CHAPTER XLVII. WE Have to Go Back a Little to Take A
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. .IIISTOBT OF L15iElllCK. HISTORY OF LIMERICK. 423 misunderstood. Cerlain Catholic citizens of Limesick conceived that they hait a right to enter the arena on this occasion, and at a public meeting subsequently held in Limerick, William Rache, Esq., in the chair, a series of CHAPTER XLVII. ambiguous resolutions were adopted, and the chairman, together with John Howley, Jun., Esq., (the present excellent Mr. Sergeant Howley, Q.C., chair- STATE OF THE CATHOLIC CAUSE.-A CATHOLIC COLU3OE FOR LIMERICK DIOCESE. man of Tipperary), Henry Lyons and Michael Arthur, Esqrs. were requested -AGITATXON OF TIEE VETOvEToc~0BLE GONDUCT OF ¶!BE CATHOLIC BISHOP AND to prepe petitions to the legislature in accordanoe with those resolutions, CLERGY OF LI?dXRICK, I~C.--ST~TE 09 THB COUNTY OY LIMERICK.- which gave anything but satisfaction to the public, and which were strongly WELLINGTON. - DR. MILNER. - O'CONNELL.-- GALLANT LIMERICK MEN inveighed against atr the time in a periodical which represented the views of ABROAD.-BDCHE.--DE UOY.-GOUGEI--PROQI1ESS OF EVENTS, &C. &C. the Hierarchy, clergy, and the overwhelming majority of the people. Dr. Young met every objection with consummate skill and mastery. In a serics WE have to go back a little to take a retrospot of the mnduct and of the of powerful letters to the Most Rev. Dr. Bray, Catholic Archbishop of Cashel, struggles of the Catholics of Limerick, soon after the series of events with he manifested his apostolic spirit and noble bearing throughout a contest in which our preceding chapter has been so largely occupied. The rebellion of which the malcontents were aided by what had been designated the rescript '98, the attempt of Ernmett in 1803, the insolent bigotry and exclusive of J. B. Quarantotti, vice-president of the conege of the Propaganda, Rome, monopoly of the Orange party inside and outside the Corporation, the decay which rescript was denounced by the IrishHierarchy, almost without exception, of trade> which to a great extent was influenced by ithe Act of Union and md had $so in the Bight Rev. Dr. Miner, in England, a staunch and able other causes, had clouded but not destroyed the dawning hopes of the opponent. The question continued to be agitated for a short time after Catholics. The Right Rev. John Young, though a h loyalist, and rm Dr. Young's death, but there can be no doubt that his exertions had been anxious supporter of order, was at the same time thoroughly devoted of great use in organising the successful opposition to it. to the best interests of his counby, and the Catholic religion possessed in him The state of the county and city of Limerick in these years was otherwise a fearless and accomplished defender and advocate in all times and seasons. extremely disturbed. In several parts of the country a spirit of resistance Learned,' indefatigable, devoted to study, and to the exacting duties of his ex- had arisen,which threatenedthe very worst consequences. Sir Arthm Wellesley, alted station, he was an example of piety and self-denial, andoexercisedan afterwards the great Duke of Wellington, on his departwe for the Peninsula influence, by the unostentatious perfommce of his duty, which was widely felt in 1808, wrote a letter in reference to the state of the coupty of Limerick beyond the confines of his extensive diocese. There was no diocesan at the time, which is eminently characteristic of the great man. The ability seminary or college, at this period, in Munster9 except the small one at with which he condenses the wide range of hi ideas-the attention which he Peter's Cell, Limerick, and that of St. John's, Waterford, which continues to nevertheless pays to the minutest trifles-and the extraordinary knowledge flourish up to this our own day, when Dr. Young conceived the idea of found- he &splays of the secret springs of action in Ireland, are rcdy surprising. ing a college, suited to the increasing requirements of the diocese. In this he Even if unqualified admirers we can hardly help wondering at the was aided not only by the clergy, but by the Catholic pitizens, who in 1805, had character of the man who could enter with such minuteness and deliberation entered into large subscriptions for the purpose : the site was at Park, within into these matters connected with an Irish county, at the moment when he the demesne of Park House, which Dr. Young had purchased for t1800, as was preparing to meet the mighty Napoleon Buonaparte face to face in a residence for the Bishops of the diocese ; he presided over the college, the most terrible of struggles. No record exists of the then state of the