The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-10-08
F47AER LATELLE IND p. J. sMYrR.
Father Lavelle has published the follow
ing vigorous letter in the Dublin Freeman

| c"-Atter iODR silence, not uDOOeerSeu
by my countrymen at home and abroad, /
feel bound at length, no matter how re.
iuctantiy, to again raise my voice in my
country's cause. My silence, l am aware,
has been vaIiousiy Interpreted bnt ny
| explanation Ia simple, and it is-1 did rot
deem my pereonal interpretation needed in
! the olscussiopS ON those national questions
| which have occupied the Irsh mind within
| the last two or three years. Ny septiments
| and my principles of to day are identical
| with the principles aud sentiments which l
! feared not tc profess and advocate n the
dark, gloomy taye not long aimee gone.
! lIese sentiments, principles. and heart
| felt CONVICTIONS stall remain mino mp to
| my last breatE-the absolute nigh: of my
| country to comp!e;a iEGe pen derce Of foreign
rule With these preliminary remalks, |
| beg with your permission to offer my views
0a the present controversy between Mr..
+. j. Sioyth and Home Rule l have
carefully not alone kept myself al courant
with its current history, anal sed, az far as
l could, its me rite and dement's; and ven
ture to cay that I brought my analysis to q
dspassionate mind. Now, what ia the re
suit of my unbiased reflection This:
that hope upwittiEgly-Mr. p. j. Smy tn
Is the active agent of the common enemy
OF ireland in turmenting 0iscord in the
Irish National ranks. know full we'll the
responsibility which incur by this candid
profession; but, believing and knowing it
public life were to shrink from the av oval.
The FreemanS Journal and ether Nation |
al papers have exhausted argument on the |
subject No amount of special pleading, |
no introduction of vain, irrelevant side is,
sues, can cover the deadly sin of Mr.. P. J. |
Smyth in his fatuous attempt to create dis. |
union, where union and earneet harmony |
were essential to success. AS has been |
clearly put over and over again, the ones.
ton is not Repeal I. Home Rule or
rice rerSd. Every student Of the history
of the Repeal agitation knows the argu
ments pro and con on both sides; por is
this the time to revive a discussion on their
relative merits. But the GuestioD-is it
fair, is it wise, is it consistent, is it patrio-
tic, on the part of a member of thu Lasgne
on the morrow of the day on which it be
came Jat dcc0mpH, to turn upon IT and
denounce itself as "a lie aud sham /" its
leaders as knaves, if not traitors ard it's
rank and file like blind dupcs7 "Repeal,"
indeed! Why, am as much a Repeater as
Mr.. Smyth. "Repeal" Why, am more
than mere Repeater; and let England Of
fer me tomorrow my choice between
''Home Rule," "Repeal," and "Separatiou ;"
to paraphrase the immortal words of
Plunket, al would fling both Repeal and
Home Rule to the winds, and clasp Separa-
ton to my heart" In this sentiment 1
know I differ toto coelo from Mr.. P. ].
Smyth, who, while pouring ont the via!s of
tbs accomplished hate on Home Rule before
a hostile foreign assembly, most Loyalty de-
clared that Home Rule tended to the sub
version of the Constitution. For this,
among other hard blows, was he cheered to
the echo by Ireland's enemies on both sidee
of the house, and for this and tho rest was
extoled to the stars next morning by the
hostile press of Eng and-plaud;ts which
ought to make him pause. l could we'll IN
deretand and even appreciate MIR. p. J.
Smyth's original adhesion to the Home Rnle
code as formulated at the Conference of '7:3,
for he thus only bowed at what he saw
clearly WAS the popular Will. I could
equally we'll understand his retirement
from the position which he thus assumed,
and on the assumption of Which he obtain
ed scat in the English Parliament (no
iugglery can get him over this tact), leav-
ing his conduct in the hands Of his co1sti-
tuents--men of whom the proud:ss might
be proud-but I cannot tiLd q scintil!a of
palliation, much lcsa of excuse, for uis sud
den and vehement depuuciatiun of the men
with whom he VOLUNTEERED to CO operate,
aud the course which he publicly ps-
puused. I have been close and constant
student OF my couDtry's history and am
panied to have to say that more glazing.
a more audacious attempt by an individual
To upset scheme for even a partial nation
al regeneration 1 have never read. lam
far from attributing motives to Mr.. Smyrh;
l even assume that he is actnated by The
nobest of feeings-pure patriotism bat
must say mat MS method or Displaying
those feelings is as perverse as his personal
antipathee are undisguised. For Nr Smyta's
own sake l was very sorry and deeply
panied to see him descend to personalities
and vulgar abuse. Though his epiGhets OF
''liar" (iie). and cheat were not, sssume,
meant ror me, they logically applied 70 me
as much as to Mr.. Butt, the Rev. Mr.. Gal
braith, and others. Seeing the deadly
stagnation of National thought and its ex.
preston on the collapse of the cbivsrous,
patriotic, but untimeiy Fenisn ou;b1rst,
aud knowing that some movement was
needed to keep up and active the national ,
mind, and fully alive to the national aspi
ratious, l was among the fret 20 join the ,
Home Rule ranks. Its progrGmme, admit, ]
did not 60 the whole way with my Iud!5id-
ual views. But in it saw powerful
lever for raising up my country frog. IIs {
presen: degraded social and political Goa ,
dition. I, therefore, waving NY own ,
Opinions, joined the organization in troth E
and earnestness, and shall cling 70 II o1:Il l.
I