Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-19
Ireland Giving the Holy Father the
Gravest Apprehension.
A RESUME OF THE CONTROVERSY.
Both Sides Of the Question Pre-
sented to the Vatican.
GREAT BITTERNESS CAUSED.
Trying to Convince the Pontif of
GREAT BITTERNESS CAUSED.
Trying to Convince the Pontif O
an English Conspiracy.
THE SITUATION IN DETAIL
A Dignitary Explains the Arguments
Used BY the Two Parties in Their
Endeavors to Influence the
Holy See.
Pope Leo and Ireland.

Pope Leo and Ireland.
lCOpHfOht 1855 bu James Gordon Bennett.l
ROME, Feb. 1S.-[New York Herald Cable
SPECIAL to the BEE. England and Ireland
are hard at work again struggling for as
oendancy at the vatican. Great bitterness
has been caused by the apparent success of
the Duke of Norfolk's recent efforts and by
the suspicion that Mgr. Agliardi, archbishop
of Coesarae, and certain Roman prelates are
in the pay Of the British government and
giving information to the London press. The
archbishop Of Dublin, who had an audience
with Leo XIII. few days ago, en-
deavored to convince the pope that a
conspiracy existed in the English press,
fostered and supported by the Duke of Nor
folk. He added that Mgr. Stonor and other
English prelates were endeavoring to obtain
the ear Of the prelate and persuade him that
the Irish cause was, from beginning to end,
an effort to destroy the principle Of authority
by that Of revolution. The home rule propa-
ganda, 1t added, was the overture to separa-
ton. Catholic Ireland would fall into the
hands Of certain American adventurers, affil-
lated to the secret societies Of the continent
Of Europe, whose ultimate end was not the
freedom Of Ireland, but the application of
revolutionary, anarchistic principles in the
most pernicious sense.
A dignitary at the propaganda gives me the
following resume Of the controversy: "At
the propaganda" >" he says, "the Irish question
is known to be giving the holy father the
gravest occupation. Catholic Ireland, by
which Pope Leo means not only Ireland but
Irishmen all over the world, is providentially
marked out as the missionary of the christian
idea. Wherever -Irishmen 60 they
build church and spread the gos-
pei. They support Catholic interests in two
hemispheres Even in England the priests
are mostly of Irish descent. In the colonies
the church would have languished had not
the Irish clergy come to the rescue. Such
being the case, it behooves the vicar Of Christ
| not to crush the national movement. The
other side Of the question, as enumerated by
the Duke Of Norfolk. shows that home rule
is only another word for separation. The
every Irshman is enjoying the privileges of
| a British subject, proves that there is no
inherent principle of the spirit of persecution
| in England dealings with ireland. Moreover,
a party has arisen in England, headed by
Gladstone, prepared to take up the Irish
question in the largest sense. Such being the
| case, and Scotland being as much an integral
part of the United Kingdom as Ireland, it
would be fatal to the interests of the holy
| see and it's Catholic subjects all over the
on the side of rebellious agitation. The
English side further sets forth
that the Irish clergy are gradu-
ally persuading their bishops that the
laws upon ssecret societies do not touch the
sects which are at present existing in Ire
land, seeing their members are practical
Catholics who frequent the sacraments of the
confession and communion and go on prac-
ticlng their religion while doing their best to
disseminate home rule and nationalist doc
trines. An Irishman begins to believe that
he may 60 to the sacraments with a light
heart and yet belong to organizations
which not only come under the cate
CORY Of secret societies but are undoubtedly
affiliated to the sects of the continent. The
discovery Of the act by Mgr. Persico has had
the effect of driving his excellency into retire
ment and causing him to communicate with
the Irish bishops Individually, urging them
not to put the pope in an invidious position
and above all to remember that their pas
toral duties come before all political crusades.
In conclusion, the English party at the
vatican draw parallel between the
action of the holy see in Germany and
its influence for good. Between Ireland
and England no objection can or will be
raised against constitutional agitation. Ire
land has shown that she can make her voice
heard at Westminster, but the time has now
come when she must chose between brain
sick political theories and the rights of
possession by every man calling himself a
British subject"