r
/, i' T
S E CO JHT SD
C ¦ N
LETTER TO* THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
WILLIAM WICKHAM,
ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE
PRIVY COUNCIL,
iSfc. &c. tSV,
OCCASIONED BY THE SECOND EDITION
OF AN IRISH CATHOLIC'S ADVICE
TO HIS BRETHREN.
SECOND EDITION.
S^utd tergiverfamur ? funt hac tua verba, necne ? In eoquidem
libra, qui continet omnem difciplinam tuam ? — -Non enim
verba folum pofuit ; fed etiam explanavit quid diceret. Num
fingo ? Num mentmr ? Gupio refelli. ghiid enim laboro^
ni/i tit Veritas, in omni qua/lione, explketur ?
Cicero, Tufcul. L. 3.
DUBLIN
PRINTED BY AND FOR R. E. MERCIER,
31, ANGLESEA-3TREET
J§?4-
This Edition having been printed rather haftily, fotne
Errata will be found in it. Of thefe the -reader is
requefted to corredl the following, which are amongft
the nioft material, with his pen. —
Page 3. (firft of letter) line n. for Myfcond letter^, read
My prefent letter.
p. 7. 1. 13. for alliance, read reliance.
p. 7. laft line, dele period, after word loyalty.
p. 10. L 3. for laudibte, read laudable.
p. 1 a. 1. 11. after terms, inkrt^than.
p. 22. 1. 12. for diftintlly, read diftinB.
Is- a;. 1. the laft, for characters, Tead charaSler,
Pi <58, 1. a. 0f note, fox the whole fentimeritst read ttofi
¦fmfimmts.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
WILLIAM WICKHAM,
SsV. SsV. &c.
DEAR SIR,
I ASK pardon for this fecond in-
trufion ; which ftands the more in need of an
apology, becaufe I am aware of your indif-
.pofition. But indeed you mufl protect me
from the contact of Mr. Scully : which I would
avoid, on the fame principle, that leads us to*
decline wreflling with the members of a certain
vociferous profeflion, whorefemble, in coftume,
the " fable warriors" of the law ; and are fcarce-
\y lefs denlgrans than the Catholic Advifer.
My fecond letter is occafioned by the pe-
rufal of a Tra6t, entitled the fecond edition
of his advice ; in which I find a flattering
portion of notice beftowed upon the Yeoman ;
confidering that the Author defcribes him as
one altogether beneath attention. *
On the pages of
11 this paft, vamp'd, /uture, old, revived, new piece,"-}-
I fhall take the liberty of offering fome com*
ments j beginning with the preface ; which I
A 2 conjecture
* Preface, p. 41.
f Dunciad.
[ 4 3
conjecture, to be the joint production of a
Dennis and a Tibbald ; * if it be not the fole
performance of the latter.
The Writer commences by informing us,
that " the motives which di&ated the former
tC edition are pretty obvious : that his views
" in writing that add refs have nqt been mif-
" taken ; nor can be eafily mifreprefented ;"
and that thofe laudable intentions " have been
*' aoproved of by even thofe anonymous Pens, f
" which have made the work a fubject of faf-
" tidious verbal comment. They have ad-
" mitted its advice to be found in many re-
" fpe&s, excellent in more, deferving of cor-
" dial praife in others, and on the whole
" praifeworthy in its motives and objects.
" Such is their outline of its compofition."
lie adds that " a miferably imperfect and
" mutilated edition" of this valuable difcourfe
"was put forth without the Author's know-
" ledge, in September."
Having thus given the ftatements, let us
compare them with the facts.
Firft, the mutilated Edition is copied verba
tim from that, publifhed under the aufpices of
the Author, a month before. % Secondly,
* Two Dunces, of whom mention is made in. the Poem
before cited. Pope there informs us that the name which
is pronounced Tibbald, is ufually written Theobald, (o)
So Dennis is fometimes fantaftically written Denys.
f Viz. of the Irifh Loyaliit, and the Yeoman.
% Though Mr. Scully proclaims himfelf to be " a true
" born
' (a) See the notes to the Dunciad.
[ 5 I
Secondly, the Yeoman's aliedged approba
tion- of Mr, Scully's views — is expreffed in
the fallowing terms.
" If we are to eflimatethe merit of a work,
" by its tendency to promote the end for which
"it was defigned, and if the object of Mr.
" Scully was to animate the loyalty of his
" fellow fubjedts, I doubt whether I have ever
" met a worfe. production, than that which hb
" has lately offered to the publick. Indeed,
" if his wifh had been to damp that ardour,
" which he pretended to excite, then his pages
" might be well calculated to attain their pur-
" pofe: and by becoming mifchievous, would
" ceafe to be- contemptible. . To deny them
" this latter praife would be a degree of 'candour,
" to nvhich^ if we are to fearch his paragraphs
"for his principles , a cenforious Critic might
"allege that he had no title. " But I am con-
" tent to wave all enquiry as to motive; and
*' adopting the Hypothtfis% that this Pamphlet
" was well intended, fhall examine whether
" thofe intentions have been carried happily
" into effect. In the meantime, let it not be
" fuppofed that I detract from the character,
" public or private, of Mr. Scully. I have
" never heard any thing that could warrant a
" fufpicion
" born Irifliman," (h) Iprefume he will not contend, that
an, addition of notes is a mutilation of the text. Yet I have
heard of gaining a lofs ; which is a fpegies of acquisition
peculiar to wir country. (J>) Advice, p. %,
[ 6 y
" fufpicion "of -his loyalty : * rior, Unlefs his
*¦' own writings fhould be thought to tend this
" way, have I ever read any thing that could
"- lead juftifiably to its impeachment. What
" he has himfelf avowed, I cannot flan'deir him
" by repeating 5 and I fhall, for argument,
" afcribe to him the moft laudable defighs.
" One of a writer's firft tafks is the felection
" 'of his topicks : and in making a judicious
" choice, much ability may be fhewn. But
" this felection may be fo extravagantly impru-
" dent, as not only to be unaccountable on the
" fcore of want of fkill ; but to induce a doubt\
" whether the author s profeffed objecl was what
" he really had in view'* And again. " if to
" extenuate the guilt of Rebellion, and fpeak
" of Rebels with oftentatious refpect, be to
" difcourage treafon, then this pamphlet muft
" banifh difaffe&ion from the country." f
Having
* With what liberality and politenefs, this treatment of
Mr. Scully, by the Yeomart, has been requited, the preface
and, notes to his fecond edition abundantly fhew ; leaving no
doubt, independently of all confide rations refpedttng ancef- •
try, as to his being a Gentleman.
f In pages 52, 53, (and paflim) of the Yeoman, Jimilar
teftimonies in favor of the motives of Mr. Scully, may be
found. In page 13 indeed, a fingle paffage of the Advice is
praifed. But the author there declares that he muft " fepa-
" rate it from the pollutions in which it was immerfed, left
<e their impure contacT: fhould defile his approbation," The
Yeoman proceeds civilly to defcribe the paffage which he fo
commends, as " according better with Mr. Scuily's refpedl:-
" able character, than with his objectionable tra£t." How
this courtefy has been returned, it is for the publick to
decide.
[ 7 1
Having collated Mr. Scully's affertions with
the facts, I fubmit to the reader to pronounce
upon their contrafl, or correfpondence. For
my part, conceding that his views " have not
" been miftaken," and prefuming to hope that
my former letter may have rendered it difficult
" to mifreprefent them," — I muff not with
hold the tribute of juft encomium ftom that
candour, which induced the author, in the firfl
and fecond pages of his work, to give the
reader an introductory and warning fpecimen,
of his ftrict and honourable regard to truth :
inftrudting us as to the degree of alliance
which may be placed on fubfequent allegati
ons; for example on the equally well-founded
charge, which he has ventured to bring, againfl
the Yeoman, of mifquotation. * But, though
my extracts from the firfl edition were made
with the moft accurate fidelity, f I admit that
a confiderable variance will be found, between
the fentiments appearing in the Advice, fince
it has been altered and taken in — : — and thofe
which having been printed by the Advifer,
in the laft year, were correctly reflated to the
publick, by the Yeoman. I inveighed againfl
certain mofl pernicious doctrines ; and their
Author unexpectedly afks me where they are
to be found ? I held what I (perhaps errone-
oufly) conceived to be the bafe coinage of
fpurious loyalty, in my hand ; and had expof- ed
* Preface, p. 3.
f As a reference by thofe who pqffefs that edition, to the
pages which I have cited, will evince.
[ 8 "3 .
ed the thinly wafhed and covered difaffedtion.
The Juggler, produces his fecond edition ; and
bids the detected counterfeit begone.' But
Jet us be patient. The powers of Mr. Scully
are far from fupernatural ; and the impure
fubftance which feems to have efcaped us^.
may be found lurking in the pages of his re
cent publication. But even though this were
not the cafe, a recantation of former fenti-
ments or expreffions, inflead of refuting,
would juftify my reprehensions : and there
would be as little of gratitude, in at once pro
fiting by and objecting to the Yeoman's cen-
fure, as there as of logic in the conclufion,
that by amending a fault*, we prove it not to
have exifted ; and that by conforming to the
precepts of a Criticifm, we refute it. In a
word, I confefs, the Letter which the Yeoman
wrote in 1803, contained not a.fkigle pro
phetic animadverfaon, On any unborn doctrines
which may have fince appeared.
Having attributed to the Yeoman, mifre-
prefentations, of which not a fingle inflance
can be adduced, and imputed objects to him,
which are about a6 rational in the conception,
as they are gentlemanly in the Hafement, *
the Catholic Advifer proceeds to defigriate, in
a mode that precludes all uncertainty and
doubt, one of the Judges of the land, f as
the
* Preface, p. 6. " We alone can render government,"
&c, — The paffage fhall be again referred to.
f Evidently ISaron Smith ; as will fhortly appear..
[ 9 ]
the author of the letter; and object of his
unqualified contumely, and vituperation.
Suppofing for a moment, the conjecture
to be right,, that Baron Smith was the au
thor of the letter figned a Yeoman, yet
nothing fhort of perfonal aggreffion, or the
promulgation of illegal or immoral doctrines,
on the part of this anonymous writer, could
excufe Mr. Scully's flagrant attack on a pub
lic Functionary, of, I apprehend, unblemifh-
•ed character; and certainly dignified fitua-
tion. But fo free from perfonality are the
pages of the Yeoman, that he has, with greater
plaufibility and fhew of juflice,' *been accufed
of treating his opponent with more refpect,
than was confiftent with a due attachment to
that Conftitutibn, whofe vital principles this
Antagonift fo openly * affailed : and as to the
tendency of thofe doctrines which are to be
found in his letter, a reference to its contents
will enable us to decide, whether thefe fhould
be confidered as pernicious : unbecoming *a
loyal fubject,or a reafonably enlightened, and
conflitutional interpreter of the laws.
An anonymous writer cannot correct a wrong
conjecture as to wjio he is, without more dr
lefs affifting the publick to form a right one';
and thus raifing a portion of the veil which
he has- taken. But to prevent all caVil, I am
difpofed to cut the knot, which (whilfl I pre-
ferve my incognito,) it is difficult to untie.
* B In
* I advert ,to, the tendency of the work ; not the intentibhs
of the Author.
[ 10 ]
In my former letter, towards facilitating dif-
cuffipn, I affumed the views of Mr. Scully to
belaudible; or at leaft innoxious.. It is not a
more extravagant hypothefis, tofuppofethat the
perfon who now addreffes you is Baron Smith.
I am therefore tempted, for the fake of argu
ment, to do fo ; and, (with the view above
explained,) to proceed on this fuppofition. *
If the doctrines of my former tract be re
pugnant to the conftitution, and that Baron
Smith be, the author of them, he fhould fub-
mit patiently to the cenfures, however cparfe,
which he has provoked. But if the letter be
liable to no fuch objection, he is blamelefs at
the leaft. Maxims which, on the bench, he
would have been bound to recognife, he muft
furely be at liberty to reduce to writing in his
clofet : and might: even be thought entitled
to fome praife, for opportunely diffeminating
remedial doctrines; and gratuitoufly expofing
an ambufcade, which threatened the Conftitu
tion. If fuch were his merits, they have been
but ill repaid, by calumnies amounting to
Scandalum Magnatum. Indeed, to wound
the character of Baron Smith feems (but
doubtlefs is not,) a grand object with the Ad
vifer ; while the defence of himfelf, f againfl
ferious and fupported charges, is poftponed,
as a fubordinate and fecondary confideration. With
* I do not affert the cafe to be fo ; but concede the fup
pofition, in order to -bring matters to a fpeedier iffue ; and
fhew that fuch an hypothefis would not juftify the treat
ment which Mr. Si has offered to this Judge.
f Or rather, of his work.
[ "I ]
With the former view, we find him flating, *
that a certain. Individual "abdicated an office
" of dignity, and fcampered, ex mero motu, f
"to Paris. There he doffed the ermine
"of justice, for the enfanguined habiliments
" of a Chef ¦ de Brigade. % as a qualification
" for the Confular levee. Thus equipped, he
" cqfls rank and office at the feet of Regicide
" and Ufurpation ; in the face of Europe ; to
"the amazement of his fober brethren, and
*' the amufement of the newfpapers. Re-
" tuVlSing, he declaims upon, the charms of the
" Revolutionized Departments ; and the fplen-
" dour of fdcrilegious pillage : and finally, after
" this probation, denounces this advice, under
" the affumed appellation of a Yeoman. Such
" a traveller has doubtlefs, a flrong antipathy
" to Jacobinifm !" §
T© come within the above defcription, it
is neceffary that the perfon be an Irifh Judge :
and as Baron Smith happens to be the only
fiich, who vifited Paris during the peace, the
flarider applies manifeftly, and exclufively to
him; while the paffage alfo marks the Au-
B 2 thor's
* Page 24.
f Viz. under the Lord Lieutenant's leave of abfence, on
account of his health.
| Quere, what,'precifely, this means?
§ Thefe are heavy charges againft a Judge. I will not
fay what fhould happen if they be falfe ; but if they be true,
I think it plain that he ought to be removed.
In another place (p. 13.)- the fame perfon is faid to have
fallen « foul o£ Mr. Scully's Appeal to the Reafon of the
" Catholicks, as favouring of moderifm, a crime, which
" his vifit to Paris has taught him duly to abhor."
• E >* 3
thor's opinion, that he. is the Yeoman. In
deed, from this ftory we may pronounce that
the veracity, which Mr. Scully vends through
out his work, correfponds with the famples
which he furnifhed at the outfet. , For firfl,
Baron Smith was never at a eonfular levee,
nor prefented to Bonaparte :* fecondly, he
never, while on ¦ the Continent* appeared in,
or poffefred any military coftume ; and third
ly, he has never fpoken of the. French re
gime, in any other terms thofe of ftrong dif-
approba,tion. For thpfe- lively and inaccurate
ftatements, to which Mr. Scully feems ad
dicted, the Englifh language has a fhort,. and
energetic name. But being as indelicate, as
it is expreffive, I therefore choofe to fupprefs
it : acknowledging however, that this and
other pages of the Advice, remind me of an
obfervation which I have heard made upon
fpme man ; that he drew for his wit upon his
memory ; and for his facts upon, his imagina
tion. In fuch cafes, it is not the Draught, but
t,he Drawer, that is difhonoured.
The above fcandal is introduced, in order
to reprefent its object as a partifan of France;f
in furtherance of which purpofe, he is, in ano
ther place, J defcribed as, extremely " angry" at
* I do not mean to fay that he is a jot the better or more
loyal man on this account ; but merely to fuggeft that the
cenfures of the Catholick Advifer are founded not on facts,
but falfehoods.
f See the paffage in the text of Preface, p. 24, to which
the note refers.
$'P-i3-.
[ *3 ]
at the ternrarance of the Advifer ; and as hav
ing, during three weeks flay at Paris, learned
to abhor what this writer terms " Moderifm."
The Yeoman is utterly uncpnfcious of having
felt refentment towards Mr. Scully; and even
doubts whether this cool and well bred Gen
tleman be capable of exciting fuch a fentiment
in his mind. He therefore wifhes to have
thofe claufes of his letter pointed out, in
which the fuppofed traces of this anger may
be found. Meantime, the reprefentation of
Baron Smith, * as a fanguinary and ferocious
Jacobin, ,is nearly as entertaining, as it is libel
lous. Incredulus odi, is not a maxim of univer-
fal application. On the contrary, I can fome-
times relifh thofe bold inventions, which fet
not only truth, but probability at defiance.
There is a fublimity in fuch flights. They
fnatch a grace which lies beyond the jreach of
art , and is only attainable by the moft un
paralleled affu ranee.
To this, fame poetic faculty, we are indebt
ed for the ftory f of the Yeoman's publifhing
his own opinion of his Letter, in an Englifh
review ; therein announcing himfelf as a man
of rank and talents ; — reviling the members of
Government, and the King's law officers, by
name ; — and flinging an imputation on the an-
ceflry of Mr. Scully. This account, in all its
branches, is utterly deftitute of a particle of
truth. I never wrote or publifhed, or caufed to
* Whom the Catholic. Advifer identifies with the Yeoman.
t Preface P. 37.
[ i4 ]
to be written or publifhed, or k&ew of the
writing or publication of, — any ophrion of the
letter in queftion,in any Englifh review, or
elfewhere. ? un
it is tautologous to add, that I did not,
revile the Government or Crown, Officers,
by name or otherwife ;-— announce myfelf as
a man of abilities- and diftinction ; or caft
any fti'gma on the lineage of the Catholic Ad*-,
vifer. Baron Smith is as innocent of the
above charges, as I am myfelf. I pledge my
honour to the truth of thofe affertions ; and'
having done fo, I fhall-not coritradicl Mr.
Scully, if he avers that he is not an unprin
cipled defamer.
