The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-25
CHI A r l. ES TON.
THURsDAr MORNING, MARCH as, 1869.
Ireland and the English.


removed; for at the back of the Liberal ma.
jority Of the House of Commons there ia
an earnest public sentiment which the most
recalcitrant peer will hardly care to face
The issue was made at the bustings, and
every vote cast for Liberal member was q
vote against the Irish Church. There is.
however, one view Of this momentous sub
jeot which has not been pressed upon public
attention, and 1t is-Whether disestab-
ment will satisfy the Irish people, remove
every cause Of disaffeotion, 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's
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 Professionals as jealous as Irish Cath
lies in de manding the bsolute jndepend-
ence OF their people. Catholicity, we say
with Mr.. Bright, sis not only matter of
'faith, but of patriotism;" but we cannot
admit the truth of his sweeping assertion
that "Protestantism is the only fire that is
destroying everything that is good or
'snoble in ireland" ~ a5 Hhtll
Had the measure which is now the sub
jeot 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 it's 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 Graf
tan, O'Connell and Burke.
In England, the advanced Liberals, by
the mouth Of John Bright, demand the abo-
lition 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 cus-
toms. The English Church itself is doomed,
and John Bright, in the House Of Commons,
says that e'Englands liberties were not
secured by the churches, but by the Puri-
s'tans and nonoonformists. 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: "rhe Irish
"men who have emigrated to the United
Estates and Australia are watching anxi-
"ously the result Of the question. The
CENTRE Fenian project was fed and kept
'salive by the sympathy Of Americans, under
"the idea that England never did justice to
s'Ireland." This is no mere idea; it is q
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 are
devoted to the relief Of the destitute and
poor. Atthe Fenian meeting held OF Cooper
Institute, New York, on st: Pstriok's day,
General O'Neill said at was supposed by
''some that the disestablishment Of the Irish
s'Church would satisfy Irishmen; but this
"was great mistake. The Lord Bishops
t'were not the most Objectionable Lords in
s'Ireland. '(Applause.) It is the land Lords
''that Irishmen are after, and they would
ssnever 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
'taffection was q Catholic disaffection.
"(Cries Of No! nop and applsuse.) The
"Irish Catholics would fight and die, If
''need be, for justice to Irish Protsstants.
| "(Great applause. The Fenians were not
"aghting for any particular religion or for
'sany particular scot; but for Ireland free
'sand independent"
This is undoubtedly the popular pro-
gramme. and the United States Government
will not, perhaps dare not, thwart the bold
projects Of the Fenisn ohiefs. There is much
depending on the Irish vote; there are the
still unsettled Alabama claims, and the
prospect Of q foreign war might not be uu-
popular with the masses.
The Irish, therefore, have, in the poEs.-
cal condition Of England and in the aotiye
sympathy Of America, an encouragement te
persevere in their requests. They may feel
that each new concession ia q sign Of weak
mess; and it seems most probable that, ae
each new vantage ground 10 gained, the
lrssh peopls will increase their demands,