EVOLUTION OF THE ATTITUDE OF ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON, TO THE PROBLEM OF CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION

Abstract

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (hereinafter the duke), was a staunch Tory. However, the consequences of the industrial revolution forced him to compromise. Changes in the economy have transformed the usual social order. Factory owners and bankers demanded access to political power. After them, others demanded equality. The duke, who held the post of prime minister, had to face Irish Catholics, demanding lifting of the ban on sitting in the Parliament and holding certain public positions. Thus, the duke in 1829 carried out the emancipation of Catholics, a liberal reform that destroyed the old political system. At the same time, the duke did not change his beliefs. He grew up in Catholic Ireland and knew Catholics. The duke was afraid of the increasing influence of the Catholic clergy rather than the denomination proper. Previously, the duke had put forward various options to neutralise this threat. The duke considered the higher clergy and landowners of other faiths worthy of gaining access to the government of the country. By destroying the old political system, the aristocratic duke took the opportunity to strengthen the dominance of the former elite. The property qualification was increased for Irish voters. The duke agreed to grant the Catholic political rights, since this did not violate the existing social order.