The Irish standard., 1897-11-27
DISPLAYS HIS ASININITY IN A LEG.
TURE ON IRELAND,
NJ. c. LENIHAN MAKES REPLY
AN ABLE REPUTATION OF FALSE
UNWARRANTED CHARGES.
IN RE EDUCATION AND IN1EMpERANcE
THE CALUMNIATOR OF CATHOLICS
A DOCTOR OF DIVINITY,

At a meeting Of the Epworth League,
recently held in Marshalltown, Iowa, q
Protestant minister named Van Ness
delivered lecture on Ireland, in which
he stated:
1. That the land Of Ireland is poor.
2. That the people are uneducated
3. That there is in Ireland no ade-
quate system of public instruction.
a. And that 1.-The three RS, Rum,
Romanism and Rebellion" are the
causes Of these disadvantages
On reading his tissue of falsehoods
and Misrepresentation, Rev. Fr. M. c.
Lenihan, pastor of st. Mary's church, I'M
medlately announced that he would re-
ply to DIR. Van Ness, and he did so be-
fore the largest mixed audience that has
ever gathered in that city. Fr Leni-
hans address was quite lengthy. The
following synopsis is taken from the
"Statesman-Press:"
You know, kind friends" began
Father Lenihan, that am not in the
habit Of noticing every fling from press
and pulpit against our religion. When
such fellows as Paddy Welch and Chin
iquy strike the town we know they
simply come to gull the guys. and we let
| them pass unnoticed. We treat them
as all fakirs of filthy literature and IL
| centlous stories should be treated. But
! when preacher Of one Of our city con-
! gregations announces a lecture on Ire
land and sums up their distinct Pc
culiarities, everywhere visible and es-
| pecially in the southern part, in rum
!. Romanism and rebellicn,' it is time to
call halt and investigate. He truly
| said that this Internal ALTERATION
worked disastrously in a certain politi-
cal campaign, and knowing the people
| OF MarshalltoWn better than he does,
| 1 can tell him that his vicious repeti-
tton of 1t will not materially improve
his religious campaign here. Such ar
| guments may answer In Cedar Rapids,
| Or whatever burg he hailed from the
other day, but in this city they don't
| fill the bill. No sir! We have here an
enlightened, Christian, representative
| American people, who, like all true
Americans, love fair play and ask no
| favors. We want to know the whole
! truth and will not accept sweeping as
| PERSONS and assertions for arguments
"I want to know is characteristic
| expression of many of our honest, In
| quiring Americans. 1t is to know the
| whole truth that you have crowded this
church tonight On the other side of the
water, the first and last admonition is
'dontcherknow.' They, like the rever-
end doctor, always want to tell you
something whether they know it or not.
Last Friday evening Rev. DR.. Van
Ness in his free lecture on Ireland
said, that it was only one-half as large
as Iowa; that the land was poor; that
the mass of the people were shiftless,
uneducated, prone to drunkenness and
rebellion, and wound up by saying Of
course they are Romanists.'
"He further adds, a baptism, bur-
ial. marriage, mass, everything
there is nothing free in the Roman
church in Ireland. AS a sort of climax
| to his wise judgment he terminates his
very, very, weary wall by saying: Ire
land is today scarcely able to govern
| ITSELF In regard to the last assertion
l simply say he is of the same opinion
as every bigot Orangeman and tory the
world over. In regard to the ouner as
sertions claim and will prove, that the
learned doctor is in total error in every
| count.
"Really, if he were not of the cloth,
would question if he. ever saw Ireland,
much less read single book on that
subject. But he says he put his foot
on it-no doubt with hop, skip and a
jump-between trains-so let us take
him at his word.
Nov, am 1 qualified to make such
criticism? Yes, l think l ought to
be so qualified My parents were Irish,
for which l thank God, therefore can
sympathize with my ancestors. l was
born in this glorious state of Iowa, for
which l am equally grateful to the AL
mighty; therefore l can make compari-
sons with Americans without my loyalty
or love of country being questioned.
know the history Of Great Britain and
Ireland and I am familiar with the
laws, doctrine and discipline Of the
Catholic church. Therefore l am fully
competent to point out the fallacies and
| failures Of Rev. Mr.. Van Ness.
First of all l would remind the rev.
erend lecturer that the words Roman
church and 'Romanist' are simply nick
names for the Catholic church and ite
members, and is used only by certain