S !56 LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE. 
inftance before us, one party is to grant every thing ; the 
Other, nothing. This is not treating with us on fair 
t£rms, nor in that fpirit of conciliation with which the 
Chriltians of the fourth century conceded to their Chrif- 
tian emperor much power in ecclefiaftical concerns. If 
the proteftants were no more than equal to the catholics 
in number and influence, they would be warranted in ex- 
pefting fome condition fhould be proffered, to compen¬ 
sate the facrifice of legal fecurities. But in population 
the proteftants of the empire far exceed the catholics; and 
in political weight undeniably preponderate. Yet a de¬ 
mand is made on them without any condition proffered. 
It is therefore unreafonable; and, as fuch is its nature, 
difinclination to comply with it ought not to be confi- 
dered as a juft caufe of diffatisfaftion. 
“ It fhall be allowed, that the catholics are four mil¬ 
lions in number. For the greater part of this aggregate 
body we muft look to the natives of Ireland. What is 
the difpofition of thofe natives ? and in what degree of 
efteem is Ireland to be holden ? Truth lhall fpeak. A 
writer of hiftory would not do them juftice, if he did not 
defcribe the natives of Ireland, catholics and proteftants, 
as a people generous, open-hearted, brave ; in the rela¬ 
tions of private life much to be loved ; in their national 
character much to be refpefted. And of Ireland itfelf he 
would be bound to afiert,that it is one of the brighteft gems 
in the crown of the Britifh fovereign ; it is infinitely more 
than Corinth was to Greece, it is one of the brighteft lu¬ 
minaries in the wide hemifphereof the Britifh dominions. 
Solemnly and l'erioufly ; Ireland and its people are en¬ 
deared to us by every tie, which can bind heart to heart; 
and no Briton of right mind and right affeftions will ever 
ceafe from devoutly wifhing them profperity and hap- 
pinefs. The catholics however are entreated to confider, 
that, being incorporated into the whole body of Britifh 
■fubjefts, they bear to the population of the Britifh empire 
the proportion only of four millions to twelve millions. 
It is therefore no difparagement, no mark of difrefpeft, 
no aft of difregard towards them ; if vvhilit we hope that 
whatever can be faid in praife and favour of catholics, 
can be faid with equal truth of Irifh and Britifh protef¬ 
tants ; if u'hilft we conceive more is due to a larger than 
to a fmaller number of Britifh fubjefts ; we think it rea- 
fonable, in calculating the interefts and adjufting the 
claims of catholics and proteftants refpeftively, to decide 
on what is beneficial to four millions, certainly fo far as 
that number goes in its relative proportion ; but not fo 
far as that the benefit of four millions fhall fuperfede 
what is owing to twelve millions. Unhappily, the advo¬ 
cates of catholicifm reverie this principle of calculation, 
adjuftment, anddecifion. They fay in effeft, Gratify the 
four millions to .the fulleft extent of their demands, at all 
adventures; and leave the prefent happinefs and future 
fecurity of the twelve millions to hazardous uncertainty. 
On this point, the fupporters of proteftantilm and the ad¬ 
vocates of catholics are not agreed. In their variance, 
both are entitled to the credit of the belt intentions; but 
both have not the fame grounds on which to reft their ar¬ 
guments. For, we reafon from confideration of the 
maxims and ufage commonly adopted by mankind in ci¬ 
vil fociety ; from the occafions which made neceffary the 
laws enafted by our forefathers; and from experience of 
fafts within our own remembrance. You can argue from 
nothing but (peculation and hope; guides of conduft 
not fo infallible as thofe which we take for our directors. 
“Be the event what it may, ‘one and common fhall be 
our danger, one and common {hall be our fafety,’ is the 
principle on which the united kingdoms fhould ever co¬ 
operate a gain ft a foreign enemy. Indiffoluble is our con¬ 
nexion ; infeparable is our welfare. When therefore your 
lordfliip is fpeaking of the catholics, who are in the army 
and navy ; would it not have been more correct, becaufe 
.more confonant with the relation fubfifting between Great 
Britain and Ireland, if your mode of expreftion had been, 
4 Ihedding their blood in the common caufe , and lighting 
the battles of the Britifh empire by land and by feat? 
