Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-19
FATHEs BURKE ON FROUDR.

The eminent Irish Dominican delivered
his second lecture last night, taking as his
subject "Ireland under the Tudors.a As
In his former lecture, Father Burke opened
his discourse by an attack on the credibili-
" of the English historian. Taking up
Mr.. Froude's description of Henry the
Eighth, and examining it by the light ofhis
tory, be showed that the quality of seeing
things as he wished them to be was such q
marked Characteristic of Mir. Froude's men
tai organization that he would not safely
accepg either his facts or his deductions
from them. Under the skilful dissection
of the Dominican the thin veil which the
English historian had drawn over the char
acter of Henry was torn to pieces, and Mr.
Froude's hero stood revealed the elegant
monster that impartial readers Of history
generally pronounce him. This period OF
Irish history is SO mixed up with
the religious questions which at
the time agitated Europe that it
would have been impossible for
even secular lecturer to have passed them
without deyoting TO their calculation con-
siderable part of his discourse. 1t is not
therefore to be wondered at that church
man should have regarded the religious as
poets of the period as more worthy Of min
ute attention than the strictly political
events which agitated the people. But
Father Burke never once lost sight of his
antagonist, AMI fact after fact, either of a
religious, moral or political nature, was elO-
quently stated, supported by the authority
of ECglish State papers or of interested
English writers, which swept away the
statements upon which Mr. FrOude based
his arguments in support or justification Of
English rule in Ireland. The charge made
directly by Mr.. Frouie that home rule"
had been tried under Henry and had proved
q miserable failure was shown to be a very
disingenuous argument, based upon the fact
that The government of Ireland had been
entrusted to q few Of the Anglo-NoIman
families, who had always been the deadliest
and bi:terest enemies Of the Celtic people,
and who on this occasion showed they
had changed in nothing By Immediately
using their newly acquired power to make
war on the native Irish, These facts were
presented with great ability aud address,
but, owing to the time devoted to the ex-
animation of Froude's reliability as histO-
rian ard dissection Of the character Of the
much married English King, that most in
terestiug period of Irish history, the strug-
Gle against Queen Elizabeth, had to be
passed over It'll very brief reference. This
was Disappointing. as the fight against Eli
zabeth was the first trial of strength between
the two peoples that could be dgnifed as a
national struggle. l. would have been in
teresting to hear whaS. father Burke had to
say on these fifteen years of constant war
which left Ireland a scene CT desol8iOn
rzs.Fv,accnH IN fNhrisf-
ian land. But the events of EfiZabeth's
reign we're swept over with just a sketch
which suggested rather than portrayed
the misery and suffering to which
Ireland was condemned under her rule.
Though Father Burke disclaimed any de-
sire TO wake up Tevengeful feelings by
painting too viVidly the tyranny and op-
preston to which the Irish people had been
subjected, it is difficult to imagine that any
man loving justice and liberty could listen
unmoved to the recital of robbery and out
rage to which the Irish were subjected at
the hands Of Mr. Froude's ''ciVilizers."
Unlike Mr.. Froude, the Irish advocate goes
into the camp Of bis enemies to seek wea-
pons Of defence. Every quotation upon
which be appealed to the American people
for verdict against the policy Of England
in bis native land is drawn from English
sources, and some of the most damaging
evidence is furnished by State papers O
England which MIR. Froude found it conye
nient to ignore. As the arraignment O
England's treatment of Ireland proceed;
the position of Mr.. Froude becomes more
untenable, and the natural love of Ameri
cans for justice makes them sympathizt
rather with the people who have been the
victims of fraud and violence than witt
their oppressors Y, Herald.