But Mr. Scully is confiftent; in reprefent-
ing as an angry adverfary, and fcurrilous re-
viler, one, to whom he affigns the character
of fpleen, -peevifhnefs, and ill nature. *
Whether I am acquainted with the perfon
fo defcribed, may be a queftion. But though
there are others, whom I love much better, he
is one, for whom I have no flight regard ; and I
hope for his own fake, as well as that of his
fociety, - that thofe infinuations againfl his
temper and difpofition may be ill-founded ;
though whether they be, I do not feel myfelf
Competent to decide. If they fhould be falfe, a
generous fentiment will probably induce thofe,
who form the circle in which he lives, to
vindicate their friend from fuch a i-fknder. In
* Preface, P. 28. We have already feen that, with the
Advifer, Baron Smith and the Yeoman are the fame.
[ *5 ]
In the meantime, to difparage the private
character of his adveffary^ though it may
gratify the fpite, will not flrengthen the
arguments of the Catholic Advifer, nor refute
the objections which have been urged againfl
him. Indeed, I fhould be even afhamed of
having, however tranfiently, dig-reffedi to a
matter fo irrelevant, and fp uninterefting^to
the publick, — if it were not that the difcuf-
fion, by expo'fing the animofity, may affect
the credit, of my prejudiced opponent.
Having afcertained the impartiality of its
author, let us now examine the. Revolutionary
Tribunal which he has erected, for condemn
ing all the principles that fecure our conftitu-
tion : entering on our furvey by that new
portico and front, with which (like fome
Dublin architects,) he has faced the unfound
and ruinous fabrick, which it is intended to
conceal. I in the firft place mifs an infcription, * that
adorned the former veftibule ; but which'has
been judicioufly omitted. The Advifer pro
bably conceived, upon reflection,— that a
motto, which if it meant any things meant
this, that Catholicks were perfecuted, plun
dered, and enflaved, by Proteftant Intolerants,
Free-booters, and Oppreffors,— was lefs calcu
lated to promote charity, than to foment jea-
loufies and difcord ; — and rather tended to
produce, than to " repel, invafion and civil
" war.'
But
* From a Speech of Mr. Burke.
I i6 ]
But how is the infcription, * which has been
fuffered to remain, conducive to thofe conci
liatory and loyal ends, which this Counfellor
of his Brethren profeffes to have in view ?
In order that the Catholicks may form fuch an
" eftimate of their fituation," as fhall induce
them to give the Government, a firm and cor
dial fupport, he reminds them, that without
any afiignable reafon, (and therefore not com
patibly either with policy, or with juftice,) all
of their perfuafion are fhut out from public
honours ; and invidioufly excluded from the
Council, and the Bench.
It was perfectly confiftent' with the fpirit
of fuch a parole^ but not equally fuitable to
the profefled object of the Advifer, to call
upon the Catholicks to " awake inftantly from
" their lethargy ;" f and to allure their atten
tion by an affurance, that his fentiments were
untainted, " with the leaft mixture of folici-
" tude for the interefts of England." % — But
to the rem onft ranees of the Loyal, againfl:
thefe latter expreffions, he replies, § that in
fo fhort an addrefs, it was not neceffary to
profefs any fuch folicitude ; and that in ap
plying, to any body of men, the moft perfua-
five topicks which we can refort to, are their
own peculiar interefts. — But firfl, the objec
tion is not" that he has ca-fually omitted to
profefs
* From Archdeacon Paley.
j- Firft Edition, p. 4.
% Ibid.
§ Second Edition. Preface, p. 8.
I 11 ]
profefs, but that he, has ventured explicitly to
difclaim, a proper folicitude- fpr the interefts
of Britain. Secondly, as to the efficacy and
decorum of ^ddreffes, to.- the peculiar interefts
of a party, I conceive that thefe/ might bevil-
luftrated, by a familiar flatement. Suppofe,-
that towards ¦ encouraging a fervant to defend
his mafter's houfe, againfl a gang of robbers
that was expected to break in, — I fhould in-
ftead of warning him againfl the guilt of petit
treafon, or fuggefting the duty of domeflic al-_
legiance, — declare to him that I felt no folici
tude about the interefts of his mafter ; but
was afraid that if the doors were forced, his
own ftrong box and money would be taken,
— ^1 doubt whethef my exhortation would be
orthodox, or unobjectionable. At leaft, if the
affa'ilants were apprized of the arguments which
fh^eaTrf/ to u'fe', they might obviate them by,
proriiife's of indemnity or reward. For the,
fufrender of his interefts, a man may obtain?
what they are woxth : but howca^he be ade
quately paid for a violation of his duties ? It is '
therefore on an inculcation of thefe .latter that
we fhould rely ; and we bring our own loyalty
under juft fufpicion, by preaching, not the ob
ligation, but the prudence of allegiance. -f ,
Indeed Mr. Scully appeal's to underfjland;
the value of -" aii ' hoheft and unpurchafed
C " attachment
* If the paffage in which M-r. Scully difclaimed folici
tude for Engjifh interefts was obje&ionable,! why has he
fought" to juftify it ? (a) If it was justifiable, why has he
omitted it, in his fecond edition ? — See p. a. of his Advice.
(a) Preface, p. 8.
" attachment to the throne." * But if he
claim for himfelf the merit of fuch a fenti-
ment, it is not on his Advice to the Irifh Ca
tholicks,8 that his pretentions fhould be found
ed, f I am aware that many of the mofl re-
prehenfible, and cloven- footed paffages of the
firfl red it ion, .have been altered or totally omit
ted in the fecond ; and thus thofe very cen
fures of the Yeoman juftified, againfl ¦ which
the Advifer brawls, with coarfe and vulgar
inventive.Rode Caper, vitem : tamen hinc, cum, ftabis ad aras, — &c.
Your pruning is in vain. Many copies of
that former edition, which you endeavoured
to fupprefs, remain ; with all its original lux
uriance of expreffion, to ascertain the extent
and quality of your allegiance. Meantime
the publick feels with due refpect for your ho
nourable conduct, in putting forth your pre-
fent vamped and mended paragraphs, as if
thefe had been the objects of my criticifm in
September. ,.
Having deviated, in the above apoftrophe,
from that diftant path, which at the commence
ment of my prefent letter, I avowed a wifh
to keep, I return in hafte from the perilous di-
greffion, to obferve, that extraordinary as any
co-incidence of opinion, between the Advifer
and the- Yeoman, may appear, — yet this latter,. far
* Preface, p. 4.
I See ftrft edition, paffim : efpecially pages 63. 65. and
99. fmoothed down in pages 38. 39. and 63. of fecond
edition.
[ 19 I
far from being defirous, that in the approach
ing ftruggle, . the great body of the people
fhould mifconduct thernfelves,-* has on the
contrary concluded, by exhorting Catholicks
to arm in defence of our common country
and Religion ; and by venturing to promife
them a lure, and cordial reward, f Mr. Tighe
has done the Author the honour (of which he
is fenfible) of introducing the entire paffage
into his letter to Mr. Fox; which amongft
other merits poffeffes that of being the work ,
of a gentleman
Mr. Scully obferves that the Yeoman, f in
his clamour about the phrafe of" affaftina-_.
" tipns at Ballinamuck," overlooks the fact,
that no fuch expreffion appeared in the " Ad-
" vice." The Advifer is miftaken. It is he
who has overlooked the fact, that no fuch ex
preffion was attributed to him by me; nor
any" clamour raifed on fuch an imputation.
But nothing is farther from the intention of
. my opponent, than to " affimilate" the occur
rences of Wexford and Ballinamuck ; though
he has applied the epithet of " Maffacre," in-
difcriminately to both.- "Maffacre, Carnage,
" Strages, Casdes," § with him mean putting
Rebels and Deferters, on the field of battle, to
the fword ; or butchering the innocent and
C 2 unrefifting
* As is indireftly imputed to him in preface, p. 4 and 5 .
f Yeoman's Letter to Mr. Wickham, pages 88. and 89.
. i Preface, p. 5.
§ Preface, p. 5. and Advice, p. 5. and 9. fecond Edi
tion. It appears, that with this learned Gentleman, Maf-
facrt is alfo fynonymous with Suppliciunt.
t 2° ]
unrefifting loyal, as the cafe may be. " Maf-
" faere does not attach a ftronger character to
"the affair Which- occurred at Ballinamuck,
" than'that which is applicable to the effufion
"of blood, in military execution. . Milton
" applies the word generally to homicide.
" of whom fuch Maffacre
." Make they, but of their Brethren, Men of Men ?"
Butchery is alfo another of the Catholic
Advifer' s fynonimes : for in his firfl edition,
he ftates the French to have feen " with un^
"'concern, almoft every man of their poor Irjfh
" allies butchered before their eyes ;" and this,
in his fecond edition, he tranflates, feeing
" with unconcern their Irifh allies devoted to
" military execution." Of courfe he confiders
the former expreffions as merely equivalent jo
the latter. Otherwife he would not meanly
fubftitute thofe laft cited, without noticing the
change ; and acquiefcing in the Yeoman's ceji-
fure of thpfe which he had difcarded.' If the
epithets which he has chofen, ^pply prpperly %q
military, they will be perhaps equally applica
ble to the cafe of civil executions. Yet we
fhould be ftartled by the novelty of fuch
phrafeology. " Yefterday, purfuant to tl>e
" fentence of a court martial, a number of
" privates, who had deferted from the
" regiment, were butchered at Blackheath. To-
*' morrow, feveral perfons convicted at- the
" late commiffion, will be maffacred in Thomas
""Street; as the law directs. The commiffion "is
[ 21 ]
" is ftill fitting; and it is expected that afimi-
" lar carnage will take place in a few days."
We fhould confider thefe as curious para
graphs ; if we were to: meet them in one of
thofe old " news-papers or magazines,"* which
the clfiffical Mr. Scully recommends to my at
tention. I dpubt whether the paffage from Milton
will bear him out. It is as follows :
fo Violence
Proceeded, and Oppreffion, and Sword Lawy
Through all the Plain ; and refuge none was -found.
Adam was all in Tears ;" and to his Guide
lamenting turned full fad : O what are thefe,
Death's Minifters, not Men, who thus deal Death
Inhumanly to Men, and multiply
2"<?« thoufand-fold the Min of him, who flew
' |Iis Brother : for of whom fuch Maffacre
fy$a(ke they, but of their Brethren, Men of TVfen ?
"Par. L.
I believe however, that Mr. Scully, content
with referring to Johnfon's Di&i°nary, omitted
tp canfult the Paradife Loft. He therefore is
to be excufed, if the Poet's context is at vari
ance with his ingenipus interpretation. But
having referred to our great Lexicographer,
he, is. lefs pardonable for having omitted to ap
prize us,,-*-that " MjafTaere is, by him, defined*
to. be ". Murder, Butchery, indifcriminate
" Deftrudtion;"t and that two authorities^ be-
fides that which he has candidly extracted,
are there given, in fuppprt pf this, definition :
Slaughter
* Preface, P. $.
f Johnfon defines fJamage to mean Havock. ,
I 2* ]
Slaughter grows Murder, when it goes too far ;
And makes a Majfacre, what was a war.
' Dryden.
The tyrannous and bloody aci is Aone ;
The mod Arch Deed of piteous Majfacre,
That ever yet this Land was guilty of.
Shakspeare.
Indeed the Catholic Advifer is rather capricious,
in the phrafeology which he adopts ; and after*
trampling down' eftablifhed diftinctions, in the
cafe which we have juft mentioned, becpmes
fuddenly and punctilipufly difcriminative in
another; affuring us that Methodifls and
Swadlers are feds perfectly diftinctly ;* whereas
we had conceived the latter to be but a ludi
crous, and unbecoming nickname, for the for
mer. On the whole, I muft ftrongly recommend
to Mr. Scully, to. annex a copious gloffary to
the next edition of his work.
But this is verbal criticifm ; and we fhould
not hamper with it, our approbation of thofe
" unequivocal expreffions of loyalty," f with
which the Advice to the Irifh Catholicks
abounds. I anfwer, firfl, that whether the lan
guage be equivocal, is a queflion of conftruc-
tion; not. to be decided by Mr. Scully; or by
me, who differ with him; but by the pub
lick. Secondly, that towaVds afcertaining
whether the ideas be thofe of loyalty, we muft,
in a doubtful cafe, (which I conceive the pre-
fent to.be,) examine the. figns of thofe ideas; via.
* Preface, P. 15. and Advice, P. 25. Note.
I Preface, p. 5.
I
f 68 ]
viz. Words. But the Author vindicates the
humane Lord Corn wallis, from the charge of
cruelty at Ballynamuck. *. And how ? By ad
mitting that he confidered it as a carnage;
(which was all that the Yeoman had afferted ;)
and alledging that his Lordfhip was not there
upon the .day. An allegation which is imma-
terialj — unlefs we underfland him who makes
it, to condemn the tranfaction, as a maffaere ;
and to infinuate that it was. difapproved of, by
the Nobleman in queflion.
But, though the expreffions of loyalty were
as ftrong as they are alledged to be, the world
is fo marvelloufly given to doubt and defama
tion, that ftill the views of the writer might
not efcape fufpicion. What was the object,
which the Authpf of the Life of Bonaparte
profeffed to have in view ? To join Mr. Scully,
in instructing his countrymen " to repel in-
" yafion." Afld if the two productions be,
in point of heavinefs, the fame, — the merit
and. patriotifm of the former muft be admitted
to be greater, by nearly thirty degrees, than
thofe of the Catholick Advifer: for the life
of the firfl Conful fold for a penny ; and the
Advice cofts two fhillings — more than it is
worth. ° Yet we Know how ungratefully the
Biographer has been ufed. The Catholick
Advifer might (poor fellow! f) experience fi-
milar ingratitude; or ;even worfe, if he pro
ceeded.
* Preface, p. 5.
* Mr. Scully confiders this as an appellation of con-
. tempt ^ and fynonymous with pauvre Diable !
[ 24 ]
ceeded. The public, might call him what he
has terrned the Yeoman, * a Pfeudo loyalift ;
arid treat him as if he were one. In this lat
ter cafe, if his future pages were like his paft,
it would not be " fatal learning" that would
" lead him to the block." On the contrary", his
prefent paragraphs fo completely hide every
particle of knowledge, that until furnifhed
with clearer proofs of its exiftence, than they
fupply, f I am ftrongly inclined to warn' the
gentle tribe of Dunces, againfl awaking from
the falutary lethargy, which protects them:
li Ye' blockheads, hear, — and fleep !"
-But the Catholic Counfellor is untruly
charged " with having throughout his ad-
" drefs, ftyled Rebellion civil war." $ No. §
The accufation is expreffed in the following
terms. " I advert to the* tranfactions of the:
" year 1 798 ; which we conceived to amount
" to a Rebellion ; but which this tract |( in-
*' forms me, (paffim,) were merely a civil
" war." 1f If the reader wifhes to have
change for paffim, I refer him to pages 9, 10,
and
* Preface, p: 8. \
•(-For I do not mean \6 deny that Mr. Scully may be a
man of geniusj> and information. I merely affert that in
the pages before me, no trace .of either can be (by me) dis
covered. In fhort I obferye " not on the author ; but fole-
" ly on the work."
% Preface, p. 6.
§ On the contrary, the Yeoman, (p. 28.) admits the Ad
vifer to have called it Rebellion.
|| Viz. the Advice.
f P. 44. of 'the Letter to M*. Wickham, b^ a Yeoman.
[ 25 ],
and 89, of the firfl; and -to pages 5. and 57.
of the fecond edition of the Advice : where
he will find the paffages altered, by the in
terpolation of the word " Rebellion." — It is,
in this place, only neceftary to add, that even
where Mr. Scully adopts this latter term, he
in the fame breath attributes guilt to the loyal
fubjedt; and exteriuates the criminality of
the Traitor. * Inadvertently, no doubt. In
deed if the cafe were otherwife, we fhould,
to a man whofe fentiments appeared at beft
to hang balanced between difaffection and al-
legance, be tempted to exclaim, in the lan
guage of our Poet, — — — Who can be
Loyal, and neutral, in a moment ? no man f
Before I enter on the difcuffion, at which,
in my progrefs through the preface, I am ar
rived, — viz. of the terms in which the late
King William is defcribed, let me give Mr.
Scully the full benefit of his ftatement, t tnat
the word " Invader" was printed in Capitals,
by a mere error of the prefs. I can, without
any material facrifice of ground, put the to-
pick of magnitude entirely out of the cafe ;
and argue the queftion as if the letters of this
word were of the brdinary flature ; and as if
the defamation of the Prince of Orange Was
Roman Characters. Having thus withdrawn
D my
* Pages 61. and 95. of firft edition: altered in pages
37. and 59. of thev fecond. %
f Shakspeare.
% P. 7. of fecond edition.
[ 26 ]
my fpecial Demurrer, (to adopt his black let
ter allufions, *) I admit, that upon the fub-
ftance of thofe expreffions, which have ex-
pofed him' to cenfure, he is as humorous as
argumentative ; and vice versa, f But in de
fiance of his reafoning and his wit, and ex-
preffing myfelf in the falfe fpirit of this lat
ter,) I hope by a few fimple and intelligible
propofitipns, to put not a comma, but a pe
riod, to the flrmfy fophifms, and flippery ter-
giverfation of his work.
In the firfl pace, he enquires " of what
" import to the principles of Liberty it can
" be, to difpute at this day, whether the Irifh
" fubjects of James II. in 1689, confidered,
" or ought to have confidered, King William
" in the light of. a Dutchman, or Invader ?" |
This queftion refts upon a fuggeftio falfi ;
viz. that the affertion which attracted the
cenfures of the Yeoman, was no more than
this, that in 1689, the Irifh confidered Wil
liam's landing as an invafion. For the pur-
pofe of infinuating this, he in the fecond
edition interpolates certain words, which fhall
be given in a note below ; and diftinguifhed
by Italicks. The paragraph, as it flood in the
firfl
* " In vain, it feems, did Ruggle, two centuries ago,
« ridicule fuch Criticks. In vain has he held up his black
" lettered hero, Ignoramus, exclaiming O ho ! hie eft
" tJCfaitS litem: emenda ; emenda : nam in noftra lege,
c? unum comma evertit totum pfeCltUnV Pref. p. 10.
f In p. 10, n, 12. of Preface.