From the manner in which you now mention them to the 
parliament and people of England, as ‘fhedding their 
blood in your caufe, fighting your battles by land and by 
fea,’ a reader unacquainted with our clofe union might 
be led to fuppofe they were mercenary troops and merce¬ 
nary Tailors, without concern, without intereft, in the 
final iffue of their military engagement. Whereas, in faft, 
there is not a fingle man indifferent ; there are many 
thoufands mod deeply concerned, molt deeply interefted ; 
all are anxious that the termination of the war fhould be 
fuccefsful conjointly to Ireland and Great Britain. Per¬ 
haps however the word your may have been defignedly in¬ 
troduced, for the purpofe of giving your fentence a rhe¬ 
torical turn calculated to excite emotion and to fwell the 
meafure of gratitude in your audience. With honed: 
pride and thankfulnefs we may aver, the fterling fenfe 
and generous difpofition of a Britifh fenate require no¬ 
thing more than a plain ftatement of valorous deeds, to 
call forth its gratitude. Britifh fubjefts give cordially, 
reward liberally, fo far as may be confiftent with national 
prudence. Beyond the extent of national prudence,-nei¬ 
ther fhould parliament be expected to confer, nor fhould 
an individual wife, good, and patriotic, wifli to be com- 
penfated with remuneration. 
“ That there are in his majefty’s army and navy many 
thoufand catholics, is a faft which needs not be dilputed ; 
it is rather a fource of gratulation to the empire. To 
whatever part of the continent, or of the ocean, may be 
their deftination, thither our hopes and fears, our anxie¬ 
ties and affeftions, will always attend them. We read of 
their viftories, with exultation; of their diftrefles, with 
regret; of their wounds, with forrow ; of their deaths, 
with affliftion. Longer could we have dwelt on the many 
circumftances, which being connefted with recolleftion. 
of our army and navy come home to the bofom of every 
Briton ; but we are compelled to defend ourfelves againll 
the charge of being ungrateful and unjuft towards our 
gallant fellow-fubjefts. We proceed, then, by obferving; 
as the military and naval catholics form part of the four 
millions, fo the military and naval proteftants form part 
of the twelve millions. If the former are noble and me¬ 
ritorious for their exploits, the latter are equally noble 
and meritorious on the fame account. Whatever repre- 
fentation you can make in favour of catholic foldiers and 
lailors, the fame without diminution of force will apply 
to proteftant foldiers and Tailors. Whatever may be re¬ 
quired of us in token of gratitude, or diftated to us as a 
line of policy, in confideration of fervices rendered by the 
catholics; the fame may be required, the fame diftated, 
in confideration of the fervices rendered by the proteftants 
in army and navy. Thus your argument gains nothing 
by the introduftion of that extrinfic point. Difpropor- 
tion between four millions and twelve millions ftill re¬ 
mains. And the queftion, ‘ Is it juftice, that to the Toll- 
citation of four millions lhould be yielded up the happi¬ 
nefs and fecurity of twelve millions ?’ recurs and meets 
you at every turn. Does any one afk, ‘What motives 
then can induce the catholics to brave dangers, if to their* 
body is not conceded capability of admiffion into the le- 
giflature?’ This queftion is put, becaufe really fome 
perfons talk as if they thought the catholics neither would 
continue, nor ought to continue, braving dangers, unlefs 
capability of fitting in parliament be conceded to their 
body. Let fuch perfons know; the catholics will enter 
the army or navy, will acquit themfelves in their feveral 
duties with fidelity and zeal, actuated by the impulfe of 
very different, and one might almoft fay fuperior, motives; 
motives to which no one, (be his religious perfuafion 
what it may,) no one who feels like a man, will be infen- 
fible; motives, by the force of which no mind would be 
ftimulated more powerfully than the mind of your lord- 
fltip. They are, natural affeftion for parents, wives, chil¬ 
dren, friends; invincible love of liberty, honour, king, 
and country. 
Whoeve? 
