The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-12
Daniel O'ConneII.


A hundred years ago to-day Daniel o.
Cornell was born, and it is in every way
fitting that his couutrymen should celebrate
with due reverence, as they have deter
mined to do, the centennial of his birth, for
in century fruitful of great and good men,
his character stands out in grand and pecu
liar proportions. The task allotted
to him, an unknown and obscure
lawyer, was the uplifting OF an
, impoverished, disheartened and enslaved
people into asslf-relisnt nation without the
shedding OF drop of blood, and the won
drous transformation was effected as by the
touch of an enchanter's wand. Persistent
and courageous genius was the magician.
To understand something of O'Connell's
labor Il is necessary to know something OF
the condition of the Catholics of Ireland al
tho time of his birth, and simple synopsis
OF the penal code under which four ifths OF
the people of the island suffered will serve
to indicate in some degree their misery and
degradation. The Sentinel follows Becky
in its condensation. Catholics were ex
Guided from parliament, from corporations,
from the msgistracy. from the bench, from
the bar. They could not vote at any
elections They could not act
as constables, sheriffs or jurymen, or
ssrve in the army or navy or hold the posi-
ton OF gamekeepers watchmen. They
we're deprived OF all means OF education,
shut out from the University, and prohib
tied from acting as schoolmasters, ushers or
private tutors. 1t was a crime to send their
children abroad for instruction denied to
them at home. II they married a
Protestant the marriage was annulled
and the priest who officisted
might be hung. They could not bay land.
or receive it as gift or inherit it from Pro-
testauts. or hold life annulties, or leases for
householder was industrious and skillful
enough to make the profits OF tbs land M ore
than one-thira of the rent any Protestant
who lodged information of the fact could
take possession of his farm. II any Catholic
secretly purchased land, the Protestant who
discovered the fact, might claim the estate.
The sons of Catholic parents Inherited their
property in equal shares, but il the eldest
turned Protestant he became sole heir. The
wife OF Catholic was freed from her hus
bands control and received share of his
property on changing her religion. Any
Catholic child protesting itself a Protestant
wss at once taken from under its fathers
control and recsived whatever portion of The
parents property the chancellor might
see fit. No Catholic could be guardian
either to his own children or those of a
friend. Apostate priests received an an
nuity of from twenty to forty pounds. To
convertany one to Catholicity was an Of
fence punishable with death. Catholic
trsdesman could not have more than two
apprentices, and no Catholic of any
station could own horse worth
more than five pounds, and any orthodox
Christian Offering five pounds might take
the horse. In time of war Catholics had to
pay for tue damage inflicted by the priva-
teers of Cat holic powers. In fact, every in
cenious contrivance for hsrrassing, dis
turbing and degrading the majority of the
pc pie was put in operation. Catholic wor-
ship, and all the insignia used in its service
were prohibited, and all monks, friars,
bishops. deacons and other digni;aries ofthe
church were blnished, and return from
exile incurred the penalty of death.
nicely graduated system of rewards was IN
operation to encourage the detection of all
lurking ecclesiastics, and by curious coin
cidence the price set upon the head of a fsisr
was the same as that given for the head OF a
wolf. Any comment upon such system OF
laws would be superfiuous. 1t has
been pronounced by the greatest OF poiit
ical philosophers, Burke and Moniesquieu,
the worst code sver adopted. II was not 50
much q direct and sanguinsry assault upon
the Catholic faith as . system devised to de-
base apd degrade the ~Yafsssors ~ Z st re-
licion. The result OF this ieg Stat on Is
briefly ard boldly summed mp in
I.ecky's essay on Henry Grsttap:
The Catholics excluded fr, II everv possibility
of eulluence, deprived - their Eat1iai leaders,
aud Consigned by the legislature TO utter igno-
renee soon sunk into the condition OF broken
and respondent helots. A total 81 senee o. me
Industrial virtues, a covering and abJect eeier-
\ ence TO authority, a recklessness ABOUT lne
| future, a love of secret illegal CON ma
tions osesLus $780, a--.-s .ls--' .-.-fs