New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-21
MR. FRoUDE AND FATHER BURKE.

MIR. FROUDE AND FATHER BURKE.
In the turmoil of politics and the excite
ment of the last days of the great canvass,
we must spare q few moments for neat
little controversy which has broken out III
this city between two of our distinguished
guests. one the most famous of living English
historians, the other perhaps the most brilliant
of living Irish orators. The battle began sud-
denly and sharply, and it promises, If all go
well, to result in a polemical engagement or
the most dashing and entertaining character
When Mr. FTOude came here to discuss the
relations between the Irish nation and It's
English cOnquerors, everybody who had read
his book scented baltic from atar
We knew that he would be, il not
the apologist of his own people, at
least an unsparing critic of the sister island.
We knew that with the vehemcnce of strong
convictions he united holiness in upsolding
unusual opinions which was not unlike the
Irish fondncss for fight. But the man who
should mount platform in the city OF DuDlin,
and tell the public that Ireland bad chiefly
herself to blame for her own misfortunes, and
that English rule was probably the greatest
blessing that could be granted her, would not
be moro certain of trouble than the English
man who came into this half-IriSh city OF New
York, and sought TO convince us that our SYM
Dathy for Irish rebellion during so many years
had been sadly misapplied.
1t happened that the very night after Mr.
Froudes frat lecture the brilliant Dominican
preacher, Father Burke, whose eloquencc long
gave celebrity to one of the foreign pulpits Oh
Rome, was announced to speak at the Academy
of Music on the Irish Volunteers of 1872. III
Mr.. Froude has no power to hold his peace
when he has a thought which he believes the
world ongAt to be told, Father Burke Is
equally unable to restrain his Oratoly when
his patriotic instincts have been wounded
He devoted a largo part of his lecture to
courteous but impassioncd answer to the
learned historian. He questioned his state
ments of fact and denounced bis logic; ana
in reply to the assertion that Pope Adrian
had authorized Henry ii. to undertake the
conquest of Ireland and use his Norman SOL
diers to keep the peace in that distracted
island, the Dominican impugned the truth
of the story, and declared that he be-
leved it to be "from beginning to end a
"thumping English lie;' whereat, OF course,
his hearers wero very much delighted. Now
this off-hand way of handling historical points
may be effective so long as one hears only one
side; and probably very, very few OF Father
Burke's audience stopped to reflect that there
really was n bull from Pope Adrian to Henry
H., though historians differ as to its purport
In like manner, Mr. Froude's rejoinder, given
the following evening was sharp and at first
sight conclusive; for he begged Father Burke
to look at a volume of papers recently pub
lshed by Theiner from the archives of tho
Vatican, where he would find, not indeed the
bull of Adrian, but bull by one of Adrian's
successors confirming it. But all this does
not prove what the bull really granted, and
that is historically the essence of the dis
cussion.
The most significant part, however, of Mr.
Fronde's answer was addressed not to the
question of the bull, but to the Reverend Do
minican himself If the story was humping
English lie, said he it must have been Nor
man lie and that is q sad thing for Burke
to say, because there Is no purer Norman
blood anywhere than that of the Burkes Of
Ireland. What severer blow could be dealt
an Irish adversary than saying he was not an
Irishmanf Here spoke the true intellectual
gladiator; not the historian, not the political
philosopher, not the cOntroversialist, but the
keen, courageous fighting man, who loves a
battle for the excitement of the combat, and
rejoices more in the fray than in the victory
What the distinguished preacher will do in
return we wait impatiently to see. There is
little doubt that Mr.. Froude has met his match
in cOmbatyeness and in daring, and that
Father Burke will soon find an opportunity of
A. hoo Inns VII
ousy opened However the palm may fall,
the public will observe the discussion with the
deepest interest and error, let us hope, will
be the only sufferer from the blows which are
likely to be exchanged.