The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-25
CHI ARL Es TON.
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 25. 1869.
Ireland and the English.

Church in Ireland is only question Of
time. This :'badge of conquest must be
removed; for at the back of the Liberal ma
jority of the House of Commons there is
an earnest public sentiment which the most
recalcitrant peer will hardly care to face.
The issue was made at the hustings, and
every vote cast for Liberal member was q
vete against the Irish Church. There is,
however, one view of this momentous sub.
jeot which has not been pressed upon public
attention, and it is-Whether disestab-
ment will setisfyahe Irish people, remove
every cause of disaffection, and make them
in feeling as in name the faithful and loving
subjects of her Majesty the Queen?
Looking calmly at the condition of Ire
land and the genius Of the Irish people,
we cannot come to the conclusion that the
Act of Disestablishment will heal Ireland 8
wounds and make her children happy, pros
porous and free. The grievances of ireland
are many and sore. They are not all of
them grievances of religion; nor do we feel
that it is too much to say that there are
Irish Protestants as Eeslous as Irish Cath
lies in de manding the bsolute independ-
ence Of their people. Catholicity, we say
with Mr.. Bright, sis not only matter of
"faith, but of patr1otism;" but we cannot
admit the truth of his sweeping assertion
that "Protestantism is the only fire that is
destroying everything that is good or
"noble in Ireland"
Had the measure which is now the sub
ject of debate in Parliament been adopted
twenty years ago, it would have gone far
to satisfy the wishes of the Irish. They
were then comparatively helpless. There
was no advancing tide Of English liberal
opinion to bear them on its crest. They
did not feel the moral and material support
of hundreds of thousands Of Irish Ameri-
cans, who now think and work for ireland.
But the situation is changed, and English
Liberals are willing, and Irish Americans
are eager, to succor the countrymen of Grat-
tan, O'Connell and Burke.
In England, the advanced Liberals, by
the mouth of John Bright, demand the abo-
litioa of the law of primogeniture. Mr..
Bruce, another Cabinet minister, recently
said that if the English Liberals demanded
the vote by ballot, the Liberal Government
would grant it. Other changes are asked
for which involve equally serious changes
in the character of existing laws and ous-
toms. The English Church itself is doomed,
and John Bright, in the House Of Commons,
says that "Englsnd's liberties were not
"secured by the churches, but by the Puri-
etans and nonconformists. These things
give strength to Ireland; for, with one act
of tardy justice done them, the Irish will
be prompt to believe that the English Libe-
rails will not refuse to accord them every
rational reform.
If the popular current could be checked
at this point, the Irish question would be
stripped of its greatest danger. But as
John Bright significantly said: "The Irish.
"men who have emigrated to the United
estates and Australia are Watching anxi-
"ously the result of the question. The
"sntire Fenian project was fed and kept
"alive by the sympathy of Americans. under
9Th. idea that England never did justice to
"Ireland.'' This is no mere idea; it is
hard fact. And, as well as we may judge,
the Irish Americans will not meekly fold
their arms and abandon their brethren at
home, because the Irish Church is discs
tablished and some millions of money ape
devoted to the relief of the destitute and
poor. Atthe Fenian meeting held at Cooper
Institute, New York, on st. Patrick's day,
General O'Neill said: "It was supposed by
esome that the disestablishment of the Irish
"Church would satisfy Irishmen; but this
"was great mistake. The Lord Bishops
"were not the most Objectionable Lords in
'.Ireland. (Applause.) 1t is the land Lords
othat Irishmen are after, and they would
"never rest satisfied while the few great
Gland Lords claim to own the soil of Ire
s'land. England would like to dupe the
"nations into belief that the Irish dis
"affection was Catholic disaffection
"(Cries of mo! no' and applause.) The
s.Irish Catholics would Sight and die, if
"need be, for justice to Irish Protestants.
"(Great applause.) The Fenians were not
lighting for any particular religion or for
"any particular sect; but for Ireland free
sand Independent"
This is undoubtedly the popular pro-
eramme, and the United States Government
will not, perhaps dare not, thwart the bold
projects of the Fenian chiefs. There is much
on the Irish vote; there are the
still unsettled Alabama claims, and the
prospect of foreign wer might not be un-
popular with the masses.
The Irish, therefore, have, in the politi-
cal condition of England and in the active
sympathy of America, an encouragement to
persevere in their requests. They may feel
that each new concession is sign of weak
ness; and it seems most probable that, as
each new vantage ground is gained, the
Irish people will increase their demands,
until at last the universal cry shall be, not