\ Preface, p. 12-
[ 27 J
firfl edition, and provoked my reprehenfion,
was as follows : " Never was any place more
" gallantly defended, than Limerick, by our
" loyal Anceftors ; who Jought for their heredi-.
** tary King, againfl a Dutch Invader, and his
" hired battalions. No fuccour came ; and af-
" ter enduring incredible hardfhips. the brave
" Garrifon were forced to give up, with break-
" ing hearts, their laft poffeffion in their coun-
" try ; but not without having obtained, and
" defervedly, glorious terms of capitulation.
" The French fleet came, (as they have al-
" ways to their friends,} when all was over ;
'• arid they were not wanted. Never after-
" wards did they jferiou fly attempt to reftore
" James to his Throne ; or our exiles to their
" country." *
Now to anfwetf Mr. Scully's queftion. —
It may not be important to enquire, whether
in 1689, the Irifh Adherents of James con
fidered his Son-in-Law as an Invader. In
deed it muft be conceded that they did.
But it is of moment to the caufe of civil Li
berty, and Britifh Connexion, to refufe to the
Advifer the privilege which he claims, of dif-
D 2 cuffing,
* Advice, p. 1 2. firft edition. In the fecond, the paf
fage is thus altered. " Never was any place more gallantly
« defended; than Limerick, by our loyal Anceftors; who
" fought, for their hereditary King, againfl: -what (a) they
" confidered as a Dutch Invader, and his hired battalions,.
" No fuccour came," &c. (as in firft edition.) " Never
" afterwards did the French ferioufly attempt to reftore
«' James to the Throne, which he had ceafed to deferve;" &c
(a) A novel ufe of the word what .
t 28 J
cuffing, as a matter open to controverfy and
difpute, whether William ought to have been
confidered in, fuch a light. To treat this mat-,
ter as queftionable, would fhake to their foun
dations, both the Throne, and the Confuta
tion. What becomes of his Majefty's title to
the Crown, if the act which limited it to the
iffue of the Princefs Sophia, never received
the Royal Affent of that hereditary King, on
whofe fide Mr. Scully's loyal Anceftors fought
fo bravely.; but was merely ratified by the
fanction of an Invader, and a Dutchman,—
in fhort of the fuccefsful Ufurper who depof-
ed him ? * What becomes of the annexation
of the Irifh, to the Imperial Crown of Eng
land, if it be queftionable whether in 1689, f
William ought not to have been confidered
Jjere as an enemy, and a ftranger ? What, in
a word, becomes of the eftablifhed principles
of civil Liberty, or of the Conftitution, if the
intimately blended title of their Affertor, Wil
liam, be difputed ?
I do not defire to impute to Mr. Scully,
any difloyal opinions, which he may be dif-
pofed to difclaim. Nor if he formerly held
Tuch, and has relinquifhed them fince laft
Auguft, would I deprive him of the benefit
of his recantation. I fhould merely affert,
that in this latter cafe, it would be manly to
avow the retra&aion ; and confefs the juflice of
#
Stat. 12, 13. W. III. c. 2.
f i. e.a year after the Revolution had placed this -latter
on his head.
[ 29 ]
of that wholefome corre&ion, by which he
had profited ; and which was inflicted while
fuch objectionable fentiments were unretract-
ed. It would be but candid to recollect, that
the Yeoman's animadverfions were ppinted
againfl his firft edition ; and publifhed long
before the appearance of the altered and
amended fecond.
But though I will not afcribe to my oppo
nent, any tenets, which feeling to be difgrace-
ful, he may wifh to difavow, I am free to
examine the plain import and conftruction of
thofe pages, which he has fubmitted tp the
judgment of his country. I am the more at
liberty to do fo, becaufe.the examination can
operate no injary to him. The pages are
there to fpeak for themfelves ; and refute
me, if I mifconftrue them. They are open
to the publick ^ who may carefully perufe _
them ; and correct, or utterly reject my inter
pretations, if erroneous. I hold then, that
the paragraph laft qupted in rhy text, does
not fo much appear to difcufs, as an unfettled
queftion, whether William ought to have been
contemplated in a hoftile point of view, as it
feems broadly and explicitly to affert the fact,
that he . fhould have been confidered as a
foreign Invader ; attacking, at the head of
mercenary bands, the loyal and brave defend
ers of their hereditary King. It feems to de-
fcribe thefe latter, in terms of the moft affec
tionate intereft ; and of the moft tender, and
admiring commutation. It appears to me to
lament
[ 30 ]
lament their defeat ; and to dwell for com
fort, on their glorious capitulation. It feems
to imply a refentful jealoufy of the French, for
having been tardy in the fuccour which might
have rendered James's caufe vidorious. In
fhort, it applies to William the epithet of
a Dutch Invader ; and will the Author deny,
that what he called him, he confidered him
to be ?
I believe (and do not mean to affert the
contrary,) that in this country, James met
with brave and generous fupport ; from per-
fons ading under, what we are now bound
by our allegiance, to confider as at beft an
error of the judgment; but whom I am willing
to look upon as inftigated by honourable fen-
timents ; and by principles ^of loyalty which
were meritorious, though mifapplied. I am
difpofed to look upon fuch mifguided perfons,
as entitled, when alive, to as great a portion
of clemency, and their memory, when dead,
to as much indulgence, as may have been
then, or as may be now, confiftent with an
effedual refiftance of their fchemes ; and fup
port of our religion, our liberties, and confti-
tution. But as a liege fubjed, I cannot admit
theirs to have been the better caufe ; nor
doubt that many of thofe, whom my adver-
fary commends, fought not in the caufe of mo
narchy againfl revolution ; or of James againfl
his fucceffor; but (as they had done under
Cromwell, and in 1641,) againfl the Englifh
government ; and in the cajgpil of feparation.
• Still
-t 31 3
Still lefs can the obtufenefs of my intellect
difcern, how he who holds the fentiments
which I have extracted, can confiftently, be
attached to our eftablifhment, in Church and
State. But Mr. Scully would, as an antidote " to
" the dodrines of Paine, renovate the priftine
" zeal of our countrymen for Royalty," * by
extolling their ancient fidelity to James. He
would, by the memory of this loyalty, (refraded
to the Houfe of Brunfwick, from the family
of Stuart,) encounter the Republican dodrines
of the prefent day. He would furbifh up the
rufty Jacobitifm of the feventeenth century,
as an impenetrable hauberk of allegiance fpr
the nineteenth ; and give flability tp the con-
ftitution- by removing its corner ftone. When
he informs us that the conftitutional balance
had been exadly fettled, in the reign of the fe
cond Charles,"!" he forgets that it was again*
and ferioufly difturbed, by his fucceflbr; and
only praclically and fecurely re-adjufted, on
his abdication :— and when, on the authority
of that free difcuffion, which was permitted on
the queftion of Union, he claims to controvert
the legitimacy of the Revolution, he forgets
that the latitude of enquiry which he cites,
ceafed as foon as the ad of Union received the
Royal Affent. The fettlements which took
place in 1688 and 1800, it is not now our
bufinefs to canvafs ; but fubmit to : as, on
the
* Pref. P. 11.
f Pref. P. 10.
[ <"32 1
the other hand, it is the bounden duty of our
Governors, to make the law of the land promote
the happinefs of the people.
But though it is objeded to Mr. Scully, that
he has defamed the Revolution, he miftakes
the charge which has been made againfl him
with refped to Cromwell ; whom he feems to
parallel with King William, by ftyling hiiri
ct another great man.'' * He is not accufed of
having " caft a flur on the memory of" that
ufurper : but of having mifrepre'fented the
tenor of what occurred in Ireland in his time ;
by obfervations calculated to invalidate many
titles to property at this day, He anfwers the
charge, by afferting that thofe titles now reft
fecurely, on ftatute and prefcription. But this '
merely difproves the efficacy, not' the ten
dency of his ftatement : and the account
which he gives of this ftatute, is not highly
honourable to the legiflature which paffed it.
" Oliver Cromwell (of infamous memory,)
" having brought over an army of pillaging
" knaves to Ireland, they after the Slaughter
" of one hundred thoufand perfons, obtained
" various eftates amongft us ; whilft the Prp-
•' teftants who had invited them over, — and the
" Catholicks who" (on the contrary) " had
* Pref. P. 13,— The Author marks this (I hope inad
vertently) with inverted commas ; and alfo feems to give it
as a parallel of the Irifh Loyalift. If it be not his, then the
parallel between William and Cromwell, is Mr. Scully's
own ; and he defcribes the latter as one of infamous me
mory. Therefore William nofcitur a focio.
[ 33 1
" no crime to arifwef for, were trodden under
" foot, &c." *" To ratify thefe recent and
nefarious" partitions, " a folemri ad of Parlia-
" meht paffed1," "f* on the reftbration.
Now hear my narrative. Firft, the Irifh
bad a crime to anfwer for -3 viz. that of de-
lertirig' Orrriohde, and the^Loyal caufe. J Se-
Cbridty, much of the land, which the followers
of Cromwell thus obtained, had been juftly
forfeited; by rebellion committed againft King
Charles. § Thirdly, the ad which was paffed
in his fon's reign, was therefore fairer in its
origin, than Mr. Scully reprefents : for it did
riot ratify the plunder of innocent proprietors ;
(which had not occurred ;) but merely remit
ting the rights of the Crown, (on which the
ufurper Cromwell had infringed,) confirmed
Illegal grants of legal confiscations. Fourthly,
this correction of Mr. Scully's inaccuracies, by
tracing thofe titles to a purer fource, than
he defcribes, is the lefs frivolous,— if if it be
true, that the metes and bounds of forfeited
property are held fcrupuloufly in remembrance;
the hereditary owners accurately defignated ;
and maps' of thefe futveys periodically pub
lifhed. With the Advifer's palinpdy pn the fubjed
of Lord Camden, I find no fault. He declares
E - that
* Advice, fir'ft edit. .p. 43, 44.
X Preface, p. 14.
± Hiime. . <¦
§ ibid. — The niattet is more' fully difcufled in p. 14, 15,
16, of my former letten
C 34 ]
that " no perfon is lefs inclined than him, to
„ derogate from that Nobleman's juft merits."*
But fu rely I am excufable, for having been
ignorant that the Author's fentiments were fo
refpedful, when I found his lordfhip defcribed
as " deputed, without adequate capacity or
" experience, (as the event proved,) to fill the
rf vacant and perilous pofl of, power ; which
" he held with an unfteady hand." f
Quid facies odio ? — fie ubi amore noces.
But the " enormities which difgraced" the
administration of the noble Lord, whom Mr.
Scully thus reveres, arc " to be attributed to
" the temporary fway of certain Individuals,
^'whom he found it impoffible to control." f.
Whom does the Catholic Advifer mean ? af-
furedly not Lord Clare. For though he may
have called this Nobleman "unpopular," and
'' intemperate," § yet he admits him to haVe
been a juft man ; and one whofe good quali
ties have never been difputed. He even pro
nounces him to have deferved (and of this
affertion I confefs the truth,) far abler praife,
than was within the compafs of my talents to
beftow. Yet I am not afhamed of my fcanty
offering at the fhrine of departed worth.
I gave to merit, all I had, — a tear ; and
* Preface, p. 17.
f Advice : firft edition: pages 55, and 68.
^Preface, p. 18. ¦ l
§ It is not true (as alledged by the Advifer, in the 45th
page of his. fecond Edition,) that I cenfured thofe two epi
thets, as inve£Hve.
[ 35 \l*-
and the tribute of the heart can never be altc-
gether unworthy pf acceptance.
But fp far was Mr. Scully from inveighing
againft Lord Clare, that " thofe two Epithets,
u intemperate and unpopular, comprize the
" whole of what related to that Nobleman, in
" the firfl edition" of his work J ! * , 4
In preparing the fecond, a page of the for
mer muft have been miflaid ; and its contents
have efcaped the Author's memory. I will
reftore it.
" Neither could I have rejoiced, in feeing my
" country delivered over, through the fame"
" evil council," (during the adminiftration of
Lord Camden,) to a few intemperate perfcns,
" who undertook to rule five millions of men,
" WITH A rod OF iron. Thofe perfons have,
" in my firm judgment, nurfed the feuds, and
*lJwelled the difiraclions, that difgrace this IJle.
" But, as more than a year has paffed away,
" fince the foremoft of them has been arretted
" by the hand of Providence, in his career in
" this world,-1— and as the others, and thofe of
•* their fchool, are either unemployed, or un-
" noticed by our prefent excellent Rulers, I
" fhall not now enlarge upon the incapacity, or
*' demerits of the departed, or pf the fallen." f
I cpnfefs, (with a fhame, cf which I am not
**. '& 2 myfelf
* Advice: fecond Edition : p. 45.
\ Advice : firft, Edition : p. 55. But perhaps the Ad
vifer will fay that this paffage did not relate to Lord Clare.
I wifti he may fay fo. " But, as more than a year has pafled
away," &c. ,
[ 36 ]
myfelf the objed,) that the - ^.boye paragraph
was amongft the errata of {.he firft. edition ;
and that in the fecond it is omitted whplly.
We know (aliunde) that the Catholic Advifer
is a Gentleman ; and therefore.pannqt hefitate
to believe, that the import, an.d even exiftence
of fuch a paffage were fprgotten, when he
afferted that two epithets comprized the whole
of what, in his firfl publication, related to
Lord Clare. But whilft we acquit him, we
muft excufe the Yeoman, if he did not per
ceive what was not very manifeft, — the Au
thor's refped for the charader of that Nobler
man and Lord Camden.
Having examined his reprobation, let us
now proceed to criticife his praife. The trait.
fition will not feem violent -to thofe, (if any
fuch there be,) who confider th}s latter a,s a,
mafk'd invedive; which beneath an eulogy oil
A, conceals a flaiider upon B.
So far was the Yeoman from objeding to
Mr. Scully's " feeble tribute to, the merits" *
of Lord Hardwicke, that he avowed (^nd
now repeats) his cordial affent to fuch enco
miums. No man refpects his Excellency more
highly, than the Yeoman. But he difapproves
of the topicks which the Panegyrift has. fe-
leded ; and of the fufpicious tournureofhts
praife. He thinks it an infult to the under-
ftanding and principles of that nobleman, to
fuppofe that be can be. cajoled into an abate
ment of his vigilance,— a relaxation of his vi
gour,
* Second Edition, p. 44. note.
C 37 ]
gour,— -or the placing of his confidence, where
it is not deferved : * — 'to conceive that he can
tolerate that audacious and offenfive praife,
which is grounded on the imputation of opi
nions which-he rejeds, and of condud which
he has not purfued : to hope that he will en
dure to be placed ifi contraft wjth thofe4 whom
he efteems ; and \o be commended, with a
mere view to their difparagement. f The
Viceroy will be cautious in accepting praife
from l^irn, who has prefumed to fpeak irreve
rently of the King. J
Neither' have I diffented from the praife
which he has, beftowed upon the Englifh; I
have only obferved,, that confidering the mode
of its intro.du,dipn, it feemed to infinuate un-
juft cenfures of o.qr countrymen. § If fuch
flagornerie does pot evince diflike, neither is it
a proof of amity to Britifh connexion. |J, This
is tone preferyed,, by cherifhing the genuine
principles
* Mr. Scully in the 2<)th page of his preface, gives the
following, . not inapplicable extract,, from. Hautus. "" Quod
" ftbi vpfunt, duni id i.mpetrant, bont funt : fed id ubi jam
" penes fe habeht, ex bonis, peflimi fiunt."
f We now fee, in the high ppft that Lord Camden held
•with unfieady hand, the good, tl>e firm, and the upright
Lord. Hardwicke, &c. &c.
X The difrefpeftful paffage here alluded to, fhall be given
in another part of my letter.'
^ See page 47. of the firft, and page 28 of the fecond^
edition of the Advice. The alterations which it has*
fince endured, will entertain thofe whom they do not difguft;
and will leave no doubt on the mind of any, as to ,the Au
thor's being an ingenuous, and manly perfon. ,
|| Seethe Author's, boaft ; Preface', p. 35. "*"'
[ 3* ¦]
principles of loyalty amongft us ; arid by the
found policy of their condud, who adminif-
ter the affairs of Ireland. It is not by fawn
ing on our Englifh fellow-fubjeds, who have
fpent little or no part of their lives in vthis
country, and who confequently muft be de
ficient in that experience, which would in
form them of the true circumftances, fenti
ments, and fituation of its inhabitants, — it
is not by availing ourfelves of this inexperi
ence, and mifleading them on thefe material
points, — that we fhall promote, or evince a
with to ftrengthen the connexion. There
fore, though the culprit " pleads guilty to the
"charge, of refpeding the charader>,of his
*' Britifh fellow-fubjeds,"* I fhould beftrongly
difpofed to acquit him of fuch a fentiment if
his writings were the only evidence before
me. I have heard of a jury, whofe previous
experience of the veracity j" of a certain cri
minal,
-> * < -
* Preface P. 36.
f I have already obferved, that my remarks apply not
perfonally to the Author ; but folely to the work. I
fee him, merely through that medium. He may be a
man of ftri£r. veracity ; but his work abounds in egregious,
though perhaps not intentional (and therefore not moral)falfe-
hoods. He charges me {a) with having painted the Meffrs.
Emmett, as " men of the beft qualities of the head and
" heart." Thisisfalfe. See my former Letter ; p. 95. — I
aii alfo ftated to have declared this, on the authority of a
perfonal acquaintance. This likewife is untrue. With Mr.
• Thomas Emmett I was acquainted : but fo far from know
ing his brother Robert, I have never even feen him; and have
no where ftated myfelf to have been acquainted with him.
(a\ Page ij. of fecond edition. '
[ 39 ]
minal, induced them to acquit him of a -charge,
merely becaufe he had confeffed it.
