Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 6: With His Letters and JournalsMoore, Thomas
General
Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 6: With His Letters and Journals
Moore, Thomas
Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824; Poets, English -- 19th century -- Biography
would cause a letter to be written to the colonel, to prevent, if
possible, the recurrence of similar disturbances. Upon this fact, no
very great stress need be laid; but it tends to prove that while the
Catholic church has not power to purchase land for its chapels to
stand upon, the laws for its protection are of no avail. In the mean
time, the Catholics are at the mercy of every "pelting petty
officer," who may choose to play his "fantastic tricks before high
heaven," to insult his God, and injure his fellow-creatures.
Every school-boy, any foot-boy (such have held commissions in our
service), any foot-boy who can exchange his shoulder-knot for an
epaulette, may perform all this and more against the Catholic by
virtue of that very authority delegated to him by his sovereign, for
the express purpose of defending his fellow subjects to the last drop
of his blood, without discrimination or distinction between Catholic
and Protestant.
Have the Irish Catholics the full benefit of trial by jury? They have
not; they never can have until they are permitted to share the
privilege of serving as sheriffs and under-sheriffs. Of this a
striking example occurred at the last Enniskillen assizes. A yeoman
was arraigned for the murder of a Catholic named Macvournagh: three
respectable, uncontradicted witnesses deposed that they saw the
prisoner load, take aim, fire at, and kill the said Macvournagh. This
was properly commented on by the judge: but to the astonishment of
the bar, and indignation of the court, the Protestant jury acquitted
the accused. So glaring was the partiality, that Mr. Justice Osborne
felt it his duty to bind over the acquitted, but not absolved
assassin, in large recognizances; thus for a time taking away his
license to kill Catholics.
Are the very laws passed in their favour observed? They are rendered
nugatory in trivial as in serious cases. By a late act, Catholic
chaplains are permitted in gaols, but in Fermanagh county the grand
jury lately persisted in presenting a suspended clergyman for the
office, thereby evading the statute, notwithstanding the most
pressing remonstrances of a most respectable magistrate, named
Fletcher, to the contrary. Such is law, such is justice, for the
happy, free, contented Catholic!
It has been asked, in another place, Why do not the rich Catholics
endow foundations for the education of the priesthood? Why do you not
permit them to do so? Why are all such bequests subject to the
interference, the vexatious, arbitrary, peculating interference of
the Orange commissioners for charitable donations?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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