New-York tribune., 1869-03-05
GLADSTONES POSITION.

GLADSTONES POSITION
The Cable summary of Mr.. Gladstones pro-
nosal 70 disestablish the Irish Church in the
United Kingdom, though necessarily meager In
detail, yet supplies digest OF the plan suihclent
To enable those c0nversant with the question
TO eomprehend its scope. That Church has al
ways been an anomaly. 1t represented the
property, not the people. 1t was supported by
the land-owne against the will of the tenants
of the soil, and practically was missionary
church without disciples Even within her own
body large portion of her revenue was held
Inv Law impropriators who did nothing even IN
appearance for their annual income. Therefore,
it was ripe to fall, and the provisions OF the
bill foresee fresh organization OF religious
bodies more suited to the temper and more
efficacious to the moral advancement of Ireland
than what has been hitherto miscalled the
National Church. Its funds, amounting to
above eighty million dollars gold, are to be ap-
piled one-half to compensation of the interests
destroyed by the action of the bill, and one
half to the advantage of the Irish people,
for relief in cases of unavoidable calamity
I" or suffering" o skeleton outline which will
be filled up in detail and thoroughly sfted
during its passage through the two Houses OF
Parliament and here will be the great battle
foretold by Mr.. Disraeli in his memorable
prophesy, "They will fight over the plumber"
Ireland is pretty equally divided, for, though
the Catholics greatly exceed in numbers, the
Protestants hold four-ifths of the land and
nearly all the trade and industry.
Unfortunately, the feeling has always been
bitterly hostile between the Orangemen and
Roman Catholics, and hitherto the oil thrown
on the troubled waters has only blazed the
fercer. 1t will be in the recollection of most
that the education of the South of Ireland was
provided for by the Queens charterinS uni
versity, composed of colleges in various cities,
where the instruction is wholly secular This
satisfied the wants of the Catholics, and for
some years was acquiesced in by their HER
archy but Of late they have been the object
of violent attack rs Goddess Colleges on the
part of the bishops and the press of that re-
ligion, without, however much importing their
numbers or efficiency. A serious difference
arose in Parliament in the commencement of
the session of 1866 between two of the leading
members of the British Cabinet the Premier
and the Chancellor of the EXchequer, as to
political compact made with the supporters in
Parliament of the Papal rule in Ireland to
alter the charter in favor of an extended
Council of Management TO let in Roman
Catholic Bishops in exchange for political sup
port. Neither of these gentlemen has forgotten
the debate, or is likely to lose sight of the
pledges given to the House and to the Nation
that no alteration by the Crown should be at
4l..,o 1trio of lio-
ment still less the signal failure of the at
tempt that was then made to do so. Hence
the present appeal to the country, and up to
the present time the almost unanimous con-
culTence of politicians, that the day is arrived
for settling the whole question, and the only
difference of statesmen is, as usual, the man
ner in which it is to be done. This is more
than ordinarily hazardous in the face of the
difficulty freely pointed out by Mr.. Gladstone
in his opening remarks on the preamble OF the
bill, viz: that in the ascendency of any one
church in Ireland, bitter feelings on the part of
the Irish people would never cease But the
principle that answers so well in this country,
as it has in every nation and people so blessed
as to conquer their right to it, is more than
ever applicable to Ireland-civil and religious
liberty. If the union of Church and State has
been productive of evil for centuries of oppres-
sion and retaliation, of pains and penalties, OF
from altars, of evictions and
murder, it is high time to divorce such incOn-
grnous partners and what Mr. Disraeh calls
confscation will only be disgorging Of i'll
gotten and very ill-spent gains. The arm of the
State will be freer on the one hand to foster
and protect the institutions for educating and
improving the people, for ameliorating their
present low moral and social condition, and for
placing on n broad and enduring basis schemes
of elevation and advancement of the much en-
during but debascd masses, and on the other
will be less hampercd and embarrassing in
striking mt the hand however powerful or what |
ever Kin or Kind may attempt to trammel or
shut up the stream of education and knowledge |
for the welfare of the poor and friendless.
This is the proper scope of bill for the adj
ynnccment of the Irish people. Sydney Smith
saws the translation of Erin go Bragh should
he. Erin 20 bread and cheese, Erin go shoes
and Goals without holes in them. How much
more education means to learn, means to SIM
plify knowledge, TO open up treasures OF IN
dustry and usefulness, TO give light to the eye,
hearing 10 the ear, and understanding to the
heart and brain. That such may be the result
of this movement every well-wisher of Ireland
in America rs we'll as in England, may truly
hope.
We have received q pamphlet OF 64 pages,