The Irish standard., 1892-01-02
PREJuDICED PEOPLE.
That is What the People Of England
Are on the Home Rule
Idea.
IN MANY WAYS
There Are Religious, Party and Traditional
Prejudices Which Time Alone
Will Eradicate.

! The English are a .prejudiced people
They take long time to be converted
to a new view. No matter whether i
be in big things or in little things, tht
English are such creatures of habit thai
they always associate danger with in
novation. When the great Reform Bill
was before Parliament, half the nation
was of opinion that "the utter destruc
tion of the Constitution was only 8
question Of a few years or few months
When the Bank of England was init
ated, most of the wiseacres prophesied
that the Crown and Parliament would
become supreme over the national
purse strings; SO that henceforth there
would be only one big bank, out OF
which the Government could help them
selves as they liked. When Catholic
| Emancipation was in the air, and when
at last it was brought down to terra
! firma. three-fOurths Of the nation tOlled
their bells over the death OF Protestan-
tism. or at the very least looked for the
"relighting of the fires of Smithfeld. -
That all these terrible prophecies were
nfulfIied-that those things which
were thought to be national curses
turned out to be huge national benefJs
has been an experience which has not
opened Englishman's eyes to the slow
ness of their own native apprehension.
They are as conddent-a good part of
them that Home Rule in Ireland would
mean the s'death-blow to the harmony
of the Empire" as their forefathels
were confident that the great Reform
Bill would shake the Throne, or that
Emancipation would put and end to
Protestant liberties. - zts-sr"e-- Z {
There may be said to be three grooves
of prejudice against the giving back of
Home Rule to Ireland, There IS, first.
traditional prejudice, which is an in
herltance by the present generation of
the delusions which have been national
all through the century. Let it be
granted-so runs the popular postulate
that an Irishman is not fit to govern
himself; that he is too emotional, senti-
mental and 1mpulsive; that, as Cath
olic, he is superstitious and dreamy;
that, in the language of Mr.. Lecky,
the history Of Ireland is chiefly inter
esting as study of morbid anatomy,
because the Irish are always morbid
when not petulant, or always revolu-
tionary when not crushed; so chat,
speaking kindly, the best thing to be
done for the irish (who, by the way,
have been bullied for TWO centurles) is
to give them Lord Salisbury's whole.
some remedy. "twenty years OF resOlute
government. These are what may be
called traditional prejudices. They are
all on a par, in point Of trutbfulness or
Intelligence, with the deep earnest COZ
victions of the Old opponents Of the Re-
form Bill, of the old opponents Of the
institution of the Bank of England,
and of the old opponents Of Catholic
Emancipation. Next comes what may
be called party prejudice. H0re we
have the interests of a political party
set against the stern demands Of justice.
Toryism wants Jingoism, wants "the
integrity of the Empire wants the
name and sound Of the s'union of Great
Britain and Ireland'' not caring a PIN
for what may be the wishes of the Irish
nation, any more than for what may be
Just in reparation. Thus Toryism, as
Stunning a false principle to be true
one, proceeds to shape all its belief to
its assumption; nurses it's prejudice in
regard to historic falsehood as much as
IN regard to race.sentiment; and reads
every fact in Ireland with Coercionist
spectacles, so as TO justify its own ma.
]ignant behavior. Party prejudice. po-
litically, is the multiplication Of all
other prejudices by its interests in the
returns Of the consti tuencies.
But next comes prejudice which un.
questionable is domlnent, and this to
IN all classes, high and low. Perhaps
unconciously, or half concious Y. yet
certainly supreme|y, religious pref judice
takes the lead IN opposition. There il
great excuse to be made for English
men in this matter. They positively
know nothing of the religious history
of Ireland; and, until lately, have
known nothing Of the Catholic religion.
Their hand books on Irish history have
been SO carefully seasoned for the Prot