of 

 the question of the fitness or unfitness of religious belief to ensure the 

 temporal prosperity of a people. 



Had Catholicity in Ireland never been persecuted, we feel assured 

 it would have now been well nigh extinct. With the example of 

 England before her, Ireland could not have tolerated the domination 

 of her priesthood. But misfortunes endeared them to her, and with 

 the perversity of martyrs to false opinions, she made it a matter of 

 exultation to resist what, if not proffered she would have embraced of 

 her own accord. " In no country in Europe," says Mr. Inglis, t( no, 

 not even in Spain, is the spirit of Popery so intensely anti-Protes- 

 tant as in Ireland. In no country is there more bigotry and super- 

 stition among the lower orders, or more blind obedience to the priest- 

 hood ; in no country is so much zeal and intolerance among the 

 ministers of religion. I do believe, that, at this moment, Catholic 

 Ireland is more ripq for the re-establishment of the Inquisition, than 

 any other country in Europe." To this we can unhesitatingly sub- 

 scribe, and our assent is grounded on long personal knowledge of its 

 truth, together with the minutest attention to the whole bearings of 

 the question. But it is only the natural consequence of the system inva- 

 riably pursued by the ascendancy ; and we feel perfectly satisfied that 

 the bitterness of Catholic feeling is at least equalled by the reciprocal 

 and mortal hatred of the Orange faction towards all things Popish. 

 We do not know that the difference between an envenomed partizan 

 of either party is sufficient to warrant the adoption of a preference ; 

 and though we are of opinion that Ireland would now be less unfor- 

 tunate had she been less Catholic, we think she would have been 

 much more prosperous had she been equally Catholic, but less 

 Orange. Of course it is presumptuous to declare that any people are 

 not qualified to decide upon the most eligible way of going to heaven ; 

 but we opine that the chances of securing a moderate portion of con- 

 tentment in this life, are in favour of the adoption of some creed be- 

 sides that of the church of Rome at least, such is our opinion as far 

 as Ireland is concerned. It is but an opinion, to be sure, and does 

 not at all imply that the adoption of any creed will work a physical 

 change in the moral constitution of individuals, or multitudes. But 

 we think that, indirectly, the evils of the mal-administration of suc- 

 cessive English governments in Ireland would have been sooner re- 

 medied had not the religious prejudices of this country rendered the 

 cause of justice of but little moment. 



There is but little doubt that the influence of the Irish Catholic 

 priesthood over their flocks is as potent at present as it was in the 

 darkest era of mental thraldom. Mr. Inglis is of opinion that the 

 hold of the secular clergy will he loosened by the extension of the 

 monkish orders, whose members cannot officiate as regular priests, 

 but are nevertheless bound by vows of celibacy and mortification, 



