The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-12-29
THE "WHITEHALL9 CALUMNLAToR

| THE "WHITEHALL" CALUMNLATOR,
| Dublin Nation.
| The following very effective letter bai
been addressed by the young gentlems AZ
whose name it bears to the editor ef the
| Whitehall Revie,C, but it is only throwing
I away good writing and good argument tC
| send them to so mean, cowardly and con
/ temptible a creature:-
A writer in the Whitehall Reuie,o of this
| date seems to entertain the view that the
Irish people are incapable of making good
Catholics, or, presumably, good members
of society at al, because they are "ioath-
some," and are "utterly devoid of con.
science" This is a serious charge, and
ask your permission to refute it in the col
umns where it was made. Comparisons
are odious, but the reckless assertions OF
ignorant writer's sometimes render them
necessary.
1t is we'll known that no people have
suffered go m uch for conscience's sake as
the Irish-none lees than the people OF
England. All the power of England-all
the force of a penal code which Burke
described as g "machine of wise and elabo.
rate continuance, and as we'll fitted for the
oppression, impoverishment and degrade.
tion of q people, and the debasement in
them Of human nature itself, as ever pro-
ceeded from the perverted ingenuity of
man"-could not stamp out of the Irish
nation the religion of their fathers. De-
spite persecution to which history pre-
sents no parallel they remained steadfast
to the Faith of their conscience"
How acted the Engiieh people in this
respects OF all the nations of Europe
this country alone seems never to have
been stirred up by that spirit of religious
zeal and thought which animated the
world during the great revolutions of the
sixteenth century. Whilst in other lands
Govern nments we're fiercely opposed, wars
waged, and many deprvations endured by
ing the principles to which they were
attached, the English glided into Protest
antism, and out of it, and into it again,
with an instability of purpose and an
elasticity of "conscience" at which the
Huguenots might we'll he appalled, and the
Catholic peasautry of Ireland stand aston
ished aud aghast. "DuriDg the twelve or
(which followed the death of Henry VIII.
the religion of the State was thrice chang
ed. Professionalism was established by
Catholicity was restored by Mary,
Protestantism was again established by
The faith of the nation seemed
to depend apon the pereonal inclinations
of the sovereign. No English
city braved sword and famine for the
reformed doctrines with the spirit of Ro-
chelle, or for the Catholic doctrines with
the spirit of Paris. Tie English
after several years of domine-
tion, sank down with scarcely q struggle
u oder the tyranny of Mary. The Catho-
lice having regained and abused their old
a>cen ndancy, submitted patiently to the
severe rule of Elizabeth. Neither Catho-
lies nor Protestants engaged in any great
aud well organized scheme of resistance. A
few wild and tumnltuous risings, suppress
Ell es soon as they appeared-a few dark
corepiraces, in which only small num-
ber of desperate men eDgaged-such were
the utmost efforts made by these two
parties to assert the most sacred of human
/ IigLts, attacked by the most odious tyraa-
ny"
Is it necessary for me to cite further in-
stances to provo the religious Indifference
-tbe want of "cor rscierce"-of the Eng
lish people7 Has not their position on
religious questions been very properly
compared to the situation of those "Bor-
derers whom Sir Walter Scott described
with so much spirt 7"-
Who sought the beeves that made their broth
In England and in Scotland both"
I must not trespass further on yonr
space, but trust / have said sufficient to
satisfy your contributor that it does not
lie with his countrymen to accuse any peo-
pie of being devoid of conscience, and
least of all the 'loathsome Irish."-I am,
sir, y our obedient servant.
R. BARRY O'BR1EN.
Temple, NoU. 80, 1873.