The Election & A Little History

Today, Canada elects a new government. Tomorrow, the Church remembers the Blessed Martyrs William Ireland and John Grove, two of the priests executed in the late 17th century as a result of the perjured testimony of Titus Oates.

What connexion do these two events have? The very beginnings of the Liberal Party were responsible for Titus Oates' testimony. Oates, a Anglican minister who had been twice removed from positions for buggery, had spent some time with Jesuits in France, and on his return to England found an opportune manner to increase his fortunes. The so-called "Popish Plot" was triggered by Oates' allegations that dozens of people, many Catholic, some not, were conspiring to assassinate Charles II and install in his place James, the Duke of York, the heir presumptive, and a Catholic. The leader of the Whigs, Lord Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury had built up the party around a group called the "Green Ribbon Club", many of whom would later be implicated in the genuine Rye House Plot, which sought to assassinate both Charles II and James. This marked the beginning of the party system in England, with the Whigs later becoming the Liberals and the Tories, defenders of the Crown, becoming Conservatives. It appears that Shaftesbury sought to use the Popish Plot to exclude the James from becoming King, but also if circumstances allowed, to permit Shaftesbury to reinstitute a Republic under his and Lord Buckingham's leadership. During his testimony, Oates daily met with the Green Ribbon Club while Shaftesbury sought to suborn other witnesses to buoy up the accusations of Oates', and supported the perjorors financially. And so the Liberal party was born of Murder and Treason.

So remember William Ireland and John Grove, this election day, and honour their memories.