which sent out many distinguished clergymen.2 In the agitation which now county of Limerick, which cod for a~ instant be compared for forcible grewup, connected with the Catholic claims, nothing became of more absorbing illustration and accuracy to this:- and intense interest than the question of the VETO-in other wmds, the permission of government hterference in the appointment of Catholic Bishops TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL LEE, AT LIMERICK. -a proposal against which, the Catholic Hierarchy of Ireland had protested, and not one of them with more simpleness of purpose and directness of aim, Cork, 7rk July, 1808. than Dr. Young in 1808, when a solemn synod was held in Dublin, and "My Dear Sir,-According to the desire which you expressed in the conversation, when their sentiments were expressed in language not to be mistaken or which I had with you at Lord Herrington's on Wednesday, I procmd to give you my opinion on the nature adcircumstances of the command which you are about 1 Dr. Yonng possessed the Black Book of Limerick, which bears the marks of hia industry in his chronological division of its contents. He had a achool for the poor in Newgate-lane, which to exercise in the County of Limerick. In the first place I must point out to you, was attended by his sister, Miss Yonng, with careful assiduity; he had the catechism translated that the situation of a general o5cer commanding in a district in Ireland, is very into Irish, and the English and Irish version published together by M'Auliff the printer in Quay much of the nature of a deputy-governor of a county or a province. Ile becumes lane, and several editions of it went through the press. He published the Diocesan Statutes necessarily charged with the preservation of the peace of the district placed under before the closi'of the last century, and in the commencement of them he gave a succinct account of the state of religion in the diocese, from the time of the Right Rev. Dr. O'Kceffe, in 1721, his command; and the Government must confide in hi reports and opinions, for the who was the first Catholic Bishop who resided in the city after the last siege. He was a scholar and adoption of many mewsrelating solely to the civil administration of the country. a divine of the highest order of talent, a great mathematician, an accomplished linguist, an ex- From these circumstances it is obvious, that it is the duty of every general officer cellent historian ; and in love of country he was never excelled. to make himself acquainted with the local circnmstances of his district, and with This college existed until 1830, when the students were drafted to Waterford, Carlow, May- nooth, &., but the building was not removed till the year 18G4. the characters of the different individuals rresiding within it, in orilcr that he may 424 . HISTORY OF LIJ~RI:ICK. HISTORY OF LIXEI:ICIL. 425 decide for himself according to the best of his judgment and information, and that who was then making a second tour through Ireland. Dr. Milner had oppor- be may not be misled by others. tunities of estimating the state of the population, and the condition of the " This dnty will be still more obvious, by a consideration of certain circnmstances land. He states that the fertility of the County of Limerick, both in corn which exist in nearly all parts of Ireland. It frequently happens that diitnrbances and pasturage, must strike the eye of every traveller ; but that this fertility exist only in a very small degree, and probably only partially, and that the civil is of no avail to its crowded population, who never taste the grain they reap, power is fully adequate to get the better of them. At the same time the desire to nor the beeves which they tend, as the same insipid root, the potato, if thq let a building to Government for a barrack-the desire to have troops in the county, can get even that, is their only food from one end of the year to the other. either on account of the increased consumption of the necessaries of life, or because He adds, that in no part of the county had he seen the cabins, or the of the increased security which they would give to that particnlar part of the country-would occasion a general rise in the value and rent of land, which probably clothes and food of the people, more w-retched than in the rich county at that moment might be out of lease,-or in some instances the desire to have the of Limerick; that their condition, in this respect, instead of exciting the yeomen called out on permanent duty-occasions a representation that the disturb- scorn and ridicule of the reflecting stranger, who acknowledges a common ances are much more serious than the facts would warrant.