632 Catholic Resolutions : [JUNK, 



of peace and justice ? If we are told that the recognition of this prin- 

 ciple would strike at the existence of the established church of England ; 

 that other sectarians will claim that indulgence now extended to the 

 Catholics ; we answer That time is at a distance yet. The claims of 

 these parties are, as yet, of a different calibre. The necessity is one 

 which will not yet arise : but, when it does arise we have no scruple 

 to say that we must bend to it. The question in every such emergency 

 is can we the " established" party conquer ? Can we hold our 

 supremacy without suffering more injury than we should sustain by 

 its abandonment ? In the case of the Catholics, Mr. Peel himself knows 

 he feels it in his sleep he cannot shut his eyes to it when awake 

 he is neither a blinded bigot nor a doting idiot he cannot hide from 

 himself the fact that we must, before long, meet that exigency of aban- 

 donment If we could get rid of the Irish Catholics of their danger 

 alike and of their service we might be content to resist the measure. 

 If we could silence their advocates, among ourselves, the policy might be 

 worth arguing. If we could venture to let their " claims" go to the vote 

 in the English House of Commons in silence, and get a division of ten 

 to one against them, we might have a hope to settle the question in the 

 negative. But is it to be believed by men in possession of their reason 

 is it within the conception of common sense or probability that five 

 millions of people, who have the voice of more than half the English 

 legislature with them, will relinquish a question in which whatever 

 its worth they take a deep and vital interest ? 



That the success of that question will relieve the miseries of Ireland, 

 we are not so vain as to suppose : but, coupled with the imposition 

 of the " Poor Laws" (a measure, for the application of which we have 

 a prodigious fancy in that country), it would lay the foundation of relief 

 for them. That, while the Catholic claims remain unconceded, to effect 

 any good except by a species of coercion, which the spirit of the time 

 will not allow us to have recourse to will be impossible, we are con- 

 vinced. But a stronger interest upon which we rely for it is a nearer 

 than even the welfare and improvement of Ireland, in advocating the con- 

 cession of the Catholic claims, is the fact, that in England they cannot 

 much longer be resisted. At this moment, the slightest accident would 

 carry them ; and carry them unfortunately without any of the good conse- 

 quences which might be looked for from their free concession. Another 

 rebellion in Ireland quelled with the loss of ten thousand men ! it 

 would be quelled : but would Irish proprietors would public opinion 

 in this country, run the hazard of its recurrence ? A continental war 

 to which the events of a month might bring us ta which we must 

 come at some time. In the case of war, would not the necessity of 

 concession be instantly too strong to be resisted unfortunately, just 

 when that very necessity would make concession almost degrading, 

 while it robbed it of almost all its value ! 



We trust that the Duke of Wellington will look at these facts : we 

 are not without hope that he is looking at them already. He has power : 

 and he has responsibility : and the union is one to which his habits 

 have been accustomed. The principles that guided his military career 

 are all that he need look to, to decide this question ; and we are not 

 without hope that he may bring those principles into action. He may 

 yet look first to that which he could wish to do and next at that which 

 circumstances make it best he should do : And then as he has been used 

 to do take measures to accomplish the latter. 



