“to tame. 
HAY’S HISTORY OF THE 
ing arrest of judgment, and that I should 
be instantly discharged, so that they might 
as well give me at once the acquittal I de- 
served.” 
Such usage may be expected.to em- 
bitter: yet the statements which ensue 
have an impression of candour, tem- 
per, accuracy, and veracity, which can- 
not fail to obtain implicit confidence. 
The whole narrative is circumstantial, 
interesting, attd horrible in the highest 
degree: it agitates and impassions like 
anovel. We could wish, for the ho- 
nour of our country, and for the re-. 
putation of its government, that it were 
possible to draw a veil over events and 
‘transactions, which are disgraceful to 
human nature by the number of pitiless 
‘individuals they imply, and to social 
order by the display of an undisciplined 
‘uncivilized rabble of savages, which it 
has so long neglected, or vainly tried, 
How deep a wound wili such 
‘particulars inflict on the paternal heart 
of a sovereign, who has to regret an 
opportunity of preventing these out- 
rages. By a too scrupulous delay of 
the solicited redress, he furnished his 
enemies with a pretext for embittering 
‘discontent into rebellion. Had every 
danger been realized, which the most 
frantic fancy could hold out as the pos- 
sible consequence of catholic emanci- 
pation, still the evil would not have- 
approached in magnitude that which 
has already resulted from the refusal. 
Tt would be worthy of the independence 
and humanity of the charch of England, 
to signify by a deputation of its bishops 
to Majesty, that it prefers the risk of 
heresy to the reproach of persecution. 
On the conduct of the reman catholic 
clergy, Mr. Hay thus speaks: 
«© While I am on the subject of the rev. 
Michael Murphy's death, 1 must beg leave 
to express the opinion, I have adopted, in 
conjunction with the mest sensible and ra- 
tional men that | have conversed with on the 
subject, respecting the priests who were ac- 
tive in the insurrection.—W hen clergymen 
so far forget their duty as to take up arms, 
so contrary to the spirit of the gospel, they 
become most dangerous men : and the sooner 
sch are cut off by any fatal catastrophe, the 
better. The duty of a clergyman is to preach 
-peace and charity towards all mankind: when 
fis conduct deviates from this,e«he acts in- 
consistent with the profession he has entered 
into. Why throw off the meek garb of 
eace for a horrid habiliments of war ?— 
Inder no possible circumstances ought a 
clergyman to be instrumental to the death of 
REBELLION IN WEXFORD. 247 
any person, except in the most urgent ne» 
cessity of self-defence :—whenever else he 
takes up arms, he becomes a traitor to the 
gospel of Christ; and although treason may, 
on particular occasions, be considered useful, 
yet a traitor to any cause neyer can be re- 
garded; even by thiose for whom he exerts 
himself. Besides, the interference of clergy- 
rien encouraging any kind of strife, but par- 
ticularly warfare, must be considered highly 
culpable, and deserving of a fatal end. Not 
one of the priests who took up arms in the 
county of Wexford, escape! a violent and 
sudden death, clearly indicating.a providential 
fate; and although they were not all, at the 
time, under suspension or ecclesiastical cen- 
sure, yet under one so nearly allied to it, as 
to prevent any of them trom having arrived 
to the sitnation of a parish priest. It is but 
common justice that those alone should bear 
the disgrace of reprobation who actually de- 
served it, aud that the great body of the 
catholic clergy should be rescued from cen- 
sure, as they were free from blame. Vhe 
misconduct of a few individuals should not 
involve the good character of the many, and 
it must be recollected that, even among the 
twelve apostles, there waa a traitor. The 
conduct of the roman catholic clergy of the 
county of Wexford, however unjustly re- 
viled, was, during the insurrection there, 
guided by the true dictates and principles of 
christianity, beally exemplary and meritori- 
ous. They comforted the afflicted with all 
the zeal and warmth of christian charity, and 
in the most trying and critical period, prac- 
tised every deed that must be considered be- 
nevolent, by every liberal and enlightened 
man, whatever brawlers of loyalty may as- 
sert to the contrary ; endeayouring, with in- 
discriminating abuse, to brand their conduct 
in general with the stain of infamy, They, 
by every possible means, sought to afford 
every assistance and _ protection in their 
power, to those who stood in need of it; 
but their influence was greatly diminished 
by not following the example of the militant 
priests, who strove to attain an elevation and 
superiority over their brethren in this way, 
which they could not otherwise accomplish. 
If I may be allowed the expression, the cons 
duct of the fighting priests was truly amphi- 
bious. For while they cast off the character 
of priests, and took up that of soldiers, they 
still wished to maintain an ascendancy, even 
in their new stations, by reassuming the 
priest whenever it answered the purpose of 
superiority, the passion for which was greatly 
augmented by indulgence in drinking; and 
notwithstanding alJ this, they were conspi- 
cuous for courage and humanity.” 
When will all the votaries of christi- 
anity cease to confound the son of Mary 
with the child of Ismael, and toemploy, 
instead of the mild persuasive eloquence 
of their master, the sword of Mahomet? 
R 4 
