The Irish standard., 1894-09-15

they should receive compensation from
the state for the secular results achieved
Should that be granted at any time the
demands OF the Catholic body will be il
Q great measure satisfied. They have
never asked for more
II suppose your eninence has no rea
SON to be dissatisfied with the social
condition OF the Irish Australian
.No. The Catholic body are mostly
Irish, or OF Irish descent; but we have
representatives from almost every coun-
try. I.eould not very veil say what pro
portion OF the unemployed may be Irish,
but don't think the Catholics are more
numerous, or 80 numerous, in the ranks
OF the unemployed as other denomina-
tions. For instance, in the Pitt Town
labor settlement and in other efforts that
have been made to relieve the unem-
ployed, as far as can learn, the proper
tion OF Catholics is about the same as
our numerical proportion IN the census
of the country. The last census, that oi
81, makes us little more than 25 pei
cent. Of the population Looking to the
public position of the Catholic people
they are seen to be able to hold their
own in all public offices, in the profes.
sions, and in the private and commercial
enterprise Of the country"
We then exchanged views on the pres.
ent position of Ireland, and the cardinal
said: "The Irish in the colonies and
| colonials of other nstionalities acquainted
with the position of affairs in ireland are
quite agreed that some form of home
rule must be granted to this country. A
great many may have different views as
to the details; some find fault with Mr.
Gladstone's measure, just as many a,
home regarded some OF his proposals as
unworkable; bat ali agree that some
form Of home rule must be granted to
the people" a."
| "a prominent statesman" T said
"Wrote to me some time back to the effect
that Home Rule would be message OF
peace not only to Ireland, but to the peo.
pie of the British colonies" 49,. r.
"The people are already united here,''
he remarked, with the exception of
those who are known as the Orange
body, but they are few. The Catholics
and Protestants, in all religious, social
and phllenthropic movements, are most
peacefully united, and am happy to see
that our leading Catholics show anxiety
to promote that happy concord. don't
think the Home Rule question will affect
these relations in any way. The great
majority Of our Protestant citizens have
as keen sympathy with justice to Ire
land as any of our Catholic citizens.
"Ihe Irish Australian natives" the car
dinal added, "are as enthusiastic as the
most ardent lovers of Ireland that have
| come direct from the home country.
They know the wrongs that Ireland has
suffered; and they rejoice that at the
present day there is such public sym
pathy throughout Great Britain with the
efforts to redress those wrongs"
/ referred to the anti Popish plots
which have lately been attracting atten.
tion in America, and the cardinal said
"We have quite different class of peo-
pie here from those who wage war against
the church in the United States. The
United States for many years received
not only very many excellent citizens
but, against the oountry's will, a great
deal of social scum of Europe When
the various revolutions were put down,
in 1S4S and 1649, the enemies of all SO.
ciety and of all religions made their way
in thousands to the United States. And
ever since the scum of society in Italy
France, in Belgium and in Germany, not
to say Great Britain. have endeavored to
plot against the church in remote parts
OF America. 1t is fully verified in them
what one Of the old writer's says: You
may change your sky, but your principles
and your dishonesty remain the same.
But here in. Australia we have the ad-
vantage. We are too far away from the
home countries for many such men to
| find their way hither, and we have a
strong government, to deal with those
scoundrels. am glad to say that our
Catholics disassociate themselves entirely
from such men. For instance, q few
years ago, during the celebration of her
msiesty's jubilee, efforts were made to
get up some anti-social demonstration in
Sydney, but it proved complete fiasco
They mustered all their strength at 8
public meeting, and heard subsequently
from one Of the leading representatives
of the crown in Sydney that not Catho
lie Irishman was to be found at the
meeting"
''Of religious sentiments in Australia
what" / asked, sis the opinion Of your
eminence?o
"Undoubtedly," he replied, Sin The
Protestant church, with its various de
nominations, there is general feeling oi
Indifference. Some leading Protestant
holding responsible places OF trust il
their respective churches, Ia eonversa
tion with myself, showed that they hai
no sympathy whatever with the distinct
doctrines of the Anglican constitution
i for instance. with the divinity nf ou