New England Artisan, And Laboring Man's Repository

[From the London Crisis.]

Alarming Symptoms

IN CHURCH AND STATE.

Tithes, under any name, and in any shape, are for ever at an end in Ireland, in which there are, according to the latest official report, 1305 beneficed clergymen, 2312 parishes, 14,633,473 cultivated acres, 1,000,000 of which are tithe free. The breath of life can never again be infused into this lifeless corpse! All that is now doing by government is political galvanism. The people on the confines of Dublin.—Wicklow, and Kilkenny, met on the 2d inst. in great numbers, and entered into very strong resolutions against all landlords who shall pay tithes. One of these decisive and startling resolutions was, "that no laborer would work for any such proprietor." In consequence of these resolutions being carried into effect. Lord Cloncurry, Mr. Read, Mr. Grayden, Colonel Conolly, and Mr. Bourne, were immediately placed in very humiliating circumstances.

Mr. Bourne horses the mail along a part of that line of the road, and keeps sixty horses for that purpose. There is not one person who will look after the horses except the agent, so that the animals are almost starving—the hay is cut, and foreign supplies stopped by the anti-tithe party. On the 3d instant, the mail had to wait while the guard and coachman harnessed the horses themselves. Lord Cloncurry's crops are uncut, and his cattle unattended, except by his own servants; the peasantry and farmers are determined to compel landed proprietors to cease from paying tithes, and there is no doubt but what they will triumph over government who will try to compel the payment, of tithes. If what is called Infidelity were the cause of all these disturbances, dissension, and strife, what a hue-and-cry would echo through the religious world! "Away with these infidels from the earth, it is not fit that such fellows should live!" But all these strifes, contentions, ill blood and injuries are occasioned by religion, which should produce peace and good will—what a failure! Had there been no religion there would have been no tithes, no bishops, no clergy, no churches, all of which are supported by the industrious classes.

Whether religion will stand, if tithes are abolished we cannot say, but sure we are that the tithes in Ireland are substantially abolished for ever! for the misinformation of men, the church is called the established church; it would be more correct to call it the tottering church. Seceders from the church in Ireland having succeeded there in abolishing tithes, seceders in England—will follow their example. The church is indeed in danger now!