The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-11-25
TIE OBSTRUCTION QUESTION.
POSITION OF TIE IRISH CLERGY.


Serlongb, Cayap, writes to the Freeman:
Dear Sir-Though l am no authorized
exponent of the views of the county Cavan
on the question to.be discussed ou the 1lth
inst, yet 1 think 1 msy fairly cay that
whilst Cavau, with all ireland, admires the
legal ability, the wisdom, aud the elo-
quence of Mr.. Bait, it has no reason to
blush for it's gallant, fearless, ard indepen-
dent member, Mr.. Biggar, who manfally
stands exposed to the shafts of angry pow
er fighting the battle of his country. There
is but one feeling ia Cavan, and that is
that Mr.. Butt and Mr.. Biggar should meet
each other half way, shake hands, and be
united that Mr.. Butt should still lead on
the Irish party, which 1t has taken bim
years Of toll and thought and watchful
care TO build up. Both parties love their
country, and why should TO. tkeir ener-
gies be linked together for tie regeneration
of that country 10 which they are both so
warmly and devotedIy attached 7 Lst the
past be generously forgotten and forgiven,
and let the future be a cordial, united
effort to lead the Irish people onward to a
peaceful triumph. "Divide and conquer"
is the tyrants motto, but Unite and con-
auer" is the patriots creed. To sacrifice
ones own feelings for the public good, to
overcome self, a virtue which Aristotle
told the Great Alexander be was unable to
achieve, ia great proof of true patriot
lam, and to discuss with impsrtiality and
decide with justice where our own favor.
ite ideas are concerned has been ever held
to be the summit of all human virtues.
Cavan, like the rest of ireland, is to q GER
tain degree for the policy of obstruction,
but obstruction not in the eense of stopping
the wheel of legislation and all publ bust
ness in Parliament, but obstruction solely
for the purpose OF passing good la Tvs or de-
feating bad ones-obstrucJion, not to en-
barrass q Just und fair government; but to
N hU ms
political party inimical to Irieh rights and
Irish interests an utter impossibility. Mr..
Butt must freely admit that the govern
ment treated with the greatest disrespect
the three questions on which Ireland has
set her heart-Home Rule, the Land Bill,
and Religious Education; that the British
Parliament have refused to redress our
wrongs, or even to enquire into them that
night after night they were compelled to
listen to arguments, facts, aud principles
proving that Ireland wac oppfessed. They
did not deny the facts, they did not fefnte
the reasoning, they did not undermine the
principles, but they would not try to right
rs. The Irish party ask ed for tenant right,
asked to make the spade the agent of manly
independence, aud not the badge of slavery
and serfdom, and they were mocked by
the trckery of debate, and insulted by
an unreasoniBg majority. They ask ed for
religious education-aeked to iegislate on
this great question of education, the first
great mover of the entire social sys-
tenn, the seed from which the harvest of all
the actions of our after life are gathered
and in sskipg it they said that they freely
conceded to others what they demanded for
tbemselves-freedom of conscience on this
great question-and the British Parliament
said mo" "Then," said the Irish party
''give us back our parliament, of which we
were robbed in a moment of weakness and
distraction by foul coutrivance and lAwless
foFce.n The Prime Minister replies, "No.
You cannot manage your own affairs, you
are unworthy TO enact the laws that must
bind your obedience. You cannot manage
your own AFFAIRS" said the Prime Minister,
"hut send them over to my Parliamentary
mill, where your good grain will be
changed for the commonest refuse aud the
lightest chaff. Yes" said the Prime Min
later, "the sure foundation of Ireland's
prosperity is to have her dearest and most
vital concerns taken out of her own man.
agement, and handed over to the control of
jealous, hostile, and Indifferent neiEhbor,
and you can bestow more anxious care on
Irish trade, Irish manufactures. and Irish
prosperity than an Irish Parliament
necessarily would. Yes" said the Prime
Minister, "Mr. Bntt, your solid and sub
stSntial arguments, which have listened
to with all the pleasure that fue oratoFy
can afford, go for nothing. The evils OF
the Union were real benefits, and its scourg
ing curses national blessings. Ireland can't
but flourish bRviDg lost her Parliament,
and in it's stead an absentee drain, a tax
drain, n manufacture drain, collectively
amounting to seven milliOns sterling q
year, one half of Ireland's rental, at the
lowest calculation, swept away into Eng
land, TO cherish the industry, to support
the establishments there that have driven
your own manufactures out of the market"
An English gentleman once said to me, ''If
you had yOnr own Parliament to. morrow
you would not agree amongst yourselves"
81 answer, "What q prophet !" How could
he guees that we would be divided when
the willy policy that ever encouraged divis-
ion would be extinguished And, even if
We were divided, whichever party would
gain, Ireland would still have the advan-
Jage. At present both lose, and Ireland is
constantly plundered. That domestic au-
archy would be the consequence of self
legislation is merely problemstical, and
only anticipated by phantom seeking fear J;
bat the evils of foreign misgovernment are
certain, as the experience of the last
seventy years proves. hope that the