The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1886-03-23 00:00:00

Corresponocnce.

IRELAND AND HOME RULE.
To Mc iditor.

Sir, cannot but regret that a person no anxious
for the welfare of Erin as "Loyal Irishman" professes
oi be shieild consider the reiteration of his dogmatism
as aufficient answer to my letter. It is easy enough
to use such language am—' Now one, if not the chief,
disturbing element of social order in Ireland is religion.,
hatred and diwienaion." "Au independent Parliament
in Ireland mina necessarily be a Roman Catholic one."
Priests • • Care not a jot about Ireland's pros-
perity." But it would be more to the point —yes,
even more than quoting from vague readlectiona of
imposed national speeches—t' supply your readers
with at least n little proof of thews asaiimptionn.
The intertwining of religion with politica certainly
exist in Insland, but this only aiming the religious
descendant. of him of "sainted memory ' ; and true
they would make it a factor in the question of their
neighbours' liberty, if lies and misrepresentations
could effect their aims. It was a cruel rebuff the
"truelsearted" of the Kane sent received, when
on the platform of "No Popery," Lord R. Churchill
invited "Loyal Knalan (.atholie.a" to support the
and perhaps to siome tlngliahmen the efforts
Mail, by the leader of the English !Lilly pledged to
uphold the U • to show the question of Borne
Rule was not a rel.gious ,vllO may ilaas inn-,' weight
than the dogmatic declarations of your corresismilent.
Dy the way evidence has been given us. Perliape
it may be only meant to display the " trembling
anxiety "of mite Protestants of the north, and the
"anxiety" in this instance may mit ionly air veto chow
the character of the arguments 'toed by the" Loyalist
lenders," but to show what little rause there exists
for their fears. The report so readily copied from the
(aromas Egpftu by those anti-Irish organs, 7a. Tim, a
and Si. Jesse,' (711:efir, about the alleged raffling for
Protestant farms in Catholic churches Wal beginning
to be accepted as a fact. But after the searching
criticisms of the Press failed to discover any truth in
those reports, we find Mr. Seaton, on he)ialf if Mr.
E. 1). Gray, asking the Insh Secretary if there WM any
troth in these reports. As your corresisindent did
not see fit to give the reply, yen will, or, perhaps
pardon ma for giving the same. —" Mr. Speaker, in
answer to the question iii the pqwr, I have
to say the authorities in Dublin have no
official knowledge of thews transactions, and the
police authorities in the north of Wand, to which
most of the statements are confined, mg heart .1
And n.,va with reSpeet Cirtaiii McCalimait,
the famous " widow of Hosasillatilall'il"que.stion. It
was a wirry display the gallant camain made when
he not only discovered that e,ery single one Or his
client's tioniplainta were iinfoiludod ic s‘aggorm,..4.
that the " bole widow" had a disagreeable tongue
and eccentric way.. Mr. Nilorley's &worm's,. to the
gallant captain. " No, sir, it is not correct." will show
at once who it is that is tryinr to make this a
roligions question ; and in quoting the answers given
iiar prewint Irish secretary few, I think, will fail
I" see that this stibterfinres of the Orange Loyalists
betray a weaknoss that will require yet more lies to
keep their cause together. Why do not dews people
giVs fact' ? Surely tlw " l'apista" are not no good, so
extra pure. Lii.it one or LW, real, eVell if small caw*,
could is,,t he found azsinst them? Surely one or two
who have learned the bigotry and despotism of
the Orangeinen twirls their ancestors or even
theinsel Vt.s could be got to "yell for the Pope ?"
Sir, sindi feeble, miserable fears are unworthy of
Pei's...tants. The Isilief that Mr. Parnell could, or
would, Is. dels.sl liy the privsta in not borne out by
the ~eiiluet f this when the Churl+ took its
stalel against the party it n isir agrees with. I also
would Isom to the course taken liy the Irish in
Ainenca when it was heralded by this &alpine/ and
Triigraph that his Roll:nye, ti.' Pops, had written
, ili.approving of clerical sympathy with Mr. Parnell.
Your correspondent places great imisirtance upon
,his peraimal experience. l'erhape it would not be out
of place for me to say that in all my dealings with the
, Nationalist people I have found the power of the
priest even less than in our own Church of England.
(1,, not wish to Mem& further upon your space
hut by your leave would rather in the future direct
your readers to actual facts bearing upon this great
question. for I fully believe that, as in England.
Irishmen and Englishursis agree SAW labour together,
and that is I have always found anfEnglishinan ready
to help a suffering Irishman as readily as he would
his own brother. I ale, believe that if Mr. Gladstone
is prevented in making Homo Ride a fact by doubting
Liberals and truthless. Or ingemen, an appeal to the
country will bring him, by this united trust of
Englishmen in him, and the trust of Irishmen in Mr.
Parnell, into a ISOWer that will oompel the long-aaked
for, loug- waited for, and long-deserved Home Rule
fir Ireland.
_

...
Thanking "1,y31 Irkhintn " for hi* tardy oompii.
mant to the int.. of Ow Plouth and the WO4, and thank-
ing you for your kindue. an I bidding you for the
pregent adieu. —I remain, your* truly.
llama