The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-18
THE IRISH UNIHELSITY QUESTION.
WHAT MATTHEW ARNOLD THINKS
Philadelphia Standard.


The Irish University question, notwith
| standing all efforts in the British Parlia
| ment to kill it, or get rid of it without
meeting the just and reasonable demands
of the Catholics, who virtually make up
| the whole population of Ireland, will not
"down," 1t is not ghost, nor a mere
question of septiment, but 8 reasonab Q
demand for the satisfying of real want,
for the abatement of a real injury and OF
gross inj ustice. Hence, whatever expedi-
entS are employed TO evade the question
or get rid of it's consideration, they prove
uuavailing. The attention of thinking
| mon, whether Catholics or non Catholics,
| is drawn more and more TO the subject,
! and, sooner or later, the British Parlia-
ment will have to meet the question, aud
| deal with it fairly and equsrely.
1t ls an encouraging sign when an inhu
ential thinker and writer like Mr.. Mathew
Arnold takes mp the subject. In the last
number of the FortnightEy Revie,O he dis
cusses the question at length, and very
ably. He is not Catholic, and does not
treat it from the Catholic standpoint, but
on grounds simply of general fairness and
Justice. His argument, for that reason,
however, will have all the more weight
with his non Catholic readers. We make
the following telling extracts from his
article
"Even to the most self satisfied Euglish-
man Ireland must be an occasion, one
would think, from time to time, of morti-
flying thoughts. We may be conscious of
nothing but the best Intentions towards
Ireland, the justest dealings with her.
them We may talk with the Daily Tel
egrdph, of our great and genial policy of
reconciliation towards Ireland we may
say, with Mr.. Lowe, that by their Irish
policy of 1868, the Liberal Ministry
of whom he was one, resolved to
knit the hearts of the empire into one har-
monious concord, and knitted they were
accordingly Only, unfortup ateIy, the
Irish themselves do not see the matter
as we do. All that by our genial policy
we aeem to have succeeded in inspiring
in the Irish themselves is an aversion to
us 80 violent, that for England to incline |
one way is suficient reason to make Ire |
land incline another, and the obstruction |
offered by the Irish members in Parlis !
ment, is really an expression, above all, of
this uncomfortable aRtipathy. Nothing is |
more honorable to French civilization than |
it's success in attaching strongly to France |
France, Catholic and Celtic-the German |
to the humiliRting failure of British civil |
cation to attach to Germanic aud Protes |
tSnt Great Britain the Celtic and Catholic |
Ireland" I"
This is plain and courageous speaking. |
As coming from an EDglisbman, and |
spoken to Euglishmen, it should have all
the more force and make them blush for |
shame at the contrast which their bigotry |
and narrow -mindeduess presents to that of
Catholic, Celtic France.
Here is another pointed paragraph in
which the justice of Ireland's demand is
plainly and strongly set forth:
"The Irish Catholics, who are the i'm
mense maj ority in Ireland, want a Catho
lie University. Elsewhere both Catholics
and Protestants have Universities, where