The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-05-12
THE POPE'S REsORIPI'.

It appears to us that altogether COO
much Importance has been attached TO
the text of the Pope's decree against
the plan of campaign and the practice
of boycotting, methods which it must
be confessed have rendered valuable
service to the Irish tenants during the
past year. We have read the rescrlpt
carefully and fail to see anything in it
that would make a good Catholic a.
worse Catholic by neglectin5 to obey
the order. The methods employed by
the Irish Parliamentary party have not
been condemned, and the Pope, doubt
less, basing bis opinion upon what con-
stitutes an honest contract in other
countries, tells the Irish bishops and
archblshops Ito advise and eyhort the
! clergy and laitY not to 1ra2sgress the
bounds Of Christian charity and justice
while they are striving for a remedy for
5ileir distressed condition."
| The decree, has without doubt at
tracted more attentio than any utter
ance Of the Pope of late years III mat
| tiers concerning Ireland, and we deeply
regret that it should be used as a
| weapon to fling mud at the visible head
Of the Catholic Church by those who
entertain anything but friendly feelings
towards the Church, Or Ireland for that
matter His Holiness knows as we'll as
well as anybody that the Irish people
have been reduced to the present 'fdis-
tressetl condition." by the Ubiquitous
landlord system prevailing in Ireland,
and knows equally as well that every
Irishrnan worthy of the name will pur
sue the fight against oppression until
the bitter end whether the means Of
doing so are found to be embodied in
the principles enunciated by the plan
Of campaign OF some other plan equally
AS eficacious. misrepresentation
undoubtedly led His Holiness to issue
the decree, and the manner III which it
has been received will probably lead
him to examine Ireiand's case more mi
nutely, aud he will then see for himself
| that he has been deceived and that Jhe
reasons advanced for opposition to boy
cotting and the Plan OF Campaign were
untenabIe ones. The decree stated that
| theiustice Of its decision would be read.
lily recognized by q rent agreed upon by
mutual consent, Without a violation Of
a contract cannot be- dimInised az the
mere will Of the tenants, especially
when there are Tribunals appointed for
/; settling such controversies and reducing
unjust rents within the bounds of ed
atty, after taking into consideration
the causes which diminish the value Of
land. This will be accepted by every
body as just, but no one will admit for
for moment it is an exact statement
Of the Irish case The Irish tenant
does not enjoy liberty in entering Into
a contract with the landlord, for the
latter dictates his terms, leaving the
tenant TO accept OF the alternative Of
starvation, in fact it is starvation
to either accept or refuse; therefore the
tenant cannot be said to be a free agent.
Then again the land courts ara con-
Quoted in the interests Of the landlords,
and that Justice which might be ex-
pected from tribunal of this descrlp-
ton in any other country but Ireland
is mere farce. This will certainly be
clearly explained TO the Pope by Arch
bishop Walsh. who is NOW in Rome and
who is the greatest champion OF ten
ants rights Ireland has ever
produced The manner in which the
leaders Of the Home Rule movement
have received the rescript leaves room to
hope that the Nationalist cause will not
suffer in the least, but rather be ben
Gifted by the investigation 20 which
the whole situation will be submitted
by His Holiness.
This talk of Ireland's blrthright being
barteerl away for mess of pottage is
arrant nonsense, and was not star ted by
any person friendly to the Church OR
Ireland.
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