I have now done with Mr. Scully's cenfures,
and his praife : which latter I may have en
larged upon, in fome inftances, not adverted
to by my prefent letter. Whether rightly or
wrongly, Time and Experience will, for the
information of others and myfelf, decide.'
When that decifion ha& been made, I fhall,
as 'the event may be, applaud ray own dif-
cemment, which I hope and exped, will be
the cafe;) or pore humbly on the leffon of hu
man fallibility. In the mean time I, wait, in
patient expectation ; and am not afhamed, if<
I have facrificed private feeling to the defire
of rendering public juftice ; and if, while I
fpught to be unprejudiced, I have fallen into
a liberal extreme, of prepoffeffion in favour of
thofe, who were entitled to no partial kind-
nefs at my hands. *
Finally, (or almoft finally as to him,) I
congratulate the Advifer, on " ths^eftirnonigs
" which have been bprneSj<by ^frroteftants as
" well as Catholicks," (and which I admit to
have been " flattering,") " to the utility, of his
" Addrefs."* But if he be right in his affer
tion, that 'the work " has; been fount! gene-
" rally tp accord with , the fentiments of that
" clafs of perfons, who were its objeds," —
this is a fad:, on which I cannot felicitate th<|
Publick,; nor. indeed can I confider the appro- ' vers
* Pref. P. 41.
[ 4° ]
vers of fuch a trad, to be as " valuable,"
(though they may be as " numerous") 4, body,
as he defcribes thern.
I acknowledge however, that the addrefs
may have " produced the falutary efted, of
" undeceiving fome pf" the Advifer's Prb-
" teftant fellow- fubjeds, refpedihg the iflcli-
" nations and opinions of fuch of his. Catholic
" Countrymen," as concur in fentiment with
him. Indeed in fuch cafe, it would be well
calculated fo purge the vifual ray of the mofl
dim fighted ; as may appear by the followirig
felediori of paffages which it contains.
I do not tranfer'ibe the. whole of the addrefs ;
nor in all cafes follow the arrangement of the
Author: but I give his own words ; without
a fingle interpolation. In fhort the fubjoined
abridgment no otherwife .alters Mr. Scully's
fehfe,- than by the juxta-ppfition, and as it
were new fetting, of thofe brilliant fentiments,
which are fcattered through his work;
" Mf/. Countrymen,"*
" I addrefs.^ you with a heart full of devo-
" tion to; your1 Welfare ; and deeply interefted
" in the deftiriy of that beloved country, where
" in former times our anceftors -f* have flou-
" rifhed. I perceive no reafon, why men of
" different religious perfuafions may riot fit'
" upon
. ¦ * It may be prober to obferve that, froin .the titlf'l/age,
this Advice, appears to be addreffed exclufively to the Au
thor's Catholic Brethren.
f See laft note.
[ 4* ]
" upon the fame ¦ Bench ; deliberate in the
" fame. Council. We know that toleration is
" odious to |he intolerant; freedom to op-
'\preffors ; property to robbers; and all de- .
" grees of profperity to the envious.* The
" following fentiments flow from an unbiaffed
" furvey of our interefts ; without the leafL
"mixture of folicitude for thofe of either
*' England, or France ; farther than as thefe ,
" countries affed our profperity and ihdepend-
" ence. I am a true born Ififhman ; a Mile-
" fian ; a Catholic : fharing in the, fame pri-
" vations, reftraints and grievances, with my
*' Catholic countrymen. I with to demon-
" ftfate the calamities which impend, unlefs
" we fhall inftantly awake from our lethargy..
" I feel pride in belonging to a clafs of people,
" who fuffered, with manly fortitude, a cen^
" tury of unexampled injuftice ; and finally
" redeemed themfelves from fervitude, by ,
" their unbroken energies. The French pro- -
" claim the menace of .fnvading our ifland,..lt.
" is high time therefore, to bethink ourfelves,
" whether we fhall ad with them or agafhft
" them ? We are to cpnfider, whether to re-
" ceive thofe French vifitors with open, arms ;
" or whether we fhall keep to ourfelves what
" we now have, be it ever fp little ; and drive
" them back ?
" Let us difcufs this queftion calmly; an^cl.
" when we have determined, let us ad with
41 vigour, and in concert. F "It
- Mottos.
[ 4* ]
"It is 112 ydars — fince the capitulation of
""Limerick, to William III. It was the laft
" place which furrefldered to hint; and never
" was any mpre gallantly defended, than it
" had been by pur loyal anceftors > who
" fought for their hereditary King, againft a
" Dutch Invader, and hjs hired battalions.
" France had am'ufed the befieged with pro-
" mifes of fuccour : no fuccour came ; and
" the brave garrifoo, after enduring incredible
" hardfhips,' Were forced to give up, with
" breaking hearts their, laft poffeflion in their
" country : but not without having obtained,
" and defprvedly, glorious terms of capitula-
" tion., The French came, (as they have al-
" ways to their friends,) when all was over ;
" and they were n6t wanted. Never after-
" Wards did they ferioufly attempt to reftore
" James t6 his throne, or our exiles to their
" country ; although they had plenty of fhip-
" ping. In 1 798, at Cbllooney, who were their
" conquerors ? They were Catholicks : brave
" Irifh boys ; defcended from the renowned
'' defenders of Limerick. The French, over-
" taken by Irifh troops, at Ballinamuck, —
" finilhed their fhort race by an ad, fcarcely
" to be equalled in cowardice and treachery,
" towards 1500 of our haplefs countrymen.
" Thefe dishonoured fellows, inftead of de-
" minding terms for their allies, faw with.
" unconcern, almoft every man of thofe poor
" Irifh butchered before their eyes. I have
" fince been on the field of maffacre ; and was
" fhewn
[ 43 1
" fhewn the large pits, into which heaps of
" Irjfh carcafes were thrpwn ; without the or-
". dinary rites of Chriftian interment. The
" .French never afterwards complained of this
'.'maffacre, as of a matter which concerned
" their honpur, or our efteem for them.
" If we need not fe^ipy; what better reafon is
" there for us to love them ? let us coolly con-
" fider this matter; and fee whether their
" amity is to be confided in ; or their alliance
" efteemed. Their revolution is, at ari end.
" They had gained, after the flaughter or exile
/' of two or tferee millions, the opportunity of
" firmly fixing their liberties, — and of\almly
" choofing their own form of .Government ;
-" whether a limited Monarchy, a qualified, or
" a pure Republick. All ihe^friends in other
" countries looked for the .event, with impa-
" tient folicitude ; and hoped * that the
" French would now produce fome admirable
" mafterpieceof a free Conftitution. f But no.
" We have feen their bafe treachery at Balli-
" namuck. We know that they have feduced
" feveral Irifhmen to their caufe; fomeofwhom
*; were undoubtedly men of great talents and
" integrity. But we know that they have been
" cruelly deceived arid -difappointed. They
F 2 " were
* Thisfriendjhip, and thefe hopes nothing abated, by the
flaughter or exile of two or three millions ,; nor by the prof-
pecl: of a pure republick, as the mafterpiece which they
might produce.
f Now, that they had got rid of their two or three mil
lions of impedimenta.
[ 44 ]
*' were prom.ifed ample and generous'aid from
"'France: th'ey believed in thofe prdrriifes.
" Allured by the fa'lfe lights of France, to
;" fleer to fuch a coaft in queft of Liberty,
" their reception has been fo cold and chilly,
" that you would really pity their prefent feel-
" ings. They are allowed no Penfion. Thus
"our abufed Exiles drag on the burden of life,
•' in the land of unfeeling Strangers ; unjuflly
" fufpeded of being robbers and affaffins.
" Now let us compare this charader, with that
" of the Englifh Regulars and Militia, who
" were in this country.. Did they not gene-
" roufly and fuccefsfully interfere, * in flem-
" ming the animofities of the ruling party, —
" in repreffing the fury and bigotry of our
"countrymen, and in proteding the weak
" and unarmed native ? need I name our pre-
" fent commander in chief Fox ? f I come now
" to
* Unlike the treacherous French ; who did not ftem the
animofities of the ruling . party, at Ballinamuck ; but fuf-
fered the poor natives to be butchered before their eyes.
¦f- Who will be'afferted by Mr. Scully to'be no friend to
the Yeoman. Nor perhaps were all his general orders well
calculated to refute this affertion ; however groundlefs. Be
this' as it may,,; " the regulars and militia did hot at all times
" fuccefsfully interfere in (lemming the animofities of the
" ruling party, — in repreffing the bigotry and fury of our
" countrymen, or in proteding the weak and unarmed na-
" tives. Need I name" the 23d of laft July? Amongft
the unarmed and unprote&ed, who periftied on that occa-
fion, there was one, whofe name was Wolfe, and whofe
title of honour was Kilwarden. But I freely admit that his
death
[ 45 ]
s< to a painful topick: our redemption from
" our prefent political degradation, is that to-
" pic
death was not only the effeft of accident, (a) but of furprife ;
and that for our fafety on that alarming night, the Pro
vidence to which we are indebted, is Divine. \b) Mr. Scul
ly indeed, in both his editions, views the matter in a light
extremely different ; and this is to me no matter of furprife :
No doubt, whenever his advice fhall have, been widely cir
culated, it will correct the error under which government
feems to labour. Meantime, our parliament, our privy
council, — and our courts of juftice, appear to be under the
influence of a ftrange delufion. To quell this infignificant
difpute, the. former have read the riot aft, not once, but
three times; and given it the pompous title of the Irifh
martial law bill : whilft in fpfte of the wjholefome admont-
tions of the Advifer, now fix months after the affray, this
ftatute remains in force ; #nd the habeas corpus aft continues
to be fufpended. But when we fhall have been converted
to the tenets of Mr. Scully, our parliament will repeal their
rigorous provifions ; our council retraft their hyperbolical
proclamations \
(a) " The impartial Obferver" has held an inqueft; which found it ac
cidental death. — See liis Pamphlet..
(£) I am forry to karn that, by fome of my friends, this paffage has
been mifconceived. "That, on the 13d. of July there was furprife fomc-
¦wbere, I meant to affert ; and who will deny ? But I have not afferted that
our Government was furprifed ; nor fo far as (with, I admit, inadequate
means) I have been able to obtain information, refpeeYing a fubjecT: on
which, perhaps, farther light fhould have been thrown, does this ap
pear to have been the cafe ; but the contrary. Government may, at
laft, have been taken unawares. But it is Equally true that this may
have arifen from neglect, in another department, of the warnings and
' directions which Government had given. If Government wiflied to pro
portion their preparations to the probable extent of the danger of which
they were, apprized, and not alarm the loyal, er encourage the difaffected,
by "precautions exorbitantly mpre than adequate to the occafion, their
conduit, (fpite of events) would be (as I believe it was) not only blame-
lefs, but praifeworthy.; — At prefent how does the cafe ftand? Serious
blame is, almoft avowedly, imputable in fome quarter : .'therefore we^wiil
not enquire where, or by whom, it has been deferved. — My imagination
cannot fuggeft the latent proportion, which fhall turn this enthymeme
into a fyllogifm, confiding of premiflca which will warrant the con-
clufion. -
[ 4° J
* pic ; and it conftantly affociates itfelf, in the
" minds of fome of us, with French invafion
" and revolution. We are indeed in a fore
" ftate ; and gladly would I avert my eyes from
" thofe bleeding gafhes, to which falves ought
"" to have been long fince applied. The adive
" parts of that degradation bear moft heavily
" upon the middling and higher claffes j and
" I feel my full fhare of them, as feverely as
"¦ any of you. But they bear indiredly upon
" us all^ and the acrimonious irritation which
" they cherifh, to our annoyance, is far more
" oppreffive than their political operation. But
" is our ftate of life fo galling, as to leave us
" no alternative, but French tyranny ? *
" Some
proclamations •, and our judges ceafe to inflift the penalties
of high treafon, on thefe who have in fa ft been only guilty
of a mifdemeanour. Probably what flicks with them may
be a circumftance, which the advifer overlooked, (a) I mean
that formidable depot, the exiftence and contents of which
he has entirely forgotten ; in making his tot of the dangers
of July. He has omitted the part of Hamlet, in his recital
of the tragedy.
* The late Mr. Robert Emmett was of opinion that there
was ;, and the language ufed by him on the day of his exe
cution, (as given in the Dublin Journal,) bore a ftrong re-
fcmblance to that of Mr. Scully. Mr. Emmett's avowal of
equal antipathy to Britifh and French connexion, led me
after quoting his expreffions, to affert, (in p. 21 of my^ for
mer letter,) that antUgallicifm and anti-anglicifm might be
confiftent. This Mr. Scully flippantly pronounces to mean,
that loyalty and wifdom may confift with difaffeftion and
foily; (Pref. p. 20.) But this is not the cafe. It only
means
(a) Preface, p. 20.
[ 47 3:
'* Spme of you will fay, that a certain fadion
" cannot longer be endured j* and force you, by
" their " infults and outrages, to favour thofe
" foreigners : that they terrify you by the me-
" mory of the maffacres in Wicklow, Armagh,
" and Wexford: that you cannot enjoy fecu-
" rity in your homes ; or repofe in your beds ;
" and that Defpair drives you into rebellion,
" for fhelter. I fay to you that this fadion,
" difloyal as they may be to their King, and
" terrible as, if they had power, they might
" be to their country, are yet Angels of Mercy,
" compared to French tyrants- f
" Some of you will tell me, that you fuf-
" fered much of injuftice, indignities and ca-
*' lumny, fome years ago. I admit the fad ;
" and have keenly felt and fyrnpathifed with
" thofe fufferings. There is no good fenfe in
*' extenuating the vices of our former rulers.
" Would to God the effeds of thofe vices
" could" be expunged) But, fince they muft
" fubfift
means, that a wilh for French alliance is not the neceffary
confequence of a diflike to Britifh connexion: nor do I
mean to deny that the fentiments of the Advifer may be
antigallican. * This, and the following fentence, furnifli an anfwer to
the queftion put in the preceding.
f i. e. So far from difputing the truth of what fome of
you fay, I adopt your fentiments and pofitions; and make
them my own. , But terrible as this faftion of buftling bi
gots is, I aver that even they.are better than the French.
Therefore rid yourfelves of your intolerable tyrants, with
out -the interpofition of French aid. Mr. Emmett would
have given fimilar advice. . Mr. Scully cannot have intended
to give it. His words muft pervert his meaning.
[ 4« 1
" fubfift for public fhame, — let them fubfift
" for public inftrudion. It befits Pur can-
" dour, to define to our Legiflators, the; feel-
" ings and wants of upwards pf three mil-
" lions of fubjeds ; whom it "is their duty to
" govern with fkill, and to legiflate for with
" wifdom. * And, as we are not represented
" by thofe who might fpeak our true fe'nti-
" ments, — as we are prohibited by the law from
" choofing any perfons to watch over our in-
'¦ terefts^ — -r— occafional publications might be
" found amongft the leaft exceptionable chan-'
" nets of communication, between our rulers
"and our body. In' the following, review
" therefore, you will receive a pledge pf my
" attachment to your interefts ; and our rulers
" will find fome ufeful matter. I know you all
" agree, with me, that when his Majefty's rni-
" nifters f viplated their faith with the. Irifh
" people, after having ppffeffed themfelves of
" the Irifh .purfe, — when they caufed" a peal
" of indignant complaint to ring from Derry
" to Dingle, — when they deputed Lord Cam-
" den, without adequate capacity, as the event
" proved, to fill the poll of power, -they
" liftened to evil counfel ; and aded with-
" put good fenfe. Neither could I have re
joiced
* i.e. tothetafteof Mr, Scully.
¦f At the head of thofe treacherous minifters was Mr.
Pitt; to whom the Advifer renders homageT in the ,i 2th
page of his Preface. T may agree with Mr. Scully in con-
fideringMr.'Pitt as a truly great man; 'but cannot in'tJie
fame breath conqiir in thinking him a public fwindlfir.
[ 49 ]
" joiced in feeing my country delivered over,
" through the fame evil counfel, to a few
" intemperate perfons, who undertook to
" rule five millions of men with a rod of
" iron. Thpfe perfons have nurfed the feuds,
" and fwelled the diftradions that difgrace'
" this Ifle. Our difcontents had however
" nearly fubfided, when Hoche appeared at
" Bantry Bay. We' came forward - to fhake
" hands with our fellow-fubjeds. It was not
" a moment for them to hefitate, in accepting
*' our aid, towards maintaining their efta-
" blifhments. They looked round; and faw
" the paucity of their numbers : that , they
" fcarcely exifted, or were to be heard of, in
'' many of our diftrids. To venture alone
" upon the tafk of repelling invafion, would
" be, as if our drummers and fifers were to
" charge the battalions of France ; whilft our.-
" rank and file lay in their tents. ,
" Thofe generous peafants were offered mo-
" ney as the reward of their facrifices : but
" they fpurned money. What rewards did
" we look for ? not money ; but juftice : the
" removal of unmerited difhonour.* We ex-
G " peded
i ¦
* Such is the gratitude avowed by Mr. Scully, for the
then and ftill recent favours, conferred by a Proteftant le-
giflature on thofe of his perfuafion^ for the repeal of the
penal code, the grant of the eleftive franchife, and the re
moval of every incapacity, fave that of fitting in Parliament;
and filling a few of the principal offices o'f State : — and in
this angry effufion he is not afhamed to indulge, after all
that occurred in the year 1 798.
[ So ]
«' peded that his Majefty's minifters w.ouId have
'* unyoked usT That was a fit time for them-
" to have abolifhed the remnant of civil dif-
" tihdions, which have been permitted, during
" an additional period of ten years, without
" neceflity or provocation, and at fo much coft
" to humanity, to prolong their goading ex-
¦"«* iflence. They did not feize that oppbrtuni-
«* ty. I fear they liftened to thofe meddling
" men, already alluded to. We all lament
'* this foul play ; and its difaftrous confe-
" quences. I fhall pafs rapidly over the hor-
" rid fcenes, which were afterwards aded.
