The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-14
THE IRISH PEOPLE At H0AE AND
ABROAD.
Boston Pilot.

Boston Pilot
It ia q mistake to discuss any subject with
out properly understanding it. This mistake
has often been made by English writer's upon
Irish affairs, and the Nesr York Herald, which
ought to know better, now falls into 1t, IN re-
viewing "the futnre of the Irish people," The
HerGIds apeculations upon Ireland and her
people betray q sad lack of aconrate knowl-
edge on the subject discussed. Starting with
the assumption that the best part of the Irish
poople is the part which will never again
mako Ireland their homes it goes on to say
that those who have emigrated from Ireland
swers euperioT, morally. iptellsotnaiiy' and
feft behind" :" end continues 1.-THE vast Irish
emigration operated like o sieve, the -four es
Gaping to America, while%he bran was left in
Ireland"
This 10 little better than nonsense. Admit
ting that Ireland has suffered q terrible dePle-
tion by emigration, that . large part OF her
beat material-the brain aud sinew of the
oountry-has been drained off in this way, the
fact remsins that Ireland still posseSses just rs
good material as she has lost. Every person
familiar with the condition OF Ireland today
knows this to be true. The present generation
of Irishnen at homo is fully equal, morally,
intellectually and physioelly." to the genera
tion before it. Instead Of emigration having
drawn of the best element of the country, it
was mainly q channel for the passage of the
poor. Il was chiefly those who could not lind
meane to live at home-the impoverished and
lands The bulk of the middle class remained,
end is still there, and this class is acknowl-
edged everywhere to be the most valuable part
of any people. Ireland is relstively stronger
in this element now than she ever was before.
Hsr farmers, artisans, tradesmen and manu-
fScturers have done better in the past fifteen
years than they did at any previous period.
Such indnstries as che is permitted to foster
have advanced rather than reoeded. Irish brains
are serving Ireland as intelligently to-day as
they ever did. So far as material progress 10
an evidence Of national spirit and energy, Ire
land certainly does not suffer by comparison
with other countries. The fact that she is
further ahead now than she was thirty years
tie very best proof of this. The msteriel OF
the present population 10 not INFERIOR IN any
sense to that of the population before the
heavy emigration drain began; moreover, tne
drain is checked at last, and the Irish people
at home are now increasing in number, after
q wasting decrease that ran through twenty
Ave years.
outside of Ireland, are not the only men Of
our race who have the capacity to rise. Irish
success in the United States, for instance, In
pose that the men who have achieved it are o.
q better class, ''moraly, intellectually, and
physically" than the stock from which they
.pFang Is simply abs9sd: The stook ss a. hom:
fruit. Men succeed in life there as well 81
here, the chief difference being that here the
field is larger, aud the opportunities better
Given the same conditions in Ireland thai
prevail in the United States, and the genera
tion now there would send as many men to thu
front as can be counted in the same ranl
here. The virility of the Irish race has mo-
diminished, and it certainly is utterly wrong
to aseurne that all its choice product has de
parted from Ireland, leaving behind only th'
inferior part.
Coming to the political division of it's sub
iect, the Herald thinks that mo discussion o
the Irish problem is Intelligent, that leave
ont of view the fact that 8 majority OF irish
men, consisting of men who carry IN tnel
veins the best Irish blood, have bid hna
farewell to their native country. The meJorit
of the Irish race, comprising its best ability
as well as preponderance OF numbers. nav
no longer 8 personal, but only ssntimenta
interest in Ireland"
utterly wrong again. The interest of tn
mass of eXpatrfated 1rishmen Ia their natlF'
country is more than continental 1t is keer
earnest, and practical. They want lrelan
their own sake as well as hers. Hundreds o
thousands of them would mako any sacri ihoe L
their power to aid her. They would rathe
return to Ireland and help to build up her ex
hRusted strength, if they had any assurance G
succeeding, tbBn remain upon even the hospit
able shores OF America. Love of country ma
be only sentiment in o people W hose hra
thought is of themselves, bat in q thorough
are attached to their native land by ties OF th
deepest and most unselhsh affection, besid
which any mere sentiment is but sham. T
serve IRELAND practically aud generously is &c
great desire of thousands of Irish heart
throughout the world. We are surprised this
journal, which ought to know so much bel
ter, treats the Irish question as the HeTGl
docs. Its assumption that 1ftshmen who hRV
left their native country no longer have pc
sonhl interest in Ireland and do not really cal
what its future may be, ia utterly unWarran
ed, and not at all oreditabls even TO an ord
nary intelligence.
In the Diocese of Treyes, Germany, there 81
all