The Irish standard., 1898-06-18
CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION ACT.

| been sympathetic and consistent ad-
| yocate of Irish self-government as pro-
! posed by the late Mr. Gladstone. Dur
ing the past decade many articles on
Irish topics, appearing in the editorial
| pages OF our esteemed contemporary,
Irish Standard. Some Of the Journals
| editorial utterances on the Irish uues-
| ton would have led one to think that
they were written by an lrishman OF
| natlonallstic principles. But some
times the Journal inadvertently falls in
to error when discussing an Irish qucs-
ton, as it did the other day when reply
ing to the Irish Standard. We asserted
III Il recent issue that England has never
granted the just demands of Ireland ex-
cept through fear or intimidation, and
to support that statement We said
| The Duke of Wellington. when prime
minister of England, passed the Catholic
Emancipation act for which O'Conncll
had labored for years, not from Il sense
| of Justice. but to avert Il civil war. Ire
! land then was stronger and more united
than it is today. and King George shed
tears when attaching his royal sigma
turc to the bill"
The Journal. by way of reply, says:
| But. certainly. the act of Catholic
| Emancipation Of April Is. 1929, was not
passed through fear or intimidation.
| The eloquence of O'Connall alone lid
not bring about the reform or the i'm.
crease of Irish members of the British
commons in 1882
The only authorities we have for
ready reference to substantatc our as
sortion are the late A. H. Sullivan, Nj. p,
and John Mitchell. the Irish historian
The former in his STORY of Ireland"
says: "O