" Sanguinary men, both the loyal and the re-
" bel, outraged the properties and perfons of
" the innocent, * and guilty, almoft indifcri-
" minately. Some fled to the laws for re-
" drefs. But the doors of juftice were clof-
." ed ; and they were repulfed by-bills of in-
" demnity. Others obtained compenfation,
" from the fame legiflature, that enaded thofe
" bills, f I grant all thofe things ; nor do I
" vindicate the rulers of that day, or their
" meafures.
* If we perufe this fentence with moderate attention, wfe
fliall find it to prefent the pii&ure of fanguinary Loyalifte, -
outraging innocent Rebels.
f I at firft did not underftand the objeftion to this Sta
tute. But I now, recolleft that the objefts of compenfation
were fuffering Loyalijls ; and that innocent Rebels, who had
fuffered in their property, were not within the meaning of
the aft. The acts of Indemnity indeed protefted Rebels ;
and fo far were unexceptionable. But they alfo threw a
fhield over the exceffes of loyalty ; and hinc ills lachrymse.
[ Si ]
•' meafures. But a change of eneafures, and
" of men, has taken place. The fadion whom
" you dread, have changed, fides ; and are be-
" come clamorous againft Britifh connexion.
" They are incenfed by the late "Union ; which
" has demolifhed (not our parliament;* for we
" had no fhare in it, but)~their club-houfe.
" The firft magiftrate in every country is
" liable to fits of anger, and caprice, .and pre
judice, like the reft of us. He may natu-
" rally be at times obftinate, ill-humoured,
" improvident,' or even infatuated upon fome
" particular fubjeds. Let us confider
" How fmall, of all lhat human hearts endure,
*' That part, which Laws or Kings can caufe, or cure !
" A new and happier day dawns upon us. It
" is not to be imagined, that in defpite of the
" reafonings of a Butler and a Newenham, a
" quibbling crotchet in an oath will circum-
" fcribe the juftice of the father of his peo*
" pie. Even though relief fhould be obftrud-
" ed for a moment, — yet our fufpenfe will not
" be meafured by eternity* We fee an en-
" lighten'd Prince, beckoning us to the banner
" of genuine Loyalty ; and drawing leffons of
*' future policy from our Patron, the gallant
" Moira.
G 2 " This,
* The Legislature, which Mr. Scully thus difclaims and
reviles, may be fuppofed to have been influenced by no undue
partialities, when they conferred on his Brethren the many
valuable privileges, which they enjoy.
[ 52, ]
" This was your"— -pamphlet ; and in my
mind, contained dodrines, lefs calculated to
conciliate, than " to threaten, and command,"
Whether the fentiments, to which you have
become wedded fince, are conveyed in ex-
preffions deferving equal feverity of reprehen-
fion, I fhall not flop to enquire. Let it fuf-
fice to fay, that thefe latter pages coincide
fufficiently with the former, to refemble, in
my eyes, a foul Satire on the conftitution.
But I have wandered into a fecond apof-
trophe. Let me return.
The Irifh loyalift, and his humble copyift,*^
the Yeoman, are charged with motives of no
venial kind. They are inimical to Britifh
connexion ; and not averfe from French alli
ance : they diflike the Catholicks ; and rer
jed their cooperation : they would menace
the Irifh people, and fhout ' Rebel' in their
ears ; in hopes, by irritating, to prevent them
from conduding themfelves unexceptionably, in
* This charge is better founded, than many in the " Ad-
" vice." - I certainly was anticipated in feveral important
topicks, by the work from which I am ftated to have copied
mine. Fueling this to be the cafe, I not only cited the Re-
monftrance, whenever I borrowed from it, but in p. 5. o£
my letter, the following paffage will be found, " Let me
" now proceed to confider Mr. Scully's topicks feriatim :
" if indeed the undertaking be not rendered fuperfluous, by the
"fen/ible and confiitutional Remonflrance of an Irifh Loyalift." —
I fhall only add, that if my letter was the mere plagiarifm
which it is alledged to be, it feems ftrange, that befides
reading the original Remonflrance, — the Publick fhould
have called for five Editions of the Yeoman's fervile Copy.
C 53 ]
in the impending ftruggle ; and meriting, and
obtaining, the reward of their allegiance. In
fhort, thjgi^%ould " wreft the reins of power
" from/the Jfervants of our fovereign ; and
" yprfi ai%f6n the laws and conftitution of the
^tutiotry."* Whether the Yeoman has juflly -incurred
thefe imputations, will be beft determined by
a perufal of his letter; and his rancorous en
mity towards Catholicks, and wifh that the
great body of the Irifh people fhould mifcon-
dud themfelves, may, for inftance, be colled-
ed from his two concluding pages, f
But if fuch were his malignant views,* it
feems unlikely that this anonymous writer
fhould be Baron Smith.
On the maternal fide, Baron Smith's con
nexions are chiefly Catholick ; and he quar
ters the arms of an ancient family of that per-
fuafion, with his own. In flinging contume
lies on their -vvorfhip, be would thus refled pe
culiar difhonour on himfelf. Befides, he would1
contradid tiis own convidion; that as bright
examples of ability and worth may be disco
vered amongft thofe who profefs that faith, as
amongft their Proteftant fellow Chriftians.
With one of that Religion he was once ac
quainted; for whom, whilft alive, he felt the
tendereft affedion ; and the memory of whofe
virtues he muft ever cherifb, and revere : one,
" Good
* Pref. pages, 4. 5. 6. 7. — 19.
f Viz. P. 88, 89.
C 54' J
." Good without noife, — without pretehfion great ;"
and whofe exemplary life fupplied unanfwer-
abie proofs, how amiable a fincif ' *** md zeal
ous Catholick may be. oynich
Can he ever regard with averfi<Sn^eyet*H>n-
tempt, opinions embraced by one, whorfi.reP^
efteetned? tenets, on which were founded fnofe
yirtues and pious hopes, which he trufts are
now amply rewarded, and fulfilled ?
No ! never can he look, but with refped,
upon the path, which has led this beloved
Relation to a better world.
But let iis fee how far his' condud has been
conformable to the fentiments, which we pro
nounce him to entertain. The examination is
not impracticable : for though not an eminent,
be has, for fome years, been a public Man.
I would however take up the queftion, at a
fti.1,1 earlier period. In the year 179S,* there ap
peared fome effays on political fubjeds, which
if not publifhed under his name, were generally
afcribed to him. From thefe I fhall take the
liberty of making the few following extrads ;
as pertinent to the fubjed which we are upon.
" The paffage from Cicero, which I have
'-'¦ feleded for my motto f , is a key to my opi-
*' nion, on what is called the Catholick quef-
" tion. That great Man conceived, that the
" poffeffion
* 7. e. Previoufly to, 1798 ;' and- to . many Paftoral In-
ftruftions. f " Minime mirum eft, communicata cum his Republic!,
» fideles effe, — qui etiam expertes ejus, fidem fuam feraper
« prseftiterunt."
I 55 1
" ppffeffion of privileges was calculated to pro*
" duce attachment, to the fyftem under which
" they were enjoyed; and that we might pro-
" mote the loyalty of the Subjed, by giving
" him art intereft in the defence of the Con ft i-
" tution. , But, aware how inconclufive mere
*' theory might be, the Statefman has thought
" fit to add the previous loyalty of thofe, to'
" whom new. privileges were extended : Jjdem
" fuamfemper prcefliterunt. Thus, confifting of
" blended principle and fad, I truft the rea*-
" foning will apply to the Irifh Catholicks. It
** is Founded on confederations of political ex-
" pedience j that rational and wholefome
" fource, whence alone I would derive any af-
" guments in their favour. *
•' Cicero built no conclufions on imaginary
" Rights of Man. He, in his higher fphere, left
•' fuch dodrines to Mark Anthony;** and I,
" in my obfcurity, confign them to Thomas
" Pairie.f It therefore is with grief, that I
" have, perceived the hopes of the Catholicks
" cheer'd by the cries of the feditious ;% that
" I have obferved Atheifm affeding to extend
" the hand to Chriftianity ; and found thape-
" titions of fubjeds, for conftitutional' privi-
" lege, drowned in the claims of rebels, for
" pretended Rights of Men. The bonds of
" religion
* See his Philippicks.
f Of whom, (Pref. p. 1 1 .) Mr. Scully infinuates that the
Yeoman is an abettor.
^For inftance) Mr. Tone.
[ 56 ]
religion conned Pfoteftant and Catholick to
gether : for though not of the fame Church,
we are but varieties, alike belonging to the
fublime clafs of Chriftianity. That .we
fhould be their friends, is therefore to be
accounted for, on principles confonant\to
piety and good order. Indeed the. policy
feems obvious, which fhould make Chrif-
tians coalefce, at a moment like the prefent,
to oppofe a ftronger barrier to the irruptions
of Infidelity. But what fhould unite the"
Atheift with the Catholick ? What buta falfe
cement, formed of mifchievous defigns,
which having firft produced a temporary co
herence, muft foon explode, with ruinous
eHfunion ! — I am a friend to Catholicks: but
I am- a friend to Order, to Religion, and
the - C^nftitution ; and though I may re
joice at the liberality which my brother
Chriftians have experienced, and may hope
to fee the generous principle extended far
ther in their behalf, — yet I qualify my hopes,
with a proper deference to that Legiflature,
the invafion of whofe privilege, is a furren-
render of my own. The treafures of our
moft valuable Conftitution — I would fhare
as extenfively, as is compatible with its
fafety ; and fhall therefore confider the quef
tion of Catholic privilege, with reference to
the complete fecurity of the State. The fol
lowing are amongft the topicks, appertaining
to. this fubjed. The number of the Catho
licks : their fhare, of national property : ,thc
" political
[ 57 ]
" political tendency of their religious fyftem;
" and their propenfities to order, or commo-
" tion, — as evinced by their paft, and prefent
" condud. ' ' ¦•¦¦¦>¦
" Firft, upon their numbers they fhould not
" be fond to dwell. The circumftance only
*' proves that every -benefit, which dan with
" fafetyi ought to be extended to fo numerous
" a body ; — and if it be qualified with the hy-
" pothefisof theirunfriendlinefs to prefent efta-
*' blifhments, this circumftance, of their ntfm-
" bers, becomes an argument againft their
" claims. No doubt, thofe civil benefits fhould
" be fcattered widely, for the attainment of
" which, political inftitu'tions have been formed.
" But this liberal principle is not applicable to a
" cafe, where the more numerous body in a
" ftate, is fufpeded of difaffedion. Whrlft he
" maintains his allegiance, the Subjed fhould
*' be chetifhed ; for id frmifjimum longe imperi-
" um eft, quo obedienies gaudent. * But having
" afcertained the difloyalty of any body, we
" fhould not inveft them with privileges, which
*' amount to powers of difturbing the ftate, to
*' -which they are ill affeded. I fay then to
*' my Roman Catholic countrymen, that fupe-
*' riority of number is weak ground on which
«' to fland. Alone, it is infufficient to fupport
*'"5their claims : add that they are well affected,
" and its aid is fcareely wanted : fuppofe them
«' to be difloyal, and their numbers make
"againft them. For though, as already men-
H " tioned/
* Livy.
[ 58 ]
" tioned, Government fhould aim, in the firft
" inftance,. at fecuring the attachment of all
"bodies, by a liberal donation of advantages
" to each, yet let any of thofe bodies be al-
** ready hoflileV and there will (under fome
" reftridions,) be every reafon for proferibing
"them., Their enmity was all we had origi-
" nally: to fear ; or by the conceffion of bene-
" fits, were likely to prevent. Once they have
" declared war, we are to confult our own fe-
" curity ; by fhuting the gates of our confti-
" tution. Political privileges are powerful
" weapons ; and muft not be put into the hands
" of the fufpeded."
" I am next to confider the fhare which
" Catholicks have, of national property and
" dignities amongft them. And here the foun-
" dation which they ftand upon, if fufficiently
" extenfive, undoubtedly is firm. From their
" rank and wealth in the country, as from a
"-commanding eminence, they may be able to
"point out various groundsiof policy, which
" fhould produce them an acceflion of autho-
" rity in the ftate."
" Indeed the wifdom of the legiflature me*
" rits .praife; for having permitted them to
"acquire permanent property, as a prelimi-
" nary to politicalimportance. We have al-
" lowed them to fettle and improve in the
" outfkirts of our conftitution ; until by fafe
"degrees they may become citizens with our-
" felves. Mingled into the tfeveral. orders of
" the ftate, and enjoying ' dignities and pof-
feffions
I 59 ]
" feflions which that State proteds, they will
" have acquired interefts which- may cPrined,
" and identify them with our eftablifhment."
" With regard to the tendency of their re-
" ligious fyftem, if (as is faid to be the cafe,*)
" as Catholicks, their opinions and 'habits be
*' monarchical, this tendency may be confider-
" ed as favou«able to their pretentions, at a
"moment, j: when Republican dodrines very
" mifchievoufly prevail; Perhaps (though this
" I will not venture to pronounce,) it might
" be added,* that by poffefling a Hierarchy,
" (that link, connedive of our Church and
" State,) they politically deferve to be preferred
" to thofe, whofe clerical democracies lefs1 ac-
*•• cord with the principles that pervade our
V: conftitution. Thus Hume admits, that the
" maxim of "' no Bifhop no King," is not
" without foundation : and afcribing to the
" puritanic clergy a violent turn towards Re-
" publicanifm, confiders fuch principles as al-
" lied to their religion. But if the Catho-
" lipks, on account of their Hierarchy, fhould
" merit favour, yet the fubordination of their
"• clergy to a foreign power — muft be con-
'.' feffed to diminifh, and weaken, this ground
i'of claim."
v But the good condud of the Catholicks
H 2 "is
* , Not by Doftor Huffey ; whofe , Paftoral Letter : had not
appeared, when thefe effays were publifhed. In that letter,
he takes pains to prove that the R. C. religion can thrive -'fo
the full as well under a Republick, as under a Monarchy :
and it may be fo.
f Viz. 1792.
1 6° ¦'] '
; is what muft fupply their, ftrongeft claim upon
' bur kindnefs. Yet I prefume not to fay
' that the legiflature has been parfimonious
' of indulgence. In cafes fimilar to the pre-
' fent, it is prudent to convey an intereft that
' fhall attach to the- conftitution, before we
' beftow a privilege that might difturb it : nor
' where the quiet of an empire,' and perma-
' nency of a valuable eftablifhment are at
' flake, can any caution be confidered as ex-
' ceflive. I hold then, in general, that Ca-
' tholieks deferye our favour : but the pro-
' per limits of conceffion, it is for the legif-
' lature to define* I will not fay that they
' fhould obtain no more than is already grant-
' ed : but I am fure that gratitude for what
' has been beftowed — will corroborate their
title to additional and future kindnefs. If
* we find that we have created loyalty \ by be-
* nefits conferred, we may expecl to promote its
1 growth, by conceding powers. Upon them-
' felves will depend, the enabling us to im-
' part the more intimate and important pri-
' vileges of our conftitution ;- — and juftifying
' our conceflions, on the principles of liberal
' policy, to fay with the Roman Statefman,
' whilft we enrol them amongft our citizens,
' minime mirum eft, communicata cum his repub-
' lied, f deles effe, — qui etiam expertes ejus, fidem
' fuam femper praftiterunt.
Again, in the thirteenth of thefe effays, *
the following proofs of enmity to the Roman
Catholicks may be found. " I think
* Written in January, 1793.
L 6 1 ]
" I think the eledive franchife fhould be
" extended to the Catholicks : but dottbt if it
" fhould not be, with fome limitation. I de-
" precate the mafs of abjed dependance, which
" might be let in, if this privilege were pro-
" mifcuoufly conceded. We have too many
" forty-fhilling freeholders, as it is. And fince
" any reftridions which I annexed to the grant,
" would be meant to regard, rather property
'' than religion,-^-perhaps they ought to apply
'' equally in future, to indigent perfons of
'' the Proteftant perfuafion. Perhaps twenty
" pounds per annum would make a prpper
" qualification ; and that perfons poffeffed of
" long terms for years fhould be eledPrs ; the
" grounds of their exclufion being obfolete, and
" merely feodal. Yet, as to, the expediency of
" abridging the eledive franchife in the hands
H of Proteflants, fome. doubts may perhaps be
" entertained ; grounded(amongft other confi-
" derations,) on the fuperior numbers of the
,'* Catholicks ; and the ncceffity towards fup-
" porting the religion of the State, of politically
".embodying as many members of the Church
," of Ireland, as inay bq *. Therefore', while I
" offend the; Roman Catholicks, by propofing
" limits to our conceffion of franchife to them,
" J may difguft' Proteflants, by (even ' doubt-
i' ingly) fuggefting any abridgement of their
". privileges. 'But here is my motto :
" Papift,
:-' * * £nid therefore, if. by admitting Le^fehdlder^to'-yote,
«'we'flibuld lodge with' the' Roman Cathph'cks, an over
" proportion
[ 6* ]
" Papift, or Proteftant; or both between %
^ Like good Er-afmus, in a golden, mean : *
" In moderation placing all my glory ;
" While Tories call me Whig ; and Whigs a Tory ."f
In 1795, Baron Smith, then in Parliament,
fupported the Roman Catholic Bill ; X and in
his fpeeeh on that occafion, made ufe of the
following, amongft other arguments ; which
though they may not prove ability or know
ledge in the Reafon'er, ftill lefs demonflrate en
mity towards the objeds of that bill.
"I fupport the Catholick claims, on grounds
" of policy and juftice ; and in fad he that
" proves the juftice, goes a gre,at way towards
" demonftrating the policy of any meafure.
" The
" proportion of the elective franchife, a new and folid ob-
" jeftion fucceeds the ancient feudal one — to their ad-
"¦ miflion." Note annexed to Effay.
The eleft ive franchife in the hands of Proteftants has beert^
in effeft, abridged by thofe regulations, which difqualify
perfons holding offices in the Revenue from voting, &c.
