New-York tribune., 1877-07-11
ORANGES And RIBBONS.

Il
Tomorrow occurs the anniversary OF the Bat
tie of the Boync, on which the great Dutch Stadt-
holder. with his Dutch h-English army put the
last of the Stuart Kings and his French-lrlSh
forces to gnOmnious rOut. Considering the
number of troops engaged, and the loss upon
either side, the action has a remarkably promi-
nent place in history. The battle was substan-
TALLY religions one, Catholic against Protestant,
and this fact has given tone and color to cele-
brations Of its anniversary. The Orange So
cleties, originating in Ireland and composed eX-
clusiyely of Protestants, were first established
in 1875, and their object was to cOunteract
the influence of the Roman Catholic Societies
-the "Defendersn and the "Ribbon Men,"
1t is unnecessary for US to recall the political
and social troubles which these numerous
and conflicting bodies have occasoned. The
Orange Lodges, broken up in 1886. were
rcsuscItated in 1915, but are still restrained
by law in Great Britain from making public
display of their strength. The order In British
America is under no such restriction, and is
still large and powerful. Tomorrow, in Mon
treal, the annual Orange parade is to take
place, and trouble, 1t is to be hoped needleSsy,
is anticipated. The matter has been for some
lime angrily discussed; there have been night
r. drills. it is stated, of both the PrOtestants
and Catholics many OF the former have come
down from Canada West to participate III the
proposed march, and the fear is that by both
parties deadly weapons will be carried, and
will be used.
1t is proper III advance and in view of any
possible contingency to say, that any riot in
Montreal or anywhere else, excited by passions
which should long ago have been abandoned,
and by preudices which may have had mean-
ing once, but which have no meaning now
would present a spectacle at once mournful
and ridiculous. 1t is nearly two hundred
years since the Protestants won the Battle
Of the BOyne and the Catholics lost IT..
Every human relation has been changed.
Nobody is now compelled to take up arms
in defense of his faith. No Protestant in
the Provinces Is prosecuted on account OF
his religion, and no Catholic Is prevented
from going to mass whenever and wherever
it is celebrated. Every religious denomi-
nation which is old enough to have a
history has its martyrology and traditional
injuries, which it may Indignantly recall if il
plcases to do so. But what would be thought
%
nary TO avenge the decapitatiOn Of Charles the
First What of mob of American patriots
demolishine the windows of the British Con-
sulate in New-YOrk on the Fourth of July ?
Would it not be almost as absurd as if
the Yearly Me ting of New-England Quakors,
casting away its drab coats and its broad
brmmed hats, should go down to Boston on
the 1st of June to extOrt satisfaction for
the death of poor Mary Dyer who was hanged
upon that day in the year 1860
A prejudice, a feeling, sentiment which is
no better than bit of meaningless bigOtry,
and the entertainment and qualification of
which can result i'll no possible good, public or
private but only in evil unmixed and wholly
evil, is unworthy of the civilization of which
the century is accustomed to boast. Any dis
orderly person is unpleasant, and should be
restrained according to the statute in such
case made and provided but person who
works himself into Il homicidal rage about the
quarrels of ancestors who have long since
mouldered to dust is to a certain extent n
lunatic, and should be dealt with accordingly.
WHY should a sensible Protestant march to the
music of brass band, and with banners
Haunting, because n vagabond king whose
family is now entirely extinct, failed ona certain
day to recover crown which he had lost
by the most consummate folyY Why should
sensible Catholic in 1877 break the peace
in behalf of nobody and of nothing, and grow
furious over the loss of a battle, the winning
of which would have helped his communion so
little, and the commemoration of which can harm
it not at all 1t Is shame that there should be
tl,.., q
to be probable in Montreal tomorrow and if
we are only able to tell our readers on Friday
that there have been no disturbances worth
mentioning, we shall keep our good opinion of
human nature in general and of the Canadian
nature in particular.