, 1866-03-23

between that period md the French rcyo-
luton and the American war of of{ndependence,
nothing IVES heard IN Ireland but the crnans
Of the hunted Catholics md the complaints
Of the equally disadected Irish Protestants.
The latter were ns much dissatisfied with The
oppressive regulations Of English rule In mat
tcrs Of material prosperity ~ the former with
the tyranny that had borrowed the spirit Of
the Spanish 1nquisition to persccutc the Celt
because he chose to worship ut Rome instead
Of Westminster. No wonder that the
combined influences Of the French rev.
olutton and our war against England,
acted strongly upon the outraged feelings OF
Ireland but then, as now, the English re-
pealed the ha5eaa coypus nct, and the rebellion
served only as a pEptcrt for increased oppres-
sion. The work Of subiagstion begun BIZ
Henry II. In 1855, at the bidding Of q mcrce-
nary Pope, WIS completed in 1901 by George
1V.atthe instieation ol naughty Ansllcans, and
that year, instead Of recording the 1iberat{on
ofthc Emerald Isle, was doomed to witness
the compulsory legislative union with an
secret societies Of "United Irishmen ~
in vain the heroic llfc and the
tragic Geath Of Theobald Wolf Tone;
in vain the eloQuencc Of Gra1tan and his as-
sociates !; In rain the martyzt1om Of Robert
Emmct; In vain aiierward in its most es-
scntial aims the memorable agitation Of
Daniel OCounel as subsequently that of
MeaEhet and O'Brieu. Ireland, sold into
English bondage bY the Papacy, was cleaycd
to 1t by royalty, and the more the country
chafed against its cage the tighter were the
chains fastened round It's neck. Religion be-
Ing the pro1oundcst emotion OF the Celtic
hcart Irish agitation rallied most .eadily un-
der the banner of Catholic emapcipa-
tion, and 20 fabulous Il the masuanimlty
OF the 1rIsAmnn that he remained faithful to
q hierarchy which had been foremost in SELL
Ing his liberties for q mess Of 2ottagc, and
whose priests did ali they coula to keep the
people'smind In the bonds Of darkness. This
persistent 1ealty TO Rome, however, sprans,
perhaps, not so much from affection for the
successors Of Adrian ~ as from detcstation
OF Britain and her dominccring church and
nristoc1acy.
All the hopes, moreover, Of the Irish pa-
triot, and MI the aspirations for national in
dependence clustered for a long time around
this banner of 'tCatholic emancipation.
The poor Iishman aud the suffering Irishwo-
man, whoec mind WAS crippled By misery,
might not have been able to realize the po-
litical emotions of freedom, but they, could
resent outrages upon their religious
liberty, and even more so than the more
prosperous classes, sinco they had moth
in@ hut thclr altar as solace for their wretch
edness. These religious motives combined
with political passions to invest the Catholic
movement with formidable character, and,
even at the present day, when the redress Of
Irish grievances is proposed In the Imperial
Parliament, this Church question rises up
again and ngain In all its hoarv proportions,
benevolent English 'SQuircs seem to think,
now as Of yore, that they can reconcile Ire
land to bondage by throwing Peters pencer'
In the lap OF her church. But II Englishsncn
have not much improved upon their old Irish
theories, Iishmeu lave been less stagnant. |
1t is necessary, however, to bear in mind the |
original circumstances under which Ireland |
lost its independence, and which we have re-
capitulated, in order TO realize the attitude of
the country In 1865 as compared to former
years. II should be remembered that while |
England Was dcmoralizcd BY her vcry excess.
I've prosperity, Lclnnd has been tapt1xed in
the best Of all schools-that of adversely
The cruelties Of the English anl the vista
tions ofiamine had decimatcd that country,
until millions Of the population had
perished, while other millions were
driven from tAeIr homes, Those
who found shelter In America and who after-
ward returned To Ireland, dIGused new ideas |
Of liberty, which certainly did not fall upon |
barren soil. The masses OF the emIgrants,
however, who Ind always boen whipped at |
homo, found on their arrival here 4 chance Of !
whipping some one or other In return, and |
bouncing upon the bewildered negro, they
voted with the Coppcrhcads through thick /!
md thin, tue blows thus inflicted upon
the colorcd people falling nono
the less severely upon them from the fact |
OF their being only Irish endorsements OF old !
English blows. British aggression has not |
only made havoc ut home directly, but also |
Indirectly In this country. For evcry kick |
the 1rishnan gives 10 the negro In America,
I,e had received scorc from Ills taskmnstcr !
10 England There is no doubt tnat our tri-
umphs over the slaye oligarchy Of the South
have linaled In the Iikh Imagination visions
Df new victories over the land and church OIL
,archy Of England. These impressions must
survive The Feufnn n1oremcnt. Nor arc those
|rishneE who keep aIoof from this agitation
likely 10 forget that In 1868, as in 1l52, 1t Was
. Pope who blasted their aspirations. Henry
]. sent Petcr's Pence 10 Adrian ". in con-
liberation Of his sovereignty orer Ireland, and
Victoria I. sends gIncious nlssives to Pic II.
o thank Ills Holiness for helping Her Majesty
Q maintaia that sovereignty. Even II
be Pope looks upon the agitation as inju-
llcious, 1t is not for him to interneddlc, by
f7ay1ng his priesthood against II /; and II
:enianlsn derives n certain republican pres
igc, Is II not chiefly due to It's condemnation
y the liberty -hating rapacy.
The present outbreak Will in aIl probability
e quclicd by the same iron hand that has
rushed so mauy others. But the spirit OF |
dependence is not 80 easily curbed in the !
reland Of 1860 as In TINT Of former years, I
tarvation no longer 6tarcs the people in tho
aee, and their spirit will rise under the i1tlu-
nee Of. prosperity as formerly 1t 'withered
nder the blight Of adversely, The Irish hare !
a'ional gfievauces OF their own against Eug-
aad, but 80 Ear as the source is concerned
!, ,o" winch all these evils spring, namely: J
~ ne domination Of the English Lords and | :
',snops' - aoe masses OF The English peo- l
nc saano upon the sumo ground Us the L3sh. | ,
no 1hcfs Is no 5cason why they should not
make common cause with Their Enpl,sl, f,.l, I
ow.s,f,crers. In clamorins now ,or !
Numerical independence, they dcpri7e them. ,