* Viz : of property.
f Pope. Indeed Baron Smith may be confidered as a
fort of Mute ; not in refpeft of his obftinacy, but of his
hereditary unfitnefs for the propagation of religious bigotry.
For the firft of his paternal anceftors who fettled in this
country, Was a Colonel in the " hired battalions" of the
" Dutch Invader;" and had three fons killed in aftion, by
his fide, fighting againft the .<t;_lqyaJ apeeftors" of the Ca
tholic Advifer.
| And uniformly,, (I do hot enquire whether rightly,)
was the advocate of their pretentions; whenever thefe were
brought forward^ during feven:yearsv.and in two fucceffive
parliaments, of which he was a member. Thus implicit
was his acquiefcence in all the political opinions of Doftor
Dpigenan,^ , Avunculus e.xcitat $eftpr. .. See preface #. 29.
Baron Smijjh^s .'father, the prefent Rafter of" t,he Rojls, ha<J
alfo fupp^tpcl the R. C. claims' in Parliairie'ntl (a) ""
(a) See Sir Michael Smith's fpeeeh, an the R. C Bill, Feb.- aj, 1793.
«.
(€
[ &3 3
" The abftrad juftice of the Catholick de»
'* mands— ^is deducible from the legitimate end
*' of political power ; which, according to the
** principles of our revered conftitution, is the
*' fecurity of civil right.
" The Catholicks therefore, being poffefs'd
" of rights, which our late liberality has even
rraich enlarged, it may perhaps be reafona-
bly inferred, !that they are become, entitled
to powers, for their defence. Ou'f" rights
" Sir, are our conftitutional poffeffions ; whilft
** our privileges form the ftrong entrenchment
*c which furrounds them i and that man' may
" be thought to hold the former infecurely,
*' who holds them unattended by proteding
*' powers." * * * " But the; Catholicks are fo
" numerous, that if the powers demanded be
"conferred, their religion will predominate ;
" and our eftablifhment be overturned. Againft
" this rifk, having preferred it to a greater, T
*' am willing that we fhould guard. I fhall
*' always concur in defence of the Proteftant'
" afcendancy ; an exprcffion, which conveys
" no more, than I think our religion fhould
*'" enjoy. I would give complete afcendancy
** to'theChufch; and as much to the individual,
"as may be requifite to fecure it. It would
w undoubtedly be defirable, that our pdpula-
** tion fhould not ,lie one way, and our efia-
" blifhment another. But we muft take things
" as we find theni; and where rifk of fome kind
" muft be encountered, on the one fide or t;he
" other, all that we can do 'is— to prefer the
" leffer
[ H 3
" leffer danger. . Thus here, fuperficial con-
**: ceflion may bei fundamental cohfervation ;
" imaque tellits
" Stet$ quiafummafugit." ' -¦-' '
, "I would fain preferve our church ettabiiih*
;. ment, not only unimpaired, but religioufly
; inviolate, in its' uttermoft pomaria ¦. but
\ would rather abate fpmewhat of Proteftant
pre-eminence, riian not jenfure the fabfick
: of Koth church' and ftate." ****** |f,
there be danger of Catholic afcendant, and
Catholic politicks, 'on the one hand, — is
; there no fear of infidelity and jacobinifnij
; on the other? And if the poifon of this lat
ter has already tainted the Irifh people,
fhall we not at leaft try to prevent the fur-
1 ther progress of the infedion ? What pledge.
have, we, on the.part of the Catholic Eccle-
; fiaftick,* for his averfion to the wild chaos
• of Jacobinic opinions ? We have the cruel
ties exercifed on his order, by the French :
his convidion, that the; prevalence and ope
ration of. thpfe opinions, would involve the
inevitable" rui n of, the prieflhood. What fe-
curity have we for .the anti-jacobinifm of
the Catholick Gentleman?- We have his pro
perty and his rank ; which confpire to render
him the natural champion of fubordina-
tion." * * * " It muft be admitted, that.
Proteftantifm . is the , eftablifhed religion of
the ftate. But I will go a flep higher ; and
affert that Chriftianity is, more remotely, our
[ «S ]¦
" our eftablifhment. In the facred and para^
" mount bonds of this Religion, whofe very
" name fuggefts good wiM towards men, we
*' are at onGe conneded with our Catholick
" fellow fubjeds. Let us, as far as policy and
*' exiftiiig circumftances will allow, remember
" this grand union, and forget fubordinate
'• diftiridions. As ftatefmen, as well as be-
*' lievers, we fhould be Chriftians.: for Infide-
" lity and Jaeobinifm ftalk through Europe,
" hand in hand ; and the fame man1 who
" wrote the Age of Reafon, was alfolhe author
*' of the Rights of Man. Chriftianity is af-
" failed. Should not all its descriptions be em-
*'¦ bodied for its defence,-— and -the worfhip,
*' throughout all its branches, be made refped*
" table? — Bearing this principle in mind, we
«* fhall be the lefs *eludant to remove any in-
" capacities, which attach upon the Catholick,.
" We fhall feel, that we ought to guard againft
" even feeming to impofe penalties on reli-
" gion ; and that we may offer a bounty to
" the Infidel, by impofing a tax upon the
« Chriflian." Such was the fpeeeh of Baron Smith in
1795. Whether the dodrines which it con
tained, or rather perhaps the application- of
"thofe dodrines, fhould be confidered as unex
ceptionable, was then doubted by many pf
our wifeft and moft upright ftatefmen ; arid
the leglflature decided againft the^ conclufive-
nefs of fuch reafoning, And it muft be con-
feffed, that if 1 the arguments for complying
I with
[ 66 ]
with Catholick wifhes were then weak, they
have not been ftrengthened, by any thing
which occurred in 1798. The above extrads
have been given, not fo much for the purpofe
of ,difcuffing the queftion which they concern,
as with a view to refcuing from the charge of
enmity to any defcription of his countrymen,
the perfon whom Mr. Scully identifies with
the Yeoman. At the fame time, I fhould not
have cited thofe fentiments, if they were not,
to a certain degree, my own. I accede to them
precifely in the fame degree, in which at the
prefent day, he who uttered them may be rea
sonably fuppofed to do. That I do fo, may be
colleded from thofe final pages of my former
letter, to which I have already had occafion to
allude. In thefpirit of the opinions delivered
there, I maintain that — confidering the pro- '
portion between the two religions in this coun
try, nothing, fhort of neceffary policy, can
juftify a political diftindion between the Ca
tholicks and us. I go farther : I confider the-
neceflity as a national misfortune : as an un
lucky obftacle, which impedes the operation
of principles, in the abftrad, liberal and found:
and I fhould regard that man as a benefac
tor to bis country, who could difprove, or ter
minate, the exiftence of this neceffity, for con
tinuing difabilities on any clafs of the King's
fubjeds ; or thwarting the honourable am
bition of the individuals who compofe it. *
It
*¦ Feeling at- the fame time, as I do, the mifchievous falfe-
. hood and abfurdity, of defcribing as flaves, the Catholicks ;
who
[ 67 .]
It is therefore I have fuggefted, that Invafipn
might fupply a teft, which wculd fatisfy the
moft fcrupulous, of the title of the Catholicks
to a farther acceffion of political importance j
and that the "loyalty of their condud, in the
courfe of fuch a ftruggle, might juftly procure
them all, that they can reafonably require.' *
It is not Baron Smith, or the Yeoman, that is
their foe. It is the man who circulates, under
the name of Paftoral or other Letters, his ran
cour to our Church, and difaffedion to our Go
vernment. Such men as (unlefs their writings
do injuftice to their opinions, f ) the late Dodor
Huffey, the prefent Mr. Scully, and the "writer
of thofe Inflrudions, on which I commented
in my laft letter. If the pages of the ^Ad
vifer" ftate his opinions with precifion, and if,
as he affures us is the cafe, thefe " have been
" found to accord with the fentiments of that
" numerous clafs of perfons, who were the ob-
" jeds" X of his addrefs, then on their own
heads be the odium of their exclufion from that
political confequence, to which they fo ardently
afpire. If they hold, with Mr. Scully, § that
the government under .which they live, is
founded on an ufurpation, which their " loyal
. I 2 " anceftors"
who enjoy complete toleration; equal protection with our
felves ; and no iflconfiderable portion of political power.
*. I do not fay that other circumftances befide Invafion,
might not furnifh fuch a teft. '
f As perhaps they do. X Preface, page 41.
§ For fuch is my conftruftion of the import of his firft
edition ; (pages 12. 13- &c) and it is this firft edition which
he afferts, (in- his. preface to the fecofld) to have contained
fentiments
C 68 1
" anceftors" Unfuccefsfully refilled, — it is evi
dent that their dodrines muft negative their pre
tentions : nor in that, cafe, will the cunning of
feditious advocates avail, to wheedle the Bri
tifh Lion into a .fur render of »his teeth and
claws. Let the Catholicks, if they would
fucceed, refort to arguments, and to condud,
of an oppofite defcription. . Let them fhew
cordiality to their Proteftant brethren; and
allegiance to their Proteftant rulers. « In a.
word, and in the language of an anonymous
writer, already quoted, (and conjedured to be
Baron Smith,) " let the Catholicks refped the
" venerable fabrick of that conftitution, in
" whofe benefits they fo largely participate
" already; and in whofe privileges, (if it be
" not their own fault,) they may be ftill more
" intimately interested hereafter. Let them
" haften to detach themfelves from their ene-
" mies, the Fadious ; and in every Patriot,
" they will find a friend." *
But the Yeoman Baron, (whofe antipathy to
Catholicks we have already feen,) is a friend^
to French, and a foe to Britifh connexion ;
would provoke and irritate his countrymen to
mifcondud themfelves ; and would audaci^
oufly trample on the laws arid conftitution, Inftead
fentiments which accorded with thofe of the clafs which
he addreffed. The whole fentiments. have indeed been
honoured with the approbation of a Gentleman, who ha-s
publifhed- a fhort Appendix to this. Letter ; and who is re
ported to enjoy a pennon under that Government, .which
Mr. Scully defcribes to have originated in ufurpation. But I
have heard that this addrefs was not generally approved of.
* Eflay xi.
[ °9 ]
Inftead pf enquiring, whether it be con
fiftent with the feeming tendency of Mr.
Scully's pages, that their author fhould hold
fuch views to be fit matter for . reproach, I
fhall confider how far they are imputable to
the perfon to whom they are afcribed.
For this purpofe, I fhall give fome farther
extrads ; which I fhould not,, if they were a di- '
greftlon from my fubjed. But I would be un-
derftood as adopting the fentiments which thofe
paffages contain ; and transcribe them, as per
tinent to the matters which we are treating.
In Auguft laft, while the events of thejate
infurredion were ft ill recent, I find this mo
dern JefTeries (if we may rely on a news paper
report,) making the following attempt to pro
voke and irritate his countrymen.
44 What fate was in ftoire for our country or
ourfelves, it would be prefumptuous to pro
nounce with certainty. This relied in the
womb of time, and difpofal pf the Almighty.
But let our lot be what it might, our principles
and pondud were at our own command : we
could be loyal to our King, and devoted to our
Country : we could be prodigal of our lives, in
defence of our Religion, our Liberties, and our
Conftitution, Bodies, fuch as he addreffed,
had the privilege of declaring thofe feelings to
their Sovereign, and inculcating them on,their
Country. Allegiance, patriotism, intrepidity,
moderation,— rthefe were fentiments, of which
no human enemy, be he foreign or domeftic,
could deprive us. He. was perfuaded the
Grand
[ 7° ]
Grand Jury would agree with him, that how
ever critical the times might be, they did not
the lefs (perhaps- the more) call for modera
tion, and a ftrid.obfervance of the law. They
would agree that nothing which had recently
occurred, or which rumours ftated to be im-.
pending, fhould be permitted to open or exaf-
perate the wounds of the year 1 798. He knew
the liberality of the Gentlemen whom he ad-
dreffed ; and therefore relied on their concur
rence with him. The difaffeded, covered as
they were with crimes, were yet our Country
men ; and if they were not the vidims of delu-
fion, would be our friends. Therefore, though
the menacing reports which were in circula
tion fhould be authentic, our meafures, how
ever vigorous and cautious, fhould be all de-
fenfive : not marked by any harfh or party
fpirit. We ought, on the contrary, to encoun
ter treachery, with generous forbearance ; and
be mild to thofe, who were fanguinary to us.
It became the righteoufnefs of our caufe,
and the humanity which charaderiftically be
longs to courage, to fhield from oppreffion the
very arm that was raifed againft us ; and afford
the protedion of the law, to thofe delude'd
creatures who were attempting its deftrudion.
We fhould thus deny to difaffedjon even the
fhadpw of pretext ; and render treafon (if that
were poftible) more unpardonable than it is.
We fhould thus obey the dying injundions
of the good Kilwarden, that no man fhould
fuffer, but by the laws of his country ; admi-
niftered with caution, and executed in mer cy-
E 71 J
cy. Such condjid muft corred every fpirit
which was not incorrigible. But fhould we be
at laft obliged to meet our enemies in the field,
could we doubt, that fuch condud muft fecure
to us an invincible ally ? could we doubt that
God would defend the right f or that the defence
of Almighty Poweir muft be effedual for our
protedion ?" * -
So much fpr his wifh tp goad the great body
of the Irifh people to difaffedion. And now
for his attachments to France ; and his en
mity to thefcene of his education, Britain.
Baron Smith's firft coup d'effai, in the way
of political controverfy, was a pamphlet en
titled the " Rights of Citizens; or civil
" Rights of Man : contrafted with the unfo-
" ciai code of Mr. Paine." This trad was
written in 1 791 ; and its author there oppof-
ed the pernicipus dodrines of the French ;
at a time when " their friends in other coun-
" tries expeded they would prpduce fpme ad-
" mirable mafterpiece pf a free cpnftitution.f"
The motto to this pamphlet fuggefts the ten
dency of the Work :
" Jufaue datum fceleri canimus; populumque potentem ;
et ruptofoedere Regni,
" Gertatum totis concujfi viribus arbis,
" In commune nefas."
Amongft thofe political Effays which have
been already cited, the fifth, fixth, and ninth, afford
* Baron Smith's Charge to the Wexford Grand Jury, at
the Summer Affizes, 1 803 ; as given in the Newfpaipers;
¦J- See the Advice p. 16. of the firft, and 15. (altered) of
the fecond Edition.
[ 7* ]
afford a fimilar example, of the author's revo
lutionary propensities, and adherence to Mr.
Paine. The two fbrmer contain an allegorical
ericomium on our conftitution, as contrafted
with one formed on the model of French opi±
nions; and the latter is entitled "Rights of
" Waters, a fable; intended as a companion
" for Paine's fable, of the Rights of Man."
The writer was " a very young man,"* when
thofe Effays were eompofed ; and will not be
difpleafed' with me for obferving, that I dif-
encumber them of the thus et odores, in which
they have been long embalmed, for the pur-
pofe of evincing, not the talents, but princi
ples of their author. In
* Preface to Advice, P. 29. — I do* not precifely know
whether Mr. Scully be angry with Baron Smith, for hav
ing been, or for having been called, " a very young man,"
in 1799. If the former, I apprehend he might plead " not
" guilty," to the charge : for in that year he was thirty-
three : an age at which, whatever may be the cafe of the
Advifer, it is ufual for men to put away childifh things.
In 1792 however, I confider him to have been a young
man ; and this circumftance may excufe the levity of the
following additional and burlefque proof; of the extent of
his attachment to thofe principles, to which Mr. Scully
prbfeffes himfelf fuch a ..foe. It- ^is a paffage from a fic
titious leter. " Quanl; au retabliffement de l'egalite, chez
" les Francois 1' on s'y prend autrement, Je 1' avoue.
" La, on fait pendre les petits ; ce qui doit leur alonger
" le cou : enfuite on tranche la tete aux Grands ; et voila
" tous les Citoyens de niveau. Mais, maigre mon pen-
" chant pour le degat politique, Je ne faurois gouter les
" ufages d'un pays, on 1' on exerce le .defpotifme, pour
'* 1' amour de la liberie : ou, ,F on fait mourir le peuple,
" au milieu des. pris de « vive la Ration !"
[ 73 3
In the feventh *id eighth numbers, written
in the months of Auguft and September, 1 792,
I find the following fymptoms of attachment
to French dodrine ; and defire to trample on
our laws and conftitution :
*' Caliban. — Freedom ! hey day ! hey day ! Freedom
" Freedom ! hey day ! Freedom !
" Stephano. — O brave Monfter, lead the -way.
Shakspeare."
1' What Stephano addreffed to the patriotic
" Caliban, I am tempted to apply to the Jaco-
" bins of France. ' It is not enough to fhout -
" Freedom in our ears ; without acquainting
" us in what form of government fhe dwells.
" Dired us ye Calibans, or rather Cannibals
" of France, in that fearch for liberty, which
" you prefcribe :
" O brave Monjlers ! lead the -way." '
" Nor fhall we be fatisfied with the fiou-
" rifhes of mob-leaders ; which are probably
" as infidious, as they are certainly abfurd :
" nor yet with the extorted profeflions of poor
" flaves, w;ho in boafting of their liberties,
" are trembling for their lives ; and know
" that a fingle moderate exprefiion would be
" treafon. You muft point out that freedom,
"which you fay is within grafp ; and whofe
" attainment could alone, and barely, palliate
" your exceffes." y
" When Liberty was deified by the heroes
" of antiquity, they invefted her with no at-
" tributes fubverfive of order ; or incompati-
K « ble
[ 74 1
" ble with reafon; and with fbcial duty. Of
" that rational freedom which they adored, I
" fhould— -if neceffary, join in the purfuit. If
" not already in our poffeflion, I would im-
" port from abroad, this worthy objed of ve-
" neration ; and place her with refped in the
" citadel of my country. But could any man
,** be mad enough to look for Liberty iri
" France ?"
