The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-01-04

| in morals The pagan religion had little
| effect on morals. It was a religion with
out Taosality. The Roman faith was new
| er a source of religious enthusiasm. Ihe
| barbarian invasion assisted the chlrch
| in purifying the morals. There is ut
| tie doubt that the Catholic reverence for
| the virgin has done much to elevate ana
! purify the ideals 'of women and to soften
the manners of men. And then he
|ynaiyely adds that mixed marriages-t1at
| is. marriages between persons OF differ
| ing faiths--have done much to remove
the rancor Of hatred and to smooth the
asperities between the deyotees OF creeds,
SO that the continued existence of those
aninaosities may be traced to clerical
teaching more than to any other infiu-
enca.
In the. division of the Christian church
the feminine tyne remained with the
Catholics, while the masculine went with
the Protestants. The former teaches its
communicates TO throw themselves ut
teriy OH authority. It is the part OF Wc-
man to lean The latter taught vigcr
and self care It is the paTr OF man to
stand alone. "Puritanism is the most
masculine form Christianity has yet as
sumed.' .,., ~
Lecky covers more than thousand
lsyears in the history CT morals, and he
closes the priceless labor with the sen
tace. There are Certain eternal moral
landmarks wf:ca can never be lost sigAt
or
Almost Immediately on the completion
t1oI lrfh
/ work, which tells the story of his gradual
political change of heart. It was called
1.-The History OF England in the Eight
eenth Century" and was in eight vol
umes; appearing from 1878 to 1890 1t
has, like his other works. been published
time and again. Keeping in mind man
sentiments when, az youth. he told OF
the leaders of Irish public opinion IN his
first work, it rs curious To walton the effect
Of his London residence OH the teachings
of the last. In fact the three last vol
umes of he history are not history or
England at ALL but a review OF the state
Of affairs in Ireland. In all that period
from 1888 to 1900, when England was
playing so important a part i'll the at
fairs of the world-4in Egypt, in lidia. at
home and OF the continent-he leaves
the mother nation unnoticed. and contin-
ues to fill his pages with the state of Ire
land. e'
He consesses ne had intended to close
the work with 1898, but seems to have be-
come interested in the task of adjusting
his political creed with his facts, CT his
facts to his creed, and so he works on to
the close of those succeeding seven years.
1t is all good and valuable. But it is pre-
cissly counter 10 what he believed and
Taught in 1861.
Unlike Macaulay, who was always par
itisan, or Hume, perpetlally colored with
bias whenever religious affairs were
treated, Leclly goes to the records and lets
them speak for themselves. True, he had
better opportunity than at the beginning,
and it may be his Change of morals" came
simply along the lines he had laid out
with an enlarged knowledge. In Dublin
castle there repOsed when he began his re-
searches under the patronage OF the Tory
leaders two great packing cases filed and
crananed with records. They were marked
ed. "Secret and confidential Not to be
opened" But he was permitted to OPEN
them. And from them he gathered the
data which made him doubt that willing
ness Of the Irish to rise even when Wolfe
Tone brought French troops and arms to
E,edr shores. These papers covered the
lpeI'Uu lIOIu LOO W loUO, duu WSIS uSVei
opened until 1867. In them was the secret
correspondence which told Of lreland's be-
trayal by IrisGimen.
The idea OF union between Ireland and
England was not new. In 1903 both
houses Of the Irish parliament asked the
English queen to effect a legislative union.
Many efforts were made in the same diIec-
ticn later. Many students, aside from the
politicians, advocated it. Adam Smith
believed that by no other method could
Ireland be governed at ALL And Leoky,
the author of Leaders of Public Opinion
IN Ireland" seems to have finally agreed
with him.
w. H. e. Lecl6y has always been
charming character. 1t is said of him that
his attitude in reading, and even in writ
ing, is to lie at full length on a rug be-
fore CRATE fire. He may have abandoned
this in later years, when youth gave place
to maturity's sedateness, but it is doubt
full # he has abandoned his original habit
OF slliting his own ideas of convenience.
Charming as a conWersat:onaiist, he IS no
less powerful as a speaker and forceful as
a writer. For many years he has been an I
adherent of the Conservative cause and one
Of its most valued defenders In no sense
a politician, his weight has nevertheless
been felt. And when the old college from
(which he graduated long ago was LETT I'M
represented in parliament, through the ell
ovation Of Mr.. Pl1nkett to the peerage, the
general thought Of his later party turned
to MIN as candidate. Trinity had given
him honors before. In sending him to
parliament he felt he would honor her in
RETURN. And he doubtless will
The later literary fork of the man has
been in keeping with the high promise of
his youth. AS he is yet far from old, it is
probable he Will again contribute to the
riches of EnglisG, books. But if he should
write no more he has established a per-
manent place in the literature of the
world. s .,