The Express.
London, England, 1846-09-10 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPT. 10.

THE difficulties of Mr. O'CoNNELL's position are
undoubtedly great. They task the powers even of so
masterly a tactician. He has hard work to secure his

own ascendancy in all its absoluteness ; to keep down
Young Ireland; and to combine his repeal pledges with
the support of a Government which assuredly will
never concede repeal. In aiming at all these objects,
it is not strange, however much to be lamented, that
he should forget or disregard the effect of his speeches
and proceedings, and those of his followers, on the
people of England. Yet Mr. O'CONNELL ought not

to forget that England has a people as well as a
government. He should remember that if the present
Administration is prepared to go all lengths in abating
the horrors of famine in Ireland, they do it at the ex-
pense of those wha have their own millions to relieve,
and the money comes from multitudes who by no
means find their own country a land flowing with
milk and honey. He should bear in mind that, if
Ireland be Homan Catholic, Great Britain is Pro-
testant. He should calculate the damage that may
be done by reaction to the Ministry he aims at
strengthening, sad in whose good intentions he pro-
fesses unbounded confidence. We regret that his
course should needlessly tend to embarrass the best
friends of Ireland in this country, and put advantages
in the way of the enemies of civil and religions liberty
of which they will not be slow to avail themselves.
The Catholic clergy address Mr. O'CONNELL in
terms of unlimited confidence, which he repays
by expressions of unlimited reverence and obe-
dience. This is all very well, if sincere
which we do not call into question, so far
as it relates to their politics and his piety. But in-
telligent and patriotic Catholics have never been
willing to invest the priesthood, as a body, with the
absolute control of national education. The only
result must be that, not of a devout, but of a priest-
ridden population. To a certain extent, education
must necessarily be a secular concern ; the business of
laymen and statesmen, not of ecclesiastics. The Pro-
testants of England demur, and rightly, to the claims
sometimes urged by their own clergy. They draw
. . . .

the line between the secular and tie spiritual ; and
say, as the child with the porridge said to the serpet.
" Keep to your own side, speckled-belly." But the

1 .
minutes of Conciliation Hallrecord a step beyond that
of the control of education by a national priesthood.
They intimate that recognised interference of the
Roman Conclave which is offensive, not merely to
Protestant feeling, bat to all genuine nationality.
We refer to the 4th resolution " unanimously adopted
in the Clogher, Enniskillen, Clones, and Monaghan
districts, by the clergy assembled in conference, the
bishop presiding :

" 4. itesolved unanimously—That, notwithstanding our
anxiety t:ir the diffusion of knowledge, we can never give
our co-ope:ation and support to any system of education in-
tended for our people, in which the authority of their pastors
will net be fully recognised, and that no system of education
can or ought to give confidence and satisfaction to the
Catholic people of Ireland, which will not be based on
Catholic principles and placed under Catholic control.
" C. M'Navx.v,
Felicia MAOUIHE, Bee."

Is Geology to be " based on Catholic principles?"
Is the Newtonian System to be "placed under Catho-
lic control ? " Must the " authority of their pastors"
over Science and History, be "fully recognised?" If
Catholic Ireland will only consent to be educated on
this principle, we trust never to see one shilling of
British money applied to such a purpose.
But there is an appendix to these resolutions. The
priesthood is lady-like, and tells the most important
particular in a postcript :
"Besides the subjects comprised in our resolutions, some
matters of the utmost importance regarding the national
system of education engaged our most serious attention at
our meetings; and, altheug.h is obedience to tite instructions
of the Sacred Congregation, we abstain from publishing any
resolution or discussion thereon, it may be right to state,
that it is the unanimous prayer of the clergy that the arch-
bishops and bishops of Ireland would, at their next general
meeting, take the whole subject into their consideration,
with the view of enforcing the conditions and recommenda-
tions on which the national system of education has been
tolerated by the Holy See."

Education in Ireland, as " tolerated by the Holy
Bee !" Why, this is no question of Catholic or Pro-
teetant. Our forefathers were as religiously Romish
as the Mali; and they would have told Romo to mind
its own bub-tiess on such a question. They would,
supposing the collision could have occurred in their
days, have upheld Ott Deminie's cap against the tame,