The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-03-16
NUN BFR 6. =.
The Defeat of the Irish University mn,


On Wednesday the cable ts,eur.,,o 4,
formed us of the failure Of thu cI.a,..,.
ministry to secure the passage Of its scheme
.or the foundation Of . new Irish Univers.
ity. The authors of the measure updoubt-
ea'y designed it to be accepted bv tbe
irish Catholics as a concession ON the mart
Vi government, and regarding it with refer
ence 60 the policy hitherto pursued by
1aFiiament In its treatment of the Trial,
education question, the defeated Bill Ger.
ta'niy may be so characterized. Since the
year 1893, when Catholics, under mapv ra.
strictions, were first permitted to seek de-.
grees at Trinity College, until the present
Gay, the subject of Irish Education has ever
oeen source ofdisquiett to Parliament. This
admission of Catholics to Trinity COLLEGE.
however, was SO hampered and rsstrained
IN its eHects by features unjust and essen
t'aiiy objectionable, that in ls45 Sir Robert
feefs administration found it necessary to
make an advance movement toward afford.
ing Catholics access to educational fac;,;-
ties In Ireland. This movement resulted
In the "Academical Institutions Bill" esta-
ol'shing and endowing the Queen's Col.
leges. The peculiar feature of these Iuati-
tueions, which Peel fondly supposed would
render them less repugnant to Catholics.
was the protested exclusion Of all Religions
tests, and the exaction from each professor
OF q solemn DECLARATION that he would avoid
all statements derogatory to revealed reli-
giouss or calculated to give offsuse to the
of students of any creed.
This effort, so far from quoting the Cath
Ollie mind with the argument that IL thew
could not be allowed to enjoy o system of
education taught according to their relig-
lous faith, they might at least follow one
which professed none. was very soon dis
covered to be as Objectionable to Catholics
and as unanimously repudiated by them az
any halfway measure on any subject that
Parliament ever preferred to the Irish peo-
pie. Mr.Gladstone's experience as e member
d the Cabinet which framed Sir Robt.
PeePs Bill, and the result of his Subsequent
observations in political life, have done
much to inspire him with an ADEQUATE
appreciation of the hardship imposed up.
On the Irish Catholic by the narrow and un-
Just educational system prescribed by Par
lament, and though the late proposed Bill
obabfy owes its defeat to the opposition
which it met from the Catholic element in
Parliament, still we are not unwilling to
1scribe to its trainers and cham pions. the
very best intentions. In an extract from
he London Tablet which we give to- day
he chief points of interest in this new
ill pOill be seen.
Its defeat through the instrumentality of
he Catholics themselves, when taken in
connection with the wisdom and foresight
which to-day characterize all movements
Il catholicism in Great Britain, argues de-
rec OF strength, and confidence in its
oility to ultimately obtain full and com.
'iete acquiescence in its just demands IN
reiand, with which we were not prepared
creditit. That such o result NAV be
oStPOned to no distant day is the fervent
'isb, not only of Catholic Irishmen, but OF
very man whose heart thrObs responsive
D the efforts of noble people to obtain
lghtS uDjustly denied them.