The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-08-29
IN BELFAST and DERRY.
Brutal Treatment of Catholics by
Ulster orangemen in
Other Days.
Putting Them to Death Without
friercy on Land or Driving them
.s Into the Sea.
More Cruel Than Even Cromwell
Was in His Bloodthirsty
Wrath.

Wrath.
In.the long and intolerant centuries Of
the past, in which the Catholics of Ire
Land have suffered untold wrongs from
the,Sparty of Protestant ascendancy, no
other cities have figured SO conspicuous
1y3 In the infliction of sectarian guilt as
have the two above named. Wries Will
lam Ellison in the Union and Times.
In the dread years of penal persecu-
tion in the past, Belfast has been noto-
tiously outrageous in It's treatment OF its
R0man Catholic citizens. 1t made no
pretense at all to treat them as fellow
creatures or fellow subjects having equal
rights. and liberties before the law. The
municipal authorities did not give de-
cent civic position TO single Catholic in
dividual out Of population of $4,000.
Nor did Protestant residents OF any rank
Of class make the least effort to show the
Celtic element any of the courtesies or
amenities that belong to civilized society.
Cn the contrary, Catholics were barely
permitted to live provided they yielded
tn3aN the wrongs. Insults and outrages
that. could be heaped upon them. Any
attempt at resistance or defense was
twisted into an act OF conspiracy or re-
bellion on the part Of the abused Catho-
Iics, and that dishonest pretext gave the
ultra-loyal Orangemen a plausible OK
cUsse to Wreak vengeance upon the poor
helpless Catholics. In periods OF tumult
such as arose when the Gladstone govern
MAnt: tried to pass the Home Rule bill.
and actually did pass it in the House CT
Commons. the frenzy Of the Orange big
OTIS knew no bounds. From fostering
spots like Bally1naca,Tett the wrath Of
4maddened frehrands spread throughout
the city and even into the shipbuiidlng
yards, where the unoffending Catholic
workmen in the employ CT Harland and
Wolff were driven into the sea. In this
typical instance of slaughter and outrage
the enraged tyrants did not even, show as
much mercy as Cromwell did, for he
gave. the elected Catholics of Ulster their
choice between hell and Connaught,
whereas the present-day bigots Of Bel
fast did not give their fellow-workmen
tlle choice between cruel dea1 h, on land
nrslroWhing In the waters Of The Loeb.
This fact plainly protss that the ad-
vancing spirit of this civilizing age cam
not soften religious prejudice. or tame the
brutal instincts Of men who deliberately
place themselves outside the Ch1.!stianiz~
Ing influences Of religion and Justice.
= Readers who are not familiar with the
partial modes of dealing out law and fair
play in. Ireland, may ask, "Do not the
Queens constitutional enactments have
full operation in the great city Of the
North?' Most certainly; English law is
In full force in Belfast and in Derry. But
what Catholic charged with g. crime,
either real or imaginary, would expect
even-handed justice from local bench
Of Orange magistrates, mostly landlords
or artstocratic squires, who have a nat
ural and traditional aversion to the very
name fof Catholic prisoner? 1t may
never be known till the day of general
Judgment, when the Supreme Judge will
reveal the !niquities of Belfast magister-
ial Fbenches-how much CALLING injustice
the Irish Catholic people of the" Northern
Athens have suffered by the tainted and
based decisions of so-called justices of
the peace. before whom they were unjust
" arraigned. These structures refer, of
course, to the great turbulent, intolerant
Orange city of the centuries past. OF
alnte years it has redeemed itself some
what, for Mr.. Thos Sexton was elected to
Psrliament for one of its divisions some
years ago, and in the present year a mu-
h.cipal arrangement has been devised
aud granted by act OF Parliament
through the instrumentality Of, which
the Catholics of the city will get at least
some share of municipal privileges and
citizens rights.
Derry, the historic Maiden City, on
The Foyle, is almost an exact counterpart
be the one above described, with this Diff
y >o< w
tatiQn Of Derry was relatively larger, and
better abe to hold it's own on occasions
when Protestant intolerance forgot itself
1 ayfd vent stark mad with sectarian hat
red; and excitement. Such periodical out
bursts have been seen at the annual
Shutting of the gates" and the absurd
pranks of the prentice boys" and the
sstap aI1Tender'' proclamations of these
Keep alive the unhappy memories Of 1888
But even In this ancient stronghold of
religious bitterness and intolerance, So
ciaI conditions have greatly changed
within the past twenty years or less.
Professionalism still boasts of it's by-gone
achievements and yet aims at it's old
E,me ascendancy but its fictitious power
: is fASt fading away and the Catholic
reputation, under the fostering care Of
the eminent bishop Most Rev. DR.. o.
poherty, are coming to the front, ieIig-
lonsiy, educationally. and commercially.
{ ktspFesent they number overhaul the en-
y inhabitants of the town, and in the
4SfHre they need have no apprehension
3bSEstheir lives or property will be put
4 1 jeopardy by the fanatical outbreaks
y 3fs e. 8 prentice boys," "Orange True
] Blues,s{ or others in their wild celebra-
lions Of past events
II The political strength Of the Catholic
eiTnent was shown In the, election of
III. Justin McC Carthy a few years ago,
] 1sswsn as in the. late return of Mr..
! Knox, the present Home Rule member.
ISie growing strength of esNational-
fssli1as aroused the fear and jealousy
i 6k. ne Eoercionist party which recently
Z Tpt ashill passed in parliament to scat
1ef the Cat tholic electors in the various
i SESa4lssm the city, so as to rob them Of
4 4 lSi 0f$ their civic and political rights.
q thiS Is only the d wing effort of
ggefaSe mt ascendancy which has been
{. .llS5 31nk allowed .to infifct tlnmerited
\ IfIilas upon the Catholic pea santr Of
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