The Press.
London, England, 1858-09-18 00:00:00

POPERY IN IRELAND.

IN an article which appeared in our columns last
week we pointed out the signification and object
of the recent displays of the Romanist hierarch,
in Ireland. We also showed how, by the disap-
pearacnocuenotfry, thatthemil thelion psoofwdeer of thestituteßopampaisnh p
Romanists
frome
that .
hood had been most materially diminished.
it has not only been diminished by having fewer
under their control, but by having less influent
over those who remain. A starving man is alwro
a ready instrument for mischief; and men in,'
condition cannot entertain the same feelings
loyalty to their rulers which those can who ,
surrounded by comfort and plenty. The destitute
man will rarely turn a deaf ear to the sugges-
tions of those who tell him that his misery
owing to the mismanagement of the Government
and that if he could only change that, his position
would be changed for the better. These, thou,
were the kind of men with whom the priests
the demagogues had to deal. It is so, however,
no longer. Starvation is now unknown in
land : the half-empty poorhouses prove
clearly. The consequence is, that the labouring
class of Irish Romanists is no longer so ready
formerly to listen to the priest, and to do .
bidding. The appeal, to secure his obedience,
must now be made to his imagination, and not t-
his wants. Rome knows this very well, and -'
therefore no longer seeks for a demagogue
, O'CoNNELL, but for a Cardinal like VISEM,V.
The superstitious fancies of the poor Romanist
are to be excited and encouraged by gorgeou?
apparel—by red stockings, and by golden crosses
on gloves : these are displayed before him in order
to dazzle his understanding, and to entrap
into a reverential obedience to the mandates
those whom he is taught to believe have power
over his eternal life.
We have no wish harshly to censure Rome
these proceedings—she is only zealous in her t,
cause ; but it behoves Protestants nevertheless
remember, that the men who make these display}
are the avowed and bitter enemies of their faith,
and that, although it would be worse than
to molest them in their proceedings, they may.
met by antagonistic measures. Let the Papists
have fair play, and let them do their worst,
let the Protestants have fair play also, and
them do their best.
Now, we trust it will never be our lot to see
Ireland' an Administration based on the princil
of Protestant ascendancy : we believe such
Administration would prove highly injurious
the Protestant cause. But what we want to
in Ireland is a fearless enforcement of the
and equal justice meted out to all, without respect
to creed. We want to see this, and no doubt
shall see it under the present Government
Whether the law be wise or unwise, it is the ‘'
of those who administer it to see that it is
forced, for all connivance at its violation weakens
the authority of those whose dutyy. it is to n_nrg
the Ins,
it out. Now, in the late proceedings
Romanist Prelates have ostentatiously set the 1..
at
titles.an According
assumingdin
gto
are well aware that it would be extremely
the two
etrhdeiTigs eel vf e
thes te rArietot, n al_
difficult to bring home the offence to the individual
guilty of it, so as to bring him under
penalty; and since a failure in such a prosecut
on
would be a triumph to those who.
arraigned, it would not be wise to begin
But we think that there is a measure w'
might be adopted, and which we arc very
re-
ought to have been adopted long ago,
Got
the Irish people would know that the Ur
much
law. This measure is very simple—so
went did not shrink from the enforcement°of t