The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-11-02
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL. SATURDAY NOVEMBER

MIN NllAIJ
such policy or such wish. Therefore
we have to look at the whole question
from point Of view entirely different
from that which was still permitted to
Archbishop Whatelv. What are the
principles on which, according to public
opinion In Ireland, settlement of this
question of university education can be
effected? Archbishop Walsh makes
this very clear. Thereare three possible
ways. There might be one State,recog-
.njzed university for Ireland, with all
properly qualified colleges affiliated to
it. OF course that one university would
be the University of Dublin Such a
scheme would naturally and necessarily
involve considerable modification in
the constitution of that university, and
would involve also an endown ent for
great Catholic college in Dublin in
order to put it on something like foot
ing of equality With the Protestant
Trinity college. A second scheme
would be the formation Of two State
rec0gnized universities in Ireland
Dublin University being one, so recog-
'nized as to take within its shelter the
great Catholic college in Dublin as well
as Trinity College; and the other the
RoYal University, to receive the stu
dents under tile system Of mixed edu
cation. The third plan would be to
have three State recognized universities
in Ireland Dublin University, avowed
ly Protestant and Episcopalian; a Cath
Ole university, with Catholic college
IN Dublin for it's central seat; and the
third university for the Presbyterians
and Protestant Dissenters, the central
Establishment Of which is found ready
to hand in the Queens College at Bel
fast. ] am not going to discuss the re-
l..tive merits Of these three plans. NV
object in writing this article is not to
get into any controversy as to the best
way of approaching q settlement Of the
question Of university education in Ire
land My purposeis only to show what
the question is. anG to leave my readers
to infer for themselves whether it IS
really question which is likely to- be
sattled satisfactoril by the -Imnerlals
Parliament at Westminster. At Que
time it was feared that: a Catholic
.university, however literally endowed
and well managed, would for many
years have too hard a competition if set
to contend against the long established
University of Dublin, with It's teaching
system of centuries fostered by all the
favor a State could give But what
Archbishop Walsh is justly entitled to
call the splendid success Of the Cath
school-boys and students in the open
competitions carried on for some years
past under the auspices of the Royal
Unlve1 sity, has shown that the Catholic
schools and colleges need not now fear
any rivalry. Therefore, many Catholics
who were convinced that, while c0mpe
tition among colleges meant gradually
rising standard Of education, competi-
ton among universities would mean a
standard gradually lowering, are now
of opinion that a Catholic university
could lift it's standard as high as that
of any educational body in the land. It
can never be settled without State en-.
dowment to purely Catholic institutions.
Is it likely that this principle would be
accepted by the Imperial Parliament?
Could Mr.. Balfour carry any measure
honestly embodylng and fairly estab-
fishing such principle? is it not all
but certain that he would be compelled
to adopt the principle which John.
BRIGHT used to say was the principle of
all Conservative reforms-tO give with
one hand and hold back with the other?
Mr.. Balfour will find his 'sNO POpery"
friends and allies rather hard to manage
where there is question of endowing
q Catholic university in ireland. He
icals against him; he will have many Of
the Irish Protestants against him.
Then how about the Irish Nationalist
members and the Irish people in gen
erall Would they 60 with him and
against Mr.. GladstOne9 4 j have read
great deal of wild, alarmed. discourse
concerning the expected breach between
the Irish Nationalists and the English
Liberals on this subject. 1t actually
amazed me to see the seriousness with
which nv friend Mr.. Davltt has ex
pressed himself on the possibility of q
surrender BY the Irish National party
of the claim Of Ireland to Home Rule
and of the alliance Of the Liberals Of
Great Britain for the sake Of sham
measure Of university education ia Ire
land. read all this with astonishment.
Can man like Mr.. Davitt really sup
pose that there Is one single MEMBER Of
the Irish party in Par1iament, or one
single Nationalist, arch bishop, bishop,
parish priest or curate in Ireland who
would surrender Home Rule or COM
promise with the Tory Government for
The sake Of any university education
measure2 WhY, we are within sight Of
Home Rule; aud W,en We have got that
W. can give ourselves a far more salts
factory measure of university education
more satisfactory to all classes
and all Recommendations than Mr.. bal
four could possibly carry through the
:Imperial Parliament. Me. Gladstone,