The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-11-10
James Anthony Froude.

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| James Anthony Froude.
| Our readers will fiud on another page oil
this paper a lecture delivered in New York
by the above-named gentleman. 1t is un-
necessary for us to attempt its analysis and
correct its errors. Father Burke is going
to do that in q style far beyond our abili-
ties ADD we publish it in advance of his
reply in order that our readers may know
exactly what his task is. They will, how
| ever, perceive at once that Mr.. Froude is a
slippery gentleman. He shows some
knowledge of Ireland, and has, no doubt,
been in the country-particuIarly that
part of it where the blarney-stone is kept.
Smooth-tongued, Mr.. Froude certainly is,
but his critics say that his utterauce is
equally false, that one cannot, in fact, rely
upon bis statements. He praises the Irish
people for their remarkable honesty and
purity; he even attributes their morality
to the beneficial effects of their religion; he
agrees that they have been oppressed in
times past and that the reforms which have
been conceded to them were truly needed,
but there he stops. What is past and ire
vocable he approves and tries to do 80 with
good grace, but his grace goes no farther.
Home Rule! He will not have bit of it.
He boots at the idea. The best answer to
such an absurd demand, he says, is the
land-act which British wisdom has devised
for Ireland. This was their great-their
real, desideratum, and they never would
have gotten it from parliament
never till on the afternoon of Doomsday,
as he eloquently remarks.
In word, MIR. Froude comedies all that
Irish pertinacity has wrenched from Eng
lish tyranny but obstinately refuses to
yield an inch moe. In this, no doubt, lie
is fully sustained by the English people,
who will never willingly give up their
heritage of Irish slavery. 1t is Egypt and
Israel over again, and no man can tell when
Gods good time will come for another Red
Sea to engu!f the proud cohorts of despot-
ism in ruin.
The portion of this report of Froude's
lecture which will, however, fix most earn
estly the attention of the general Southern
reader, is the supplement to it, furnished
by one Hitchcock, Professor of History in
the University of New York. This Hitch
cock had, it seems, been provided as UNI
pire in the great discussion of the English
Irish question in which the discussing was
all one-sided. Hitchcock spoke for Ameri-
ca. He decided in taror Of England "To
the request for independence" he says,
"the answer is that it cannot be: Geogra-
ply forbids it," "We," (that is the
Yankees), "swear by Gettysburg. Our
message to England must be, Britons,
Stand by your Flag"
Does not the Southern eye rest musipgly
upon this announcement. Gettysburg!
What does that mean 1t means that the
territory-not the people - makes the
nation. 1t means that no matter how
hateful, how injurious, how oppressive
Union may be to one section of it, that
Union n ust be maintained in the interest
of the stronger section, no matter how un-
just their claim to any such dominion.
England's dominion may have been
usurpatiop, just as Federal dominion over
the whole South is clear usurpation in
this country, not conceded by any clause
of the original compact of partnership. 1t
matters not. The strong law of force must
prevail. There is no use in arguing against
power where there IS no court but Gods.
We will it 80, says Hitchcock for himself
and the other Yankees, and our message to
England is in the same spirit. "Stand by
your flag" You have planted it over an
other mans castle it is true, but never
mind, stand by it. You are stronger than he.
"Geograpby forbids it," you say. Look a
little farther through your geography,
Messrs. Froude and Hitchcock, and you will
find the Red Sea. And when you find it
remember that there is a God. And re-
member that when his time comes He
knows how to deliver the oppressed and
overwhelm the insolence of oppression in
final ruin.
MGR. BAUER Rectifcation.-We were led
last week into an error, which We hasten to