Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-07

lndIgns Protest Against the Ae'
ton of Bishop GIllm our. of Cleve"
land, Ohio.

SAVANNAH, June 5-EditOr Morning Meas:
The following item was clipped from your
telegraphic columns Of last Saturday:
"CLEvELAND, O., June 2.-Bishop Gill
mour has written q letter to be read In all the
Catholic Churches of this diocese st mass
next Sunday morning accommodating any
Catholic lady who shall hereafter attend any
meeting OF the Ladies' Branch OF the Land
League, or become a member thereof. The
Bishop denounces that branch as calculated
to make Draw ling politicians OF women,
and declares that membership therein is
incompatible with womanly modesty."
This announcement sounds somewhat
strange at this period of our civilization. It
reads like an emanation Of other times and
other climes, perhaps few centuries back,
and in the region OF Mahometanism, where
the reasoning faculties of women, however
virtuous or otherwise, were, 1t is said, re-
ligiously denied By the faithful to have any
existence worth recognition. II Mahomet
taught this, it was no more than
what prevailed almost everywhere In
his time. We have, let US trust,
graduated out Of that imbecile
tyranny of the barbarous ages, the restors-
ton of which Bishop Gillmour is now so
fondly dreaming. His attempted despotic
ukase, however, Is of more than ordinary
significance to American citizens OF Irish
birth or descent who may be members OF the
Catholic Church, seeing that 1t comes from
one who rules over that portion Of 1t COM
prfsiug the Diocese # Cleveland, o. They
see how unscrupulously he uses the religion
entrusted to his care IN order to degrade the
people whose misfortune it is to live under
his sriritusl charge. In common with all
Catholics, am reluctant to say anything
against one in his position, but when he so
far abuses his spiritual authority in giving
his spiritual support TO that naked villainY
called Irish landlordism, what respect or
forbearance can he claim?
That system of plumber and robbery, Of
which be volunteers himself an advocate,
stands exposed to-day to the deteststion OF
all good men yet be strains his power In
denouncing as immoral and sinful for Irish
Catholic ladies to charitably aid ard assist
those people of their kindred so cruelty
plundefed aud oppressed by that NOR strous
roguery-calling them "brawling poiiti-
clans" for so doing.
Surely no honest Irishman of any spirit
can listen patiently to such degrading in
suits thrown on the virtuous women OF his
race for doing exactly what the Saviour
couuselled on this earth. If Bishop Gill
mour is correctly reported it is utterly i'm
possible to reconcile his conduct with
the character of good man. These
really good ladies were, it seems,
engaged IN work of charity
purely, and If the Christian religion
excludes chart y, then 10 the name of God
what is It? If It does not exclude charity,
what is Bishop Gillmour Why, at the very
beginning charity was the foundation stone
OF Christianity. II IS so still, for without it
the structure would crdmble to dust. With
out the cultivation and exercise OF this pri-
mary virtue our social system could not hang
together. Yet Bishop Gilmour Re probstes it
as sinful and bad, and thu deTs the
most terrible anathemss OF the church
against those who practice it from the
most pure and honest motives. With his
motives we have nothing to do; we only
know him as q Catholic Bishop.
OF course he is a ScOtchman, who was
converted to the Catholic Church at a ma
ture age; he is of that class of Scotchmen
who worship the English crown as the
siucerest part of their religion; he has
evidently carried this with him into the
Catholic Church, which gives him very
awkward position among Irishmen. IN
doubtedly he has perfect right to eDj0y
his preiud'ces as he may see fit, but to ex
erclse Them as law where they are opposed
to religion, to justice and to reason, he has
no right. NJ. j. DOYLE,
President of Land League, Savannah, Ga.