The Press.
London, England, 1858-08-28 00:00:00

Ireland and the popular influences in that coun-
try. The elections at that time showed a cinuwe
in the Conservative direction, hnt Cardinal
WISEMAN, in the opinion of impartial Roman
Catholics, " set people at loggerheads," and all to
no successful purpose.

The Cardinal,. however, has now gone to
Ireland, with what real intent is yet to he Rea.
Of course, we pass by the notion that the con*.
cration of a chapel at Rallinasloe is the motive of
the Cardinal. Other objects of a profounder
character must be before his mind. In spite of
the boasted advance of the Roman Catholic reli-
I.,rion in Ireland, in spite of all the convents that
have been built, and in spite of all the chapels
that have been consecrated, it appears that the
affairs of the Dublin Review and the Tablet
require the active intervention of the Roman
Catholic community. These journals, though
patronised by "His Eminence the Cardinal Arch-
bishop of Westminster," hoisted recently a "flag
of distress." They had able contributors (amongst
whom the Cardinal himself was one of the most
constant), and they had a professional staff of
unquestionable talent and zeal. We often ad.
mired the accomplished rhetoric, though differ.
ing from the perverted logic, of the Tablet, and
3ret, in spite of talent and a large pecuniary out-
lay, these journals did not thrive. Is not that
patent fact enough to show that in recent years
Romanism has not been making the popular and
social progress in Ireland of which its advocates
boasted ?

It would be an egregious error, however, to
suppose that because the gains of the Roman
Catholics were not so formidable as many sup-
pose, therefore Protestants need not trouble
themselves with the proceedings of the rulers of
the Church of Rome. "In order to jump higher,
" you should go further back and take a longer
" run to your leap," is a French proverb, and the
Cardinal appreciates such a policy in ecclesias-
tical steeplechasing. The popular imagination
in Ireland invests the Cardinal with marvellous
successes and wonderful capacity. In Mr.
LEVER'S Irish novels there are accounts of
" gentlemen-jocks " taking extraordinary leaps
over gaping precipices and wonderful walls; and
the Cardinal's Pegasus is now yoked in the same
" low-backed car " with the " Lion of the Fold
of Judah," alias Archbishop :WHALE. A strange
conjunction, and rather ominous of a portentous
upset ! " Joha of Tuam " was a noted name
before that of Cardinal WisEmAx was heard of.
" John of Tuam " was the terror of Whigs, and
placehunters, and intriguing " Castle-hacks," and
even Mr. O'CONNELL himself feared his mighty
roar. has the " Cardinal Archbishop" the secret
of " gentling " the Lion, as if he were a Rarey from
Rome?
The events of the next few weeks will enable
us to answer that question. In the meantime it
is certain that the Irish Roman Catholic Bishops
are not pulling together. They differ about the
new discipline attempted to he enforced on the
parochial clergy, and about " National Educa-
tion " and the political policy of the day, and
about various subjects relating to the internal
management of the Roman Catholic Church.
There is, certainly, an abundance of pabulum
for the political refection of ".John of 'Nam and
the Cardinal, and we shall, probably, have to
criticize their bill of fare on another occasion.
Their carte has not yet been confidentially
communicated.

OCEAN TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION'.
WE last week called attention to the subject of
Ocean Telegraphs, with a view to evoke discus-
sion on the many departments of which that of
all questions now before the public is the nio4
important.
Engineers seem to have exhausted their skill
in contriving a paying-out machine for the
Atlantic cable, and in some few discussions on
the cable itself before the Society of Engineer 3
in Great George-street. There can be no
he
doubt
but the experience acquired in laying down t
Atlantic cable has satisfied all parties that the
subject is more of a nautical than engineeringnd
character—which may account for the protou
silence observed by engineers. We referred 184
week to the cable proposed by Mr. ALLN:t ; but