Letters of Lord Acton
political events and men both at home and abroad. And in this way the Catholic elements of the constitution may be restored to their proper importance, and the Catholic body may legitimately recover their proper influence in the State. I have no time here, but this is the brief sketch of a theory I should like to carry out, establish and apply in a series of articles. I think that we are no longer bound to conduct ourselves with a view to momentary expediency, and that we need no longer humiliate ourselves and eat dirt to obtain the support of the Liberal or Radical party. We have got about as much as we shall get from them, and it would be well to see whether this alliance is a safe one. Those Catholics who prefer independence generally stick up for one or two things, and go into factious opposition when they do not obtain them. I would have a complete body of principles for the conduct of English Catholics in political affairs, and if I live and do well, I will gradually unfold them. The Catholics want political education. I would try to get up a few such essays as the following: Edmund Burke as a teacher for Catholics. In the writings of his last years (1792-1797) whatever was Protestant or partial or revolutionary of 1688 in his political views disappeared, and what remained was a purely Catholic view of political principles and of history. I have much to say about this that nobody has ever said. The best being all in some fragments of speeches and letters; but in a general way you will find what I mean, so far as profane politics are concerned, in the appeal from the new to the old Whigs. (2 ) Whom do we thank for emancipation? Neither the Irish Catholics nor the
