=Source.=--_Memoirs of Sir Robert Peel_, by Stanhope and Cardwell.
London, 1856. Pt. I. p. 35.
_Extracts from Lord Anglesey's Letter to Lord Francis Leveson
Gower._
"I will give you my opinion upon the state of things and upon the
great question.
"I begin by premising that I hold in abhorrence the Association,
the agitators, the priests, and their religion; and I believe
that not many, _but that some_ of the Bishops, are mild, moderate
and anxious to come to a fair and liberal compromise for the
adjustment of the points at issue. I think that these latter have
very little, if any, influence with the lower clergy and the
population.
"Such is the extraordinary power of the Association, or rather of
the agitators, of whom there are many of high ability, of ardent
mind, of great daring (and, if there was no Association, these
men are now too well known not to maintain their power under the
existing order of exclusion), that I am quite certain they could
lead on the people to open rebellion at a moment's notice; and
their organization is such, that, in the hands of desperate and
intelligent leaders, they would be extremely formidable. The hope,
and indeed the probability of present tranquillity, rests upon the
forbearance and the not very determined courage of O'Connell, and
on his belief, as well as that of the principal men amongst them,
that they will carry their cause by unceasing agitation, and by
intimidation, without coming to blows. I believe their success
inevitable--that no power under heaven can arrest its progress.
There may be rebellion, you may put to death thousands, you may
suppress it, but it will only be to put off the day of compromise;
and in the meantime the country is still more impoverished, and the
minds of the people are, if possible, still more alienated, and
ruinous expense is entailed upon the empire.
"But supposing that the whole evil was concentrated in the
Association, and that if that was suppressed all would go smoothly;
where is the man who can tell me how to suppress it? Many, many
cry out that the nuisance must be abated; that the Government is
supine; that the insolence of the demagogues is intolerable; but I
have not yet found one person capable of pointing out a remedy. All
are mute when you ask them to define their proposition. All that
even the most determined opposers to emancipation say is that it
is better to leave things as they are than to risk any change. But
will things remain as they are? Certainly not. They are bad; they
must get worse; and I see no possible means of improving them but
by depriving the demagogues of the power of directing the people;
and by taking Messrs. O'Connell, Sheil, and the rest of them from
the Association, and placing them in the House of Commons, this
desirable object would be at once accomplished.
"July 3rd. The present order of things must not, cannot last. There
are three modes of proceeding:
"1st. That of trying to go on as we have done.
"2nd. To adjust the question by concession, and such guards as may
be deemed indispensable.
"3rd. To put down the Association, and to crush the power of the
priests.
"The first I hold to be impossible.
"The second is practicable and advisable.
"The third is only possible by supposing that you can reconstruct
the House of Commons; and to suppose that is to suppose that you
can totally alter the feelings of those who send them there.
"I believe nothing short of the suspension of the Habeas Corpus
Act, and Martial Law will effect the third proposition. This
would effect it during their operation, and perhaps for a short
time after they had ceased, and then every evil would return with
accumulated weight.
"But no House of Commons would consent to these measures until
there is open rebellion, and therefore until that occurs it is
useless to think of them. The second mode of proceeding is then,
I conceive, the only practicable one, but the present is not a
propitious time to effect even this.
"I abhor the idea of truckling to the overbearing Catholic
demagogues. To make any movement towards conciliation under the
present excitement and system of terror would revolt me; but I do
most conscientiously, and after the most earnest consideration
of the subject, give it as my conviction that the first moment
of composure and tranquillity should be seized to signify the
intention of adjusting the question, lest another period of calm
should not present itself."