New-York tribune., 1872-12-02
MR. FROUDPS DEFENSE.

Dir. FrOude, as might have been anticipated.
has made brilliant and forcibIe defense He
has told again the story Of Irish anarchy which
Father Burke has so strongly denounced He
has added Characteristic touches to the i'm
Dressive narrative. He has discussed with
more OF less thoroughness a few Of the his
torical statements brought into question; and
upon the audience which listened to him ON
Saturday night as well as those who may
read the report of his remarksin the newspapers
he has doubtless exercised great deal of the
fascination which arises partly from his earnest
ness and partly from his remarkable union
Of the literary and dramatic faculties. How
far he has demolished Father Burke Is q ques-
ton upon which there will be a great diver
sity of opinion. In some cases he seems to
have convicted the Reverend gentleman of
rash denials, and Of exaggeratiOns which may
be attributed to rhetorical hyperbole. In
others we fail to see that he has made q valid
reply. Father Burke" he says, in his good
humored peroratiOn, "may be unaware pre-
" cisely Of what has happened to him." If we
are not mistaken a majority of the impartial
spectators of this interesting conflict are in
the same state of mind.
The trouble is that the two orators are dis
cussing questions which cannot be settled in
course Of off-hand lectures. The st. BarthOlo-
NEW massacre the atrocities of Alva in the
Netherlands, the English conquest of Ireland, the
Irish struggles for independence, the penal laws,
are subjects well enough known perhaps in their
general features; but they have afforded ma
terial for several generations Of polemics, and
will be debated probably for generations to
conc, unless in the mercy OF Divine Provi-
dence all mankind should come to be
of one religious belief, and so look
at these questions from one and the same
point of view. Mr.. FrOude has made study
of original sources of information, and has
arrived at one conclusion. Later historians
will consult original documents and reach a
conclusion entirely different What good.
then, would come of the commission which
Mr.. Froude wants to see appointed, to report
upon that "enormous body of evidence"
touching the rebellion of 1641 which lies half
examined in Dublin7 "Ireland and England
"will never understand each other" says the
lecturer, "until this story is cleared up" De-
pend upon it, that understanding will never
be brought about by a mixed commission oil
scholars poring over State Papers in Dublin.
For the rest, Mr.. Froude's defense is very
brief. He declares that so long as he re-
mains in America he will not be provoked
into another reply. The charges of Mr..
Melne's book he refuses to consider except
in the way he has already proposed, namely,
by reference to the Record Office in London.
That is matter which concerns himself more
than anybody else, and we have no business
to quarrel with his decision. Probably it is
well, on the WHOLE that the discussion should
come to an end. 1t has got out of the field of
history into the domain of religion. Mr.. Froude.
in spite of many cordial compliments
to his Dominican adversary, could not
refrain from unnecessary illusions to the "im-
4" fallible Pope" which must have been gall
ing to his Catholic auditors Gf he bad any),
and he indulged in some remarks upon mod
ern Catholic methods Of composing history
which were certainly not calculated to pro-
mote a good understanding with his adver-
saries The Irish, on the other hand, have
been bitterly exasperated by the discussion,
and whatever Father Burke may say, are not
in the mood to give Mr.. FrOude either cour-
tesy or attention.