The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-04-02
Ths utter Failure Of Higher xduoation in Ireland

ing provision for the religious and educa.
tiOnal wants Of the people, by setting apart
1OO, 600 acres out of the confiscated estates
for the endowment of the Church and the
establishment of schools, thus securing, as
testantism and "the English habit and or
der" throughout the province. The intru-
ded and alien Church, the possessor OF this
| magnificent endowment, having hopelessly
failed, has been disestablished. The Royal
| the objects-political, religious, and edu-
cational-for which they were founded by
James I and Charles I. Theirs, indeed,
has been o melancholy, or, rather, shame
less history, marked at every stage of their
career by fraud, malversation Of funds,
donment of duty on the part Of those who
were charged with their management, by
neglect and Indifference on the part Of the
Government amounting, at least construc-
| lively, to an acquiescence in notorious
abuses. From Primate Stone and the Ca
pluralist, baronet, to the charge of the
primary school at Carysfort, jobbery and
misconduct abound. The same language
| may be applied to the Royal schools which
was used by DR.. w. c. Kyle, the secretary
| to the Commissioners of Education, when
| describing the condition of the Diocesan,
free schools in his evidence on the oath
| October, 1868, before the Royal Commission
on Primary Education "a. Is, 467,) "the
whole system of Diocesan schools is per-
fectly and completely rotten )" and "a. Is,
1867 "we know little more about them than
the person who is walking in the street."
And yet the Education Commissioners, for
whom he thus speaks, are charged by sta
tute with the direction of both Diocesan
and Royal schools. The labors of ROYAL
Commissions and the action of Parliament
have alike been unable to secure for them
efficient management, and to galvanize
them into fruitful vitality. They have,
turOus and interruptions schoolmasters,
but they have not educated the people for
whose improvement they were ostensibly
founded, while a remnant only of their
rich endowments now remains to the ma
ton. They were intended by King James
1 to play great part in stirring up the pro-
vince of Ulster, and recalling It '1from su-
perstition to the true religion of Christ"
Have they fulfilled this missionf Catholics
form 80 per cent. of the population of Ca
van, Notwithstanding its Royal school; IS
per cent. of the population of Donegal, not
of the population Of Tyrone, notwith-
standing it's Royal school Sc per cent. of
the population of Fermanagh, notwith-
standing its Royal school AZ per cent. of
the population of Armagh, notwithstand-
ing its Royal school and As per cent. of
the population of Londonderry, notwith-
standing its endowment for Royal school,
merged into a Diocesan college. The six
Plantation counties, with their Royal
schools, which have been in operation for
nearly $50 years, contain more than 60 per
cent. Catholics, and the five schools, with
more than 200, 600 acres of land, school
sites valued at over FL 900, and an income
Catholic scholars out of Catholic popula-
tion in these six countries, of 672, 753 per-
sons!
So stand in 1871 the results of the Royal
free schools, the great foundations of James
I, which were to have reclaimed the North
to Professionalism and "good manners"
These are simple facts which require no
deep statecraft to be comprehended. They
are thoroughly understood by the people of
Ulster. They ought to have great influ-
ence in determining the principles by
which our rulers will be guided when
of the educational endowments of Ireland.
In our last paper we explained the obliga-
ton imposed upon the Protestant Bishops
and clergy of providing "a free Diocesan
schools. This obligation still attaches to
the incomes which have been preserved to
ishment. But, moreover, there is an
equitable obligation of making to the peo-
pie of Ireland restitution out of the capt.
Of the Church property for the vast Gums
which, during the last three hundred years
ought to have been spent on those thirty
four schools, but were actually retained to
their private use by the Bishops and cler-
gy. To-day we have shown that there still
exists a further special fund for the pur-
poses of intermediate education. There are
20, 600 acres of land, now producing an an
nual income of &c, 500, but the true value of
which is considerably more than that sum.
There are school fabrics of the annual
| value of 4l,00O. Out of this the majority
of the people of Ulster-more than six
tenths of the population of the counties in
| which those 10000 acres lie-derive ad-
vantages represented by less than one per
cent of the scholars in those institutions.
| If Mr.. Gladstone desires, as he has promised,
to. give the people of Ireland an educational
| system based on principles identical with
those which he tells US inspired his church
and land policy, he will have no financial
difficulty to thwart his good dispositions.
He need not ask sixpence from the Imperial
| exchequer. We have shown him where he
can place his hands on ample funds. We
hope to lead him further.