" A mid ft maffacre and pillage, anarchy and
" defolation, the defperate fury of a tyrannic
" mob, and more disciplined cruelty of a po-
" litical inquifition, can Liberty be fuppofed
" to have feleded her. abode? Are we per-
" mitted to deem that nation free, where pri-
" vate , thoughts are capital offences, and the
" fufpicions of the rabble- — legal proof ? or even
" to believe that the people are not Barba-
' " rians, where of thofe that have" been killed,
"fome have alfo been devoured? If my
" readers would contemplate liberty in a the-
" oretic ftate, it muft be feared for, through
" the fubtilties of analyfis and abftradion. If
" they would fee the fpirit of Freedom embo-
" died in pradice, and animating the machine « of
* " An obfolete term, for what is now called the people :
" derived from Mobile, a latin word, fignifying moveable, or
" unfteady. The reader will obferve, from the date of this
" number, that it was written fhortly after the French tx-
« ceifes of the ioth of Auguft, and maffacres of the ad
" of September, 1792.
C 7S ]
" of government, ,1 have only to refer them
M to the conftitutipn of our country." * * * *
" I never can contemplate that blood-ftain'd
" web, which Mob and Jacobins have con-
"• fpired to weave, without fhuddering at its
" horrors, and lamenting its advancement ;
" and can fcarcely forbear exclaiming to my
" countrymen, " See the griefly texture grow,
" 'Tis of human entrails made ;
" And the' weights that play below,
" Each a gafping warrior's head.
" Shafts for fhattles, dipped in gore,
'* Shoot the trembling cords along :
" Sword, that once a monarch bore,
'* Keep the tiffue clofe and ftrong." *
" The moral quality of thofe motives which
" firft aduated the French, or remote tenden-
" cy of the tumults which now agitate their
" country, is a queftion, which I confefs my
** inability to anfwer. Perhaps, from the ex-
" plofions of this horrid chaos, a fyftem of
" beauty may at length ftart forth. The poft
w lible event, my dim fight cannot difcern : the
" paft and a&ual evils, I am riot at liberty to
" doubt. I have means to know, and huma-
" nity to lament them."
The fentiments which immediately follow
thofe that I have cited, muft be confeffed
to be lefs anti-Gallican than Mr. Scully's :
wno (in his firft editiPn,) declares thai he
K 2 would
* Gray.
[ 76 3
would not " live in one houfe, or travel a
" day's journey with a Frenchman, if he
" could avoid it." * Neverthelefs,. at the ha
zard of Baron Smith's charader, I will quote
them. " To France, I wifh freedom and happinefs,
" moft fincerely. The accumulations of her
" knowledge have contributed to my improve-
" ment. I conned her with much that is ele-
" gant in literature, and valuable in fcience.
" Happinefs, I muft fuppofe to be the objed
" pf her fearch : and through conqueft or de-
" feat, I wifh her to attain it. Yet while I fym-
" pathife with the miferies, and wifh the hap-
" pinefs of France, I look on her as the germ
" of a great example."f Let us wait- until that
" example fhall have been matured. Let us
*' wait the great teacher" Time, for his deci-
" fion : nor be hafty to import the reality of
" mifchief; in order to conftrud what, after
" all, may b no benefit. The experimentalift
" in mechanicks, % who deferring precedent,
f fpeculates upon bold and hazardous improve-
" ment, lofes nothing if he fails, but his time,
" his pains, and his materials. But it is the
" duty of him who would fpeculate in mat-
" ters of government, to refled that the mi-
" fery
* Page 42.
f "Written and publiihed in September, 1 792, previoufly
to the murder of Louis XVI.
"- X See Mackintofh's Vindicise Gallic^ ; where experi-
" <*nts in government, and mechanicks, are put on the
° footing.
[ 77 ]
" fery of his fpecies may be die confequence
" of his mifcarriage.
" Therefore,
" The art, and pra£tic part of life
it
" Muft be the miftrefs to this theorique." *
" But, perhaps the tenuity of fpeculative
Good will now condenfe, to the palpable
confiftency of folid pradice. Perhaps France
is about fo exhibit an example, which will
proftrate my theories in favour of mixed
" government. If fo, I fhall fubmit to this
" chaftifement of my pride. But let us be
" patient, until the leffon is completed. Let
" us wait, until Experience fhall revife her
" fyftem; and infert the new difcoveries, in
" her political chart: nor, in the meantime,
" prove Infidels to that Reafon which fh6uld
" guide us ; and worfhip an imperfed image,
" in her ftead. The propenfity of the French
" has been always, to invention ; whilft the
" pradice of the Englifh has rather been, to
" feletl experiments for purfuit; and delibe-
" rately following where France led the way,
" to improve, with accurate diftruft, upon her
"plans. Let us not, in a matter of fuch
" moment as our liberties, relinquifh this na-
u tiorial diftindion of charader ; nor deviate
" from a caution, fo demonftrably beneficial.
" The late experiments of the French, in go-
" vernment — refemble_tf/ beft, their former at-
" tempts in aeroftation, They may have taught
** liberty to foar ; but have not yet found means
"..to guide it. Until this be done, fuffer me to
" cling
* Shakspeare.
[ 78 ]
"• cling tp my ancient and eftablifhed tenets i
" to doubt the prudence of raifing a ferment
" in my country ; in order to puff out, for
" vulgar admiration, a flimfy form of govern-
" ment, which Wifdom cannot guide ; but
" which our ftormy Paffions may blow about,
" at pleafure."
" Freedom finds its bafis, and fecurity, in
" Law. But in a government which is uncom-
" pounded j law cannot be really, though it
" may be nominally fupreme. To the law,
" as to the man, that feeks to govern, the
" counfel of divide, et impera — may be given*
" Perfifting therefore in that preference of
" mixed government, which I conceive to be
" founded on reafon and experience, — and
" abating nothing in my praife of the Britifh
*' Conftitution, — it will not be foreign to the
" objed of thefe effays, if I touch on the right
«' of petition.*
" The conftituerit parts of the Britifh na-
" tipn, (fay the" King, the Ariftpcracy, and
" the People,) have each a theoretic right to fo
"• much power, as will preferve the balance
" between them all. More than this, is ufur-
^ pation. With this principle for our guide,
" we fhall eafily find the limit of the Subjeds
" right of petition. So foPn as the petition
" becomes
* «« About this time, feveral petitions were preferred to
" the King and Parliament, which feemed revolutionary, in
" their origin and tendency ; and were afterwards lament-
" ably demonftrafed to have been fo, by the occurrences
«« of 1 798." Note annexed to Effay.
£¦ 79 3
" becomes a hpftile fummons,— fo foon as the
" petition'd begin to tremble at the prayers,
" and crouch before the bold humility * of fup-
" plicants, whofe enterprifing meeknefs re*
" vives the charaderifticks of a tyranny now
*' extind,f — fo foon as theLegiflature may ufe
"to its petitioners, the language of Csefar, to
** the fuppliants who took his life, — ifta qni-
" dem vis efl,% — in that moment, the equili-
" brium is deftroyed : the conftitutional fym-
" metries are at once diftorted : Right is dif-
" figured to the monftroufhefs of Power ; and
" the ad which in form is legal, is in fub-
" fiance, treafon." §
" Towards defining fubordinate and partial
" rights, (as of petition,) we rhuft hold in
" view the right paramount in all the people,
" to maintain that balance undifturbed, whofe
" flighteft trepidations are formidable to public
" fafety." "For
* See Mr. Scully's " communication to our Rulers," of
the propriety of doing "juftice" to his flock; by removing
" >the remnant" of difability and reftraint.- " On voit
" d'abord, que s'il vous plait fignifie dans kur bouche, it
" me plait; et que jfe vous prie fignifie Je vous ordonne. (a)
The above paffage may be thus rendered into political Eng-
lifh. " It is eafy to perceive, that the humble petition means
" the Sovereign pleafure ; and your Petitioners will pray, means
" your Mqflers willcompel." Note annexed to i ith Effay.
f The ancient defpotifm of the Servus Servqrum.
X Suetonius, Jul. Cses, c, 82. .
§ Such are the principles of a Man, whom Mr. Scully,
-having pitched upon as being the Yeoman, defcribes as wifh-
ing to fnatch the reins from the hands of Government ; and
trample on the laws and conftitution.
(a) Roufleau, Emile. Livi;e 3.
[ 8o ]
" For, befides that portion of political do-
" miftion, which is compofed of the demo-
" cratic rights and privileges, the authority
" of king, of lords, and commons, are all in
" fad, component parts of the people's power.
" The three eftates, in this fenfe, reprefent
" the people.
" To repel hoftillty, whether foreign or do-
" meftick, — to arbitrate between contending
" powers, — to deliver over the accufed to the
" inquiry of the law, — to put the national will
" in execution, — to call forth merit, and en-
" lift it in the public fervice,— or embellifh it
" with rank, as-an encouraging example, — to
" raifc ambitious talent, fafely into greatnefs, —
" and divert feditious propensities, by the view
" of honours and diftindions, compatible with
" public fafety ; * —
" To throw up an intrenchment round ho-
" nours; when conferred, — to cherifh and pro-
" ted the hereditary principle, — ;and keep
£l guard upon the eminences of cultivated life;
" — -to fecure dignity from envy, and opulence
" from rapine ; f —
'< To manage economically the public funds ;
" and purchafe with them, the public wel-
" fare ; — to concentrate the wifhes and jnter-
" efts of -a multitude, too numerous to coa-
" lefce, but by the medium of reprefentation ;
" to fofter public fpirit,-to check the inroads of
" infulting Greatnefs, in thofe defcents which,
" from
* Royal power.
f Privileges of the Peers.
[ 8* ]
" frpm its fummits, might be made uponlhe
" rights (if unproteded) of the humble ; *
" To lift the voice of the populace tp the ear
" of that legiflature, of which one branch is
" in a great meafure of their own creation :¦•
" to bid proud defiance to the menaces of op-
" preflion ; and refer the caufe of Innocence
"to the tribunal of Impartiality : f this is a
" rude-fketch of that power in the People,
ie which, prudently diftributed, tp enfure its
" prefervation, exifts difperfedly-r-^in the king,
" lords^ commons, and the publick.
" It is the peculiar, and fundamental excel-
" lence of the Britifh conftitution, that it is a
" more effedual mode than has ever been de-
" vifed, forcolleding thefenfe of a whole ci-
" villfed people? and difcovering that path
" along which Authority may move, without,
" trampling on the interefts of any prder in. the
" ftate. It is a government of combination ;
«' not difunion : unity is, on the contrary, its
" end, and its attainment.
" Equal law, in the mean time, encircles like
" a glory, the whole fdcial mafs : while that
" coherency of principle, which is related to
" it, andfixes the title to the crown; -on grounds
" analogous to thofe, which fupport that of an
'* obfciire fubjed to his fmaft hereditary eftate,
" gives to the Monarch, and fome of the
" humbleft amongft his people, a reciprocal
" iritereft to maintain each others rights." £
L From
* Authority of the Commons.
. f Right of petition, trial by jury.
J Effay xiii.
[ 82 ]
From the- Rights of Citizens I fhall make no
quotation; but merely tranfcribe a paffage, from
a letter of the late Mr. Burke to the Author ;
which perhaps is not entirely impertinent to our
inquiries. '• You talk of Pairie with more refped than
" he deferves. He is utterly incapable of
" comprehending his fubjed. He has not
" even a moderate portion of learning of any
'' kind. He has learned the inftrumental part
" oi literature ; a ftyle, and a method of dif-
** pofing his ideas ; without having ever made
" a previous preparation of ftudy„or thinking,
«' for the ufe of it. Junius, and Other ffiarp-
" ly-penn'd libels of our time, have furnifhed a
" ftoek to the adventurers in compofition, which
'.'-gives what they write an air (and it is hut
"an- air,) of art and fkill: but as to the reft,
i( '•• Paine poffeffes nothing more, than what a
(i * xan whofe audacity makes him carelefs of
ti ^\'cal confequences, and his totalwant of
" h ^ -'r anc* mora^ty makes indifferent as to
\ confequences , can very eafily write."
(C ^
po>iticav - above quotation, which though I
With.tht. ^ tjie wantonnefs of fome read-
cannot confrc ^yfelfj from prefUming to ap-
ers, I ^Jft^iV take the liberty of difmifling
ply^W/jert %e noJ. hJs own feult> (and
Mr/Scully, it iti^ ris own misfortune ) for
fuffer me to a^d h, .^^ me ^ ^
ever. I alfp hope (*v ,ick A ^
pare him to the Catho. h £
fhall foon have done wa.
whom I muft confefs. that I . ™ tired- ^
[ 83 ]
We have now got rid of his French princi
ples, his church of Ireland prejudices, and
his wifh to take the, reins of government into
his own hands. It remains tp difcufs the juf
tice of the affertion, that he is unfriendly to
Britifh connexion. Though indeed his coht
dud has been, in this refped, too uniform and
explicit, to require many comments, in refu
tation of fuch a charge. We find him ex-
prefling- the following fentiments, in 1795.*
" I wifh thefe two countries to continue, ever,
" one intimately well conneded empire. I
" wifh their harmony, from prejudice, as
" well as principle : from prejudice, the
" growth of my partialities towards Eng-
" land. A confiderable portion of my life
" was fpent there; and the thought of Eng-
" land conneds itfelf withmuchi, that ispleaf-
" ing to my mind. It was the place of my
" education : f the fcene of thofe early years,
" and of thofe early habits, which the me-
" mory recalls and cherifhes, with nioft de^-
" light. I am proud to think it contains many
"friends who regard me; and whofe efteem
"affords a reafonable ground for pride. X I
" am befides perfuaded, that in their harmony,
" confifls the. welfare of both iflands. If any
L 2 "man
* In his Speech on the R. Catholic Bill.
f He was of Chrift Church; where he had the honour
and advantage of beiilg educated under the aufpices of
Doftor Jaekfpn ; who was then, and ftill continues Dean,
t In this circle he may poffibly have included Mr. Wick-
ham; with whom he had the honour of forming an ac
quaintance at Ch. Church.
[ 84^ ]
" man wifhed a breach-1 and endeavoured to
"foment it, he fhould 'find in me, if* not a
" formidable, yet a ftrenuous opponent." &c.
Again in 1800, he repeats the fame poli
tical creed ; accompanied by a ftatement, which
demonftrates the correfpondence of his condud
with his profeffions.
" I for my part, am a fineere friend to the
' connexion : I have ever been fo. But I
' would fuit my pradice with my principles ;
' and not rant about my regard for that, which
' my condud manifeffly tended to diffolve.
' On thefe grounds it is, that for now a feries
' of years, and uniformly fince I have fat in
' Parliament, I have fuppprted every import-
' ant meafure of Government, except the re-
' jedion of the Roman Catholick claims. I have
' done fo, not only without being, conneded
' with Adminiftration, but without feeking or
* poffeffingthat intercourfe with them, which
' ufually fubfifts between Government and
' even the humbleft of its fupporters. Scorn-
' ing to refute the mifreprefentation of thofe,
c who defer i bed me as a rhember of oppofi-
' tion, (and who have betrayed me into this
' fhort egotifm, by prefuming lately to fpeak
* of me as a man who had changed my prin-
' ciples,) I contented myfelf with refitting
' Parliamentary Reform : with fupporting the
' Infurredion Bill, and ppppfing its Repeal:
' with concurring,, to fufpend the Habeas
' Corpus Ad : with indemnifying thofe, who
" had
[ 85 ]
" had tranfgreffed the Law, to fave the Con-
" ftitution : with vifiting the crimes of the
" Traitor on his defcendants ; with ftrength-
" ening the hands of Government to an un-
" precedented degree : with not deferring my
" poft in Parliament to the laft. In. fhort, I
" fought for the connexion, &c."*
Finally, Baron Smith's marked fupport of
an incorporate Union, furnifhed no glaring
proof of hoftility to Britifh connexion. As
for the tendency of thofe arguments, with
which he fuppprted his opinion, he might
refer the vindication of thefe to Mr. Pitt.
That this great Man was an enemy to the con
nexion in queftion, I have never heard: and
the Baron may probably recoiled with exulta
tion, that on the fame night, in the Britifh
houfe of Commons, that enlightened Minifter
reforted to the very arguments, in fupport of
this Imperial- meafure, which were urged by
his (not copyift, but) admirer, here, f Of
* Letter to Henry Grattan, Efq. by William Smith, Efq.
f Mr. Scully, who is fuch a foe to «< ill-natured fpleen,
" and party irritation," (a) ,
f^uam temere in nofmet legem fancimus iniqitam ! )
appears as if he laboured under their effects, when he in
dulges in fuch ftrprig difpleafure againft Doctor Duigenan,
lb) for having commended the arguments .advanced on the,
queftion of Union, by Baron Smith. This latter, it is likely,
reflects with pride, that others, on that occafion, expofed
themfelves, in the fame way, to the Advifer's cenfure.
(a) Preface P. a8.
\t) Preface P 39,
C 86 ¦]
Of ithe various lights, iii which this latter
viewed that queftion, the Publick were put
in poffeffion at the time : and if they had not
curiofity to read thofe publications then, it is
not to be fuppofed that they would patiently en
dure extrads from them now. Indeed I am
the lefs difpofed to annoy the reader with any
fuch, becaufe this might tend unrieceffarily to
revive a difference of fentiment, between Baron
Smith and a number of loyal and refpedable
perfons in this- country, with whom he may:
exped, on moft other queftions, to agrees
Nor fhould I have faid fo much, if any thing,
with refped to this Gentleman's opinions ; but
that for feemingly flanderous purpofes, he has.
been identified with the Yeoman.
And now Sir, it is time to refume my apo
logies, for having trefpa-ffed on you, by the
prefent Letter. The excufe, made at my
commencement, proved my reludance to en
gage in a correfpondence, which I conceived might
For example, Lord, Caftlereagh, Mr. Corry, and Judge
Daly, (then Prime Serjeant. (V) But the crime of the
Judge of the Prerogative is aggravated, by his having call
ed Mr. Smith " a very young Man." (d) Inftead of endea
vouring to extenuate his offence, I would merely enquire,
whether it be likely that the Advifer is as correct, ashe is
flippant, in his application of the paffage which he extracts
from the letter to Mr. Grattan (e). If he be, is it con
ceivable, that Dr. Duigehan would applaud — what, in fuch
Cafei his opinions muft'lead him ftrongly to reprobate ?
' (s) See their Speeches in Parliament *a the queftion.
\d) Preface P. ig.
(«) Preface P, zy.
I 87 3
might be degrading; but did not fhew that
I was therefore warranted in troubling you,
who (I am forry to know,) are indifpofed,
and have retired. Give me leave fincerely to
exprefs my hopes, of your fpeedy reftoratibn
to health, and public life. You muft alfo per
mit me, from my foul to wifh, that — in a
moment which the recent Unipn has rendered
critical for this country, and the ftate of
Europe renders interefting and awful, to the
empire,- — you may be ably fucceeded, in the
department which you have filled. Your fuc
ceflbr will enter on his fituation with advan
tage: for, I truft, he will have to ad as Chief
Secretary tp our prefent Viceroy; and thus
the merited-popularity of Lord Hardwicke will
extend its encouraging influence to him. Un
der fuch aufpices, the loyal will exped a firm
and vigilant government ; and will not deem
the fyftem lefs entitled tP their confidence, be-
caufe its vigour is tempered with the greateft
moderation. Nay, though this latter fhould
appear to them in fome inftances to be excef-
five, — they will recoiled how conftitutional
fach excefjfes- are,— and will accompany their
expoftulations with attachment and refped.
They will imbibe (what I hope and believe to
be) the fpirit of our adminiftration ; and keep
as much aloof from the Alarmift, as from
thofe Extenuatorsx who affimilate the late in-
furredion to a ript at a Fair. * They will feel
*Ttlus inadvertently encreafing the terrors, which they
would appeafe.
I 88 ]
feel affured, that our Rulers can fet limits to
their mildnefs ; and, on occafion, be as prompt
and formidable, as they have been hitherto,
flow to punifh. ' If the callous Traitor fhall
infift on being taught a leffon fo fevere, our
governors will, however reludantly, convince
him that wrath lofes nothing of its weight,
by having been very long, and very patiently
fufpended. In the meantime, they are the
more entitled to our reverence, -for imitating,
as far as human infirmity may permit, that
Divine Indulgence, which, far from defiring
the death of an offender, rather wifhes that
he may turn from his tranfgreffions, and flill
live. Refilling a panic, which late circumftances,
if they did not juftify, might excufe, they
permitted the municipal law to take its courfe;
with all the lingering appurtenants of mercy,
in its train. But if the moment of emergen
cy, which I truft will not, fhould arrive, they
will prove, that though long-fuffering, they
have not been timid. Having pufhed their
clemency to the fartheft warrantable point,
and thus ftripped Difaffedion of its laft pre
text, our conftituted Authorities will put forth
their #terrors, and crufh, without compundion,
their rebellious foes. For the prefent, they
will take care that if'Difloyaly be treated with
indulgence, it fhall not mi flake clemency for
fear, favour, oraffedion. Their countenance
will be referved for thofe, whofe loyalty is
ftaunch. Thefe they will not only treat with
juftice,
[ «9 1
r
juftice, but generpfity ; and will take Allegi
ance; cordially and publicly, by the hand.
But I am tranfgrefling my province, and
interfering with fuggefticris, which may be
juftly deemed officious. My former letter ap
pears to have fatisfied the coarfe appetite of
my loyal countrymen, who prefer the fplid,
beef-ariid-pudding dpdrines of ancient times,
to the fytlabub and fpun-fugar politicks, by
which fome pamphlet Writers feem to think
tha!t thole' haVe been fupplanted ;• — but I am
aware how quickly my plain maxims might dif-
grift thofe. rriore refined and fquearhifh taftes,
(if fuch there be,) which can relifh the lucubra
tions of the gravd (not merry) Andrew, * the
advifing Deriys, the fiuerit Tibbald, arid the
Impartial Obferver. Neither fhould I feek a
feat in fuch a Cabinet : but on the contrary,
as lifitle defire, as I could exped, to partici
pate the fun-fhine in which they bafked.
But, for the fake of Ireland, I do muff anxi-
ouffy defire,. that if the period has arrived, it
may long continue, when loyalty, property,
rank, influence and reputation, founded on a
thorough knowledge of the true circumftarices
of their.native country, fhall not difqualify
the pofTeffors from a full fhare in the public
councils"? nof .Inexperience be held requifite
to conftitute a flatefman. When no ftran-
gers fhall prefume to defcribe a magic circle,
and forbid the Irifh fpirit which they have
M roufed,
* See Mr. Andrew Finlay's pamphlet.
[ 9P ]
roufetl, to come within it. In fhort, when the
rank and talent which this ifland (fruitful in
ability,) can produce, fhall not be excluded
from the fuperintendence of her concerns.
Having avowed this wifh, I fhall lay down
the pen, which, thougn without neceffity, yet
not perhaps without advantage, I have for once,
been tempted to refume. Renuit quod hic,ju-
bet alter. Though I am but a fubjed, my let
ters are all patent : thrown afide by a Minifter,
or cancelled in the proper Court, they might
be read by a loyal Publick, with attentipn and
effed ^ and if my talents did not fail to fecond
my intentions, would create fomething more
valuable than an Office, or a Peer. They
would create a vigorous arid difcerning fpiritj
of patriotic co-operation, to promote the legi
timate principles of Union ; and maintain the
interefts and honour of my Country. Such
exertions would npw, I am perfuaded, be
effedual : but qui prorogat horam, negleds an
oppprtunity, which may never be retrieved.
I have the honour to be,
With much refped, Dear Sir,
Your fincere and faithful humble fervant,
A YEOMAN.
Dublin, Jan. 28th, 1804.
[ 9i 3
P. S. If the Author of a fhort Appendix
to the preceding Letter — takes the trouble of
recurring to my firft page, he will there per
ceive an obftacle to my engaging in any con-
trpverfy with him. Befides, we do not fpeak
the fame language : Billingfgate being a dia
led, with which I am wholly unacquainted.
Neither am I tempted to the conteft, by
thofe infirmities, of' which (not without rea
fon,) he complains. They are indeed appa
rent, in every fentence of his libel ; at once
entitling him to compaffion, and expofing him
to contempt.
But, protefting againfl the conflid, I would
yet corred certain inaccuracies, into ^hich.
this writer has been betrayed, by the ravings
of that fury, which my letter feems to have
excited. Firft, his Story of the application of an
Irifh Member of Parliament, to be prefented
to Mr. Pitt, if related of the Yeoman, or of
Baron Smith, is, from the commencement to
the end, a tiffue of utter falfehood ; unmix
ed with a fingle made, or particle of truth.
Indeed, if fuch trafh as his Appendix could
reach the ears, of Lord Caftlereagh, or of
Mr. Pitt, they would be aftpnifhed at the
audacity of that man, who prefumed tp fejt
his name to fuch a — — fabrication. They
could go Rill farther, in the corredion of his
miftatement. But /will not : my objed be
ing to inflid juftice on my train-bearer, not
do honour tp myfelf. M 2 Secondly,
[. 92 1
¦Secondly, I never, in my life, wrote any
" laboured" or unlaboured " Effay," of which
this fretful Storyteller was the fubjed ; and
Baron Smith is equally innocent pf a mifde-
meanor fo degrading.
The propofitions, that he " was an ugly
" Man, and a bad Chriftian," might be true :
but it would be greatly beneath me, to under
take their denionftration. How far _hds Ap
pendix may have proved the latter, is for the
reader to decide.
Thirdly ¦, I did not charge him with having
affiftedin writing Mr. Scully's preface; nor
does his name, or defcription, once occur
throughout my letter. Me, n)e, adfum, &fc.
is his own rafh and felf deteding exclama
tion. I merely avowed my " conjedure"
that thofe fcurrilous, or (fcullyrous) prolo-
gomena — were " the joint production pf a
<¦' Dennis, and a Tibbald ;" adding that two
of their namefakes were commemorated in the
Dunciad. There have been more than one.
Catholick Agent, of the, name of Theobald.
It wag, for example, the name of the late ce
lebrated Mr- Tone ; * and other Tibbalds, befides
* Quonam meo fato fieri dicam, ut nemo reipublicae
hoftis fiierit, qui non bellum eodem tempore mihi quoque
indixerit? Mihi poenarum illi plus quajri optarem, dede*
runt. Te miror, quorum facta imitere, eorum exitus non
perhorrefce're. Atque hoc in afiis minus rnirabar : nemo
illorum inimicus mihi fuit voluntarius : omnes a, me, rei-
publica? causa, laceifiti. Tu ultra maledictis me lacef-
fifti. Quid putem ? Contemptumne me ? Non video nee in
[ 93 ]
befides the, Author of the Appendix, may
have furvived him. But when, in his
" much ado about nothing," Dogberry infifts
on having it " remembered that he is an Afs,"*
" there is no more to be faid: the hearers muft
acquiefce. Fourthly, before he condemned me for hav
ing tried to "ftrip the gilding off a Knave,"f
he ought to have refieded that like Pope, I
perhaps may be ** unpenfipned."
But it is rumoured, that if I be, my would-
be antagonift is not fo, If this report be
true, and his. tenure be during pleafure, does
lie ad; prudently, in panegyrizing the Author
-of a Roman Catholic's Advice, or repr.efent-
irig as an honour, the fuggefling a line or
fentence of fo mifchievous a publication ? Is
it right in him, to fneer at that Imperial
Meafure, which has lately united the Britifh
Iflands, and inSnuate that it was accom-
pliftied by corrupting the Members of the
Irifh Parliament ? Is it not hazardous, for
fuch.
in vita, nee in gratia, nee in'hac mea mediocritate ingenii,
quid defpicere poflit Antonius. (a)
* See Shakfpeare — M^uch ado about Nothing ; where
Dogberry, appears to have been a fort of Confervator in
Meflina. f Not off him ; with whpm, or his infirmities, I have
not meddled ; nor do I now aftcrt that he is a knave ; or
an honeft man. The knave to whom I advert, was that
perfon unknown, who by mifinformation, betrayed the
Catholick Advifer into fo many inaccurate ftatements, in
the preface to his fecond edition,
(jj) If AqtimW might, by a Pnnfter, be Mandated Tone, yet no ingej»»ity
could torture it either to Bennu, or to Tibbald; the Jabn Doe and Richard
go;e, vhP ralhly undertook to profecute the Yeoman ; and who are accord
ingly in mercy, &c.
[ 94 ]
fuch a man to libel the Judges of the land ?
muft not our rulers feel, and will they not
teach their dependants at the leaft, that en
deavours to flander and difparage thofe, who
fill the judgment-feat, fhould be more than
difcountenanced, by every prudent govern
ment ? muft they not be fenfible of the ne
ceffity for prompt and vigorous exertions, to
filence Impartial Obfervers, Catholick Ad-
vifers, Appendix Writers, Detedors, and hoc
genus omne ? *
Indeed it is mere humanity, to caution one,
who admitting that he has " not any public du
ties to difcharge," yet feeds on the bounty of
adminiftration, againfl publifhing "loofehints"
for difparaging and undermining the eftablifh
ed Church, — difcouraging loyal addreffes from
Roman Catholicks, in the hour of danger, j" —
commending
* In thefe feveral publications, Judge -Fox, Baron Smith,
and Judge Johnfon are libelled. Judge Ofborne "had been
flandered a little before ; and Baron Smith a fecond, (or ra-
iherfir/l) time, eight months before.
f See "a joint production,, purporting to be the work of
Meffrs- Scully and M'Kenna ; and which, without (I pre-.
fume) being intended to have, yet feems to have this mifchiev-
ous effect. It was publifhed fhortly after the infurrection of
the 23d of laft July ; and records the friendfhip and reci
procal admiration of its authors.
" F rater erat Roma, Confulti Rhetor ; ut alter
" Alterius fermone meros audiret honores-.
" Gracchus ut hie illi foret, huic ut Mueius ille.
" Difcedo Alcseus puncto ilfius : ille meo quis ?
«' Quis, nifi Callimachus ?" &c. (a)
."^'However inapplicable it, as well as the original may be,
I cannot
(a) Hor.
[ 9S ]
commending the difloyal dpdrines which are
contained in Paftoral Inftrudions, Advice to
Roman Catholicks, &c. — depiding a fyftem,
which is upheld *by his paymafters, the State,
as a mifarrangement, compofed of " penalties
" in law, and jealoufies in pradice, which are
" impotent to fecure, and only effedual to
" irritate and divide," — or infinuating a pa
rallel between the anniverfary honours, which
are paid to the Revolution, by our great officers
of State, and a commemoration, at Invernefs, of
the vidory of Culloden. *
Ibit eo quo vis, zonam qui perdidit : and
though, for the fake of the country, I may
wifh for the removal of fuch an impediment
to the Appendixer's career, yet while the
purfe
I cannot refrain from giving the Englifh Reader, Pope's
happy imitation of the above paffage.
" The Temple late two brother Serjeants faw,
" Who deemed each other Oracles of Law!
«' With equal talents, thefe congenial fouls,
« One lull'd th' Exchequer ; and one ftunn'd the Rolls :
" Each had a gravity^ would make you fplit,
" And fhook his headat Murray, as a wit :
" 'Twas « Sir, your law,' and ' Sir, your eloquence,'
« « Yours, Cowper^s manner,' — and « your's Talbot's •
' fenfe.
" Thus wedifpofe of all poetic merit,"
« Yours, Milton's genius, and mine Homer's fpirit :
" CairTiWa/rfTShakfpeare ; and he'll fwear the nine,
'« Dear Dennis, never match'd one ode of thine.
* Let the Reader compare the note, in p. 1 1 . of the
Appendix, from the words " Look to Scotland," &c. —
with the latter part, (and indeed- entire) of a letter figned
«' Conciliator," in Cobbett's paper of Feb. nth. and gilefs
the author of this latter, if he can.
1 9<5 J
pur-fe remains, and is feplenifhed by the State,
there are limits, which it might not be dif-
creet, or decent to tfa"nfgrefs;
But I am myfelf tranfgreffing ; and blufh
for having wafted evert thus' much time, on
the pus atque venenum of pages', innoxious to
rne, and difgraceful only to their author. In
deed if thofe pages', (in which alone I fee
him,) relied truly the feritiments artd princi
ples of their writer, the enmity of fuch a
perfon is highly honourable to the Yeoman.
Hatlenus ; et tacuit. It is probable the Reader
will think I have been to blame, for honouring
with, any portion of my notice, TVhat was be
neath even the fhort and tranfient attention,
which it has- ftolen. At leaft he will antici
pate, and approve my determinatiofl, of en
countering future ribaldry, with iriere and
total filence. The Yeoman, Iris honeft pages
will defend from flander ; and the Loyalifts
of Ireland will even condefcend to be his Pro-
tedors. Should Baron Srhith be libelled, the
laws are open to him for redrefs ; if he can fo
far facrifice to public principle, his private feel
ings of contempt, as to be prevailed on to refort
to thefe. If the Termagant Adverfary fhould
chance to be under the check of government,
and that without falling into adual libel, he
fhould glide on the outftde edge of fcurrilous
invedive, — it is ppffibk he might receive a
hint from his State patrons, that reviling the
magiftracy,
[ 97 .]
magiflracy, * formed no -part of the confidera-
*ion, which it was expeded that he fhould ren
der for his ftipend. ,
Be this as it may, I, the Yeoman, fhall not
fee deterred from repeating my apologies to
Dodor Troy,, for any thing bordering on per--
fonal afperity, which in the freedom of dif- .
cuflion,' (and affailed, as I had been) may have
-efcaped me. Neither fhall I retrad rny pro-
teft, againft extending this apology to my ar
guments. Thefe may be ftrortg or weak ; and
which they are,' — my-Readers muft pronounce.
I for my part, and for the fake, of rriy coun
try, moft fincerely wifh they were refuted,
But I fear they, are unanfwerable; and am
fure tbey are unanfwered. Nor fhould Intake
the former affertion, if I could not accom
pany it with an unaffeded acknowledgement
•of the mediocrity of my talents ; and a
farther confeffion of my inaptitude for reli
gious controverfy. I engaged in it, becaufe
I found certain Theological Dogmas fatally
N mingling
* I am aware, that fome miferable, and remote, De-
- pendants on the Government would put down the Judges.
They are known : but- their penalties are not yet eftredted. Let
them retire in time, beneath the fhelter of that contempt,
which is. the only refuge conceded them by Nature. It is
not for them to repeal that moft important principle of the
¦Conftitution, which provides that the Judges fhall be refpeBei .
and independent. They will never delude the Govern
ment into countenancing fuch dangerous and tyrannical inno
vations ; nor the Country Gentlemen of Ireland (when they
reflect,) into aiding a degradation- of the Magiftracy, near.
its fource; by which, if effe&ed, their own confequence
-and-Jiherties would be deftroyed.
[ 9§ ]
mingling with, and impairing, the dodrines
and principles of conftitutional allegiance. I
'therefore went out of my way, to refift their
promulgation; and I admit that any force of
which my reafoning may boaft, is derived, riot
from the abilities which I poffefs, but from the
caufe which I efpoufed. The dodrines, above
alluded to, may have been inadvertently broach
ed, by the Connaught Bifihops, or by Dodor
Troy. But if the Grand Penfionary, * who
has tacked an appendix to my letter, delibe
rately embraces fuch opinions, f after the ani-
madverfipns which they have undergpne — it
remains fpr him tp prpve that they are in
noxious, and that he is a good fubjed, (both
which demonftrations. I do not fay that he
may not accompli fh ;) or to renounce emolu-
'ments, which fhould be beftowed exclufively
on Allegiance.
Feb. i$ thy 1804.
* Not De Wit.
f See., his Appendix.
F,I N I S.
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