The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-09-21

q the policy cf No Rent and shattering, q.
u Il were, by an ecclesias tical athundeTbOIt
d the immoral and justifable policy agains
4 which he had protested In vain at Wa'
an act OF rare moral courage, quite a.
4 great IN its way as that which led him tx
4 demand secret ballot on Cardinal Clll
\ lens propositions in the Irish Synod. HI
4 feIt when he had signed the manifesto
4 that he had definitely effaced himself
from the Irish National movement; but
lin this he was mistaken. Impulslve anc
y passionate and sorely tried as were thu
Il Irishmen at that time. there are few WHIT
4 do not today recognize that Archbishop
Il Croke in denouncing the No Rent mani
Il fssto, was more true to the best Interest;
OF his country than were the desperate
j men who in the hour Of frenzy raised tbs
cry Of No Rent.
His next appearance In the political
arena was much more congenial, Recog-
i nizing the immense services which Mr.
4 Parnell had rendered to the Irish peas
i ants and to the Irish nation Archbishop
! Croke wrote "a letter in which he sug-
gested the raising of fund as testl-
I monia to the young Irish leader as a
/ tribute from grateful nation to its he
roic chief. The proposal was warmly
taken up. But by this time the mind OF
1.-THE Pope had been pretty we'll poisoned
| against the National movement IN Ire
land. From his palace-prisOn OF the
Vatican Pope Leo endeavors to the best
Of his ability to survey the distant lands
which form part of the patrimony OF st.
Peter. Unfortunately Pope Leo found,
| like many of his predecessors, that II
was impossible for him to see the land OF
| st. Patrick excepting through spectacles
manufactured on this side OF st. George S
Channel Sixteen Bishops from Ireland
at one time were summoned to Rome.
They sat in council under the presidency
| of cardinal and endeavored to the best
of their poor ability to afford good guild
lance to the Pope and his encourage. They
found, however, that their efforts were
in vain. The mists which Newman de-
clared in well-knoWn passage lur
round the basis of the rock on Whlcn 81
Peter had founded his throne defeated aai
their efforts. Limbs Of Satan IN the per-
son of United Secretaries OF State, to
whom the Irish were merely rebels, block-
ed up all avenues through which words
of wisdom might have penetrated 70 the
pontificaI ear. AS result, when the Arch
bishop of Cashel found himself face to
face with the Pope, there was fine to-
do, On the one side cultured and aged
Italian full Of finesse, subtle sword play
and courtly diplomacy, and on the orher,
sturdy, sresolute, typical representative
of the Irish race.
Archbishop Croke was no courtler. Un
nne occasion he scandaliZed the court
chamberlains almost out of their wits by
accepting the twice repeated invitation
Of Cardinal Anatoli to take a seat on the
couch, leaving to the Cardinal the chair.
This was fearful breach OF etiquette,
which provides that the sofa shall be
occupied by the superior and the: chair by
the inferior. On another occasion, When
the Archbishop was to have an audience l ace
with the Pope, the carriage which had
been ordered did not arrive; nothing loath
he clambered into an ordinary hackney
coach in all his episcopal magnificence
and was driven drought the streets OF
Rome. to the no small scandal of the
clergy and the amusement OF the popu-
lace.
No report has ever been published o.
the conyersation-the fierce debate u
would perhaps be better to call it-Wnlcn
took place between the Pope and the
Archbishop. Here at least they We're on
an equal footing, for whatever advantage
the Pope might claim by his eccles1astlcal
position was more than overbalanced by
the Archbishop's superiority OF local
knowledge and the absolute certainty
with which he was able to speak on many
questions which to the Pope were vague
and dim. Neither Pope nor a hblsn q
would yield one inch From beginning
to end the Irish prelate held his ground,
dealing many a Weighty blow at MS lot
mifabie antagonist, who at last closed the
interview by sayig testify that It was no
use talking; he had issued his orde el a
remark which could only have one mean
ing. The Arch bishop was quick to rec
ognize thatthe BOLT was launched. When
the pope Of Rome issues his orders, the
Arch bishop Of Cashel will be the first to
obey:'' and so saying he left the audience
chamber. after an interview in which he
had done his best to save the Pope from
blunder which the Holy Father was soon
bitterly, to repent. Next morning there
appeared the Papal letter condemning the
Parnell tribute. Great was the jubila,
tion Of the enemies of ireland, but 1T was
short lived. The bishops and clergy We're,
of course, tied hand and foot, In the face
of the Papal orders; and although they did
not venture to disobey those orders, they
did little to conceal their delight when
the faithful laity expressed their determi-
nation to follow the line Of their priests,
rather than that Of the Pope, by subscrlb-
ing twice as much to the Parnell tribute
as what Dr.. Croke had yentured to hope IN
his most sanguine moments.
The fret Home Rule bill was rejected
on the second reading and the country
was handed over TO the Tories. Fora
time there was peace; but the neglect OF
parliament. to pass d bill providing for |
the read ustmnt OF rents, ii view Of the |
great fall In prices and the failure Of the
crops, led TO renewed agitation, which |
In the adoption Of the Plan Of |
Campaign. The Plan of Campaign was q
desperate remedy adopted for 8 sdespe rate |
disease Il DR.. Croke had no direct part or |
lot In the adoption OF this policy Arch-
bishop Walsh was supposed TO be much
more closely concerned in tat is now
known as Mr.: Tim Harring d plan.
But even bishop Walsh had little re-
tn the matte DR.. Croke.t
doubted the policy OF the plan and grately5|
questioned the advisab lily of putting 1t |
into operation on estates whose owners
we're 8wealt enough to be able to face
the loss of the whole Of their rent rather
Than TO give in to what they believed To
,e an unwarrallt demand. Nexerthe-
[ess although he did not approve 81 The
plan he had great sympathy with the l
campaignerR was shown In the hallt
e the palace Of 'Thurles an old water
Droof coat known as the Patriot d, a. mani
he which illiam o, Rrien used toll
rear III the st prn1y a ays hen he was