these things in
deference to the wishes of the Roman Catholics, they being a majority.
He invariably held up all attempts to "proselyte the people" as a crime
which ought to be punishable by law; and where the government failed "to
protect the people from the bible men, saints, soupers, and fanatics"
(the names which he generally applied to earnest Protestants in his
abusive and bigoted polemical speeches), then the people should use
all means within the law--a sort of qualification never intended to be
accepted by those to whom it was addressed--"to put down" all persons
obnoxious to the religious hostility of the priests. In the earlier part
of his career he was accustomed, with the assistance of Brick, O'Dwyer,
and others of his followers, to disturb the religious public meetings
called by Protestants, especially associations for the distribution
of the bible. O'Connell and his colleagues would intrude upon such
meetings, often attended by a violent rabble, whose language and
behaviour on these occasions were coarse and brutal. The intruders would
propose amendments to the resolutions submitted to the members of these
societies, and make violent speeches at the meetings, full of ridicule
and abuse, which were loudly applauded by the mob, who forced their way
in to support these proceedings. When the advocates of the resolutions
attempted to reply, they were met by hootings, and sometimes by
violence. There was always a perfect understanding between the mob who
intruded below, and the gentlemen who made their way or were invited to
the platform. The latter affected to protest against the tumult while it
went on, but afterwards extenuated or denied it in the newspapers, or in
speeches elsewhere, averring that the clergymen and laymen, who convened
the meeting, were unable to answer the arguments of the Catholic
champions. In many of these meetings free discussion was secured,
and faithful reports of the arguments on both sides were published in
newspapers and pamphlets, with the result of shaking the faith of many
Roman Catholics in various parts of the country: the agitators, under
O'Connell's advice, then gave up this mode of procedure, and shunned all
such meetings. O'Connell also perceived that he had created a prejudice
against himself, his country, and his creed in England, by the violence
he connived at, and the bigotry which he uttered.

Repeal of the union, besides enabling him to accomplish the class of
relig