NO POPERY.
THE Tories are pulling vigorously at the same "old alarm-bell" which in the days of our fathers summoned Lord GEORGE GOR- DoN's mob to scenes of riot and outrage, and more recently gave the signal of PRIESTLEY'S expulsion from Birmingham amidst the shouts of incendiary ruffians. But even the mob has become as] amed of such deeds of bigotry. It is no longer in the power of crafty partisans to rouse the evil passions of the multitude by ahouting "No Popery," and "Church and King." Numbers may sign addresses and petitions. to oblige their landlords or their customers; but we see no symptoms of that zealous coope- r ttion, that mighty movement of the masses, which changes the policy of empires, and in 1831 and 1832 overthrew the Tory fac- tion in England. It is not the People who are urging on their leaders to fight the battle of bigotry and corruption, but the par- tisans of a defeated faction who are striving to turn the remnants of popular prejudices against the Catholics into the means of lifting themselves into the possession of power and pelf. The aim of these persons is palpable. Their zeal for religion is mere hypocrisy—a cheat—a falsehood. What they seek, is a prolonged enjoyment of public plunder ; and it excites the ineffable disgust of the right-thinking that they should assume regard for religion as the mask under which they plot against the public welfare. But so it is—corruption and profligacy in Church and State is to be maintained for the glory of God ! Most unscrupulous are the "No Popery" organs in regard to the means they employ to excite the popular mind ; and in the ardour cf their zeal they sometimes fall into some ludicrous mis- takes. Who would have imagined, for instance, that our eloquent contemporary the Standard would take the trouble to translate, and extol in a strain of hyperbole, the pastoral address of a Uni- tarian and Republican Clergy to their flocks? Yet on Thursday the Standard gave at full length the address of " the Company of Pastors to the Reformed Church of Geneva" on the subject of the approaching centenary celebration of the Protestant Reforma- tion. The address itself is rational and appropriate. It is well said, that at the time of the Reformation, Geneva acquired "reli- gions liberty, civil freedom, and political independence." It was indeed a glorious sera in Switzerland, and in many parts of the Continent. But if the Reformation had been associated in the minds of the Genovese with national degradation,—if the Pro- testant clergy in that country bad been maintained in the forcible possession of vast property by the aid of foreign bayonets,—if they were the pastors of only one out of every sixteen of the popula- tion,— and if this state of things had been the result of that mighty change which occurred in the religious state of Europe three cen- turies ago, would they have dared to insult the mass of their fellow countrymen by calling on them to join in the centenary celebration of that change ? Yet the object of our contemporary in publishing this document is to inspire the People with the notion that now is the time when they are peculiarly called upon,to wage war with Popery. " The Genevese (he exclaims) are not in more danger from Popery than we are! They have not witnessed so many Popish massacres as have passed even under the eyes avow of us! Their attention has not been cruelly, and we would almost say, in a spirit of persecution, dragged to witness perjuries spit in the face the Most High God ! from nearly the most conspicuous stages in the land ! Whence, then, a spirit o different from what seems to be the keling of this country.? Our Swiss brethr, is are poor ; the pursuit of wealth is desperate amongst them ; and the God of this world, therefore, wants that power to scale their eyes, which he exercises too fitally in England !"
There is something in this. If the Church were not so
perhaps Churchmen would be more zealous. Yet the Standard sneers at Mr. BUXTON'S recommendation of trying the effect of a poor Protestant clergy in Ireland. This is not the way in which he will wage war with Popery. No—he seeks to array the wealthy and time powerful, mitres and cannon, against the Catholics.
There is a short and satisfactory way of answering the clamorous assertions of' these "No Popery" gentlemen. When we are ad- jured by our love of Protestantism to vote for High Church and Tory candidates, we may ask, whether the result of trying the High Church and Tory policy for three hundred years has been the dimi- nution or increase of Protestantism in Ireland? And as we must be told in reply, that Catholicism has:been enormously extended
and Protestantism beets confined to a small fraction of the nation, we may conclude that the policy hitherto pursued has been a mis- taken one; and that he is a false or foolish friend to Protestantism who perseveres in such policy, or supports those who declare that they will continue to maintain it. This disposes at once of the Tory argument drawn from a pretended regard to religion.
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