The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-26

and yet because IL ID NOT 30 Will Ino CnSusn /,
| able writer's like this in the Pail Mall treat
such a view as the dream of enthusiasts
Mr. Bright knows better. The great merit
] Of his speech on Ireland is that he thorough
| " estimates the imaginative deficiencies OF
our present fair, but cold and step-mother-
| ish rule in Ireland. He wants to bring home
| to tho heart of Ireland that we wish to make
her happy and prosperous in her Oicns may,
and not our way, just as we have made
Scotland happy and prosperous in her own
way and not in our way-that we are going
to give up the pride of English superiority
that we are anxious to govern Ireland as
nearly as possible as Ireland would wish to
be governed, without regard to our English
prepossessions.
Mr.. Bright has the great merit OF clearly
realizing that justice is not really j ustice in
| the government OF any people till it is felt
| as justice by that peOple-that it is an inn
perative duty to Ireland to make the Irish
feel that we are adapting ourselves to their
ideas-so. far rs is consistent with the pur-
poses of government and the unity OF the
! Empire-and not insisting on their adapting
themselves to our ideas. Hence, Mr.. Bright
appreciates far more truly than most Eng
1ish politicians the effect of abo1ishing the
| Protestant monopoly in Ireland. 1t could
not make Ireland more prosperous, but it
would be a signal and impressive indication
that the people of England are sick of the
system of tutoring Ireland according to
their own ideas. For the same reason, his
proposal to establish commission to buy
up the estates of absentees and sell them
again in small lots to the actual cultivators
OF the soil, and to help farmers to buy the
fee from their landlords whenever their
landlords are willing to enter into such an
agreement, though we regard it as half
and insufficient measure, far short of the
presidents cited by Mr.. Bright from the
legislation of Canada and of Prince Ed
wards Island, will, at least, have the same
good moral effect, as confession of faith
that we do not wish to force the English
system of agriculture ON Ireland simply
because it is English-that we are anxious
to content Ireland, not to inoculate it with
our superior civilization.
1t is curious to notice with how cautious
conservatism Mr.. Bright leavens these
popular proposals. While advocating the
secularization Of the property of the Irish
church, he would reserve about three mil
lions out of the supposed thirteen millions
which it possesses, to break the fall of the
established faiths, Anglicanism and Presby
terianism, from endowment to self-support;
and in order not to commit an injustice, he
would give to the Catholic Church for like
purposes u little bit of glebe in every parish,
if possible fair proportion of this re-
served three millions. We should have no
Mr.. Bright's. But if the Catholics would
not accept such gift, even though it were
understood that the bulk of the church
property is to be devoted to secular purpo-
SEES, we do not see how we could offer it to
the other churches about to be disendowed.
If we admit the principle that-vested in
terests being reserved-the property of the
Irish church belongs to the whole nation,
we cannet break the fall of the establish
ments without persuading the Catholics to
accept their share of such a gift-which
may prove a difficult business. 2=.
If the Catholics were but willing, we
should see no objection to the fair distribu-
ton even>of the ,ch0te property i'll this way.
But they are not, and we anticipate not
much less objection to the acceptance of a
gift of part, than to gift of all, for such
purposes. In fact, Mr.. Bright's proposal on
this head seems to us to have more impor-
lance in relation to the moral impression of
caution and sobriety which it will produce
as coming from him, than in relation to any
other probable result. We doubt if either
of Mr.. Bright's cOnservatisms-the conser-
vatism which leads him to propose some
little break of the fall of the established
religions-or the conservatism which leads
him to propose combining his dealings with
the Irish land to the case of voluntary sales,
will be found ultimately advisable. But
| anyhow, they are not conservatlsms which
in the least disguise his thoroughly earnest
desire to govern Ireland on principles which
will make Ireland content and loyal, rather
than on principles which we only think
ought to do so, because they make England
content and loyal. With Mr.. Bright as Sec
rotary for Ireland, we should feel some hope
of at length winning over the Irish to q
bona tide belief that the easiest way of get
| ting "Ireland for the Irish " in the truest
sense, is not by the very painful, difficult,
and circuitous route of repeal of the Union.
DEATH OF AN INDIAN WOMAN AGED ONE
HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE YEARS.
Died, mt the residence of the Rev. Edward
Deames, Bay Settlement, on the 18th inst,
Mrs. Margaret Okeewah, or The Sea, aged
one hundred and twenty three years. She
belonged to the tribe of Ottawa Indians.
Was married three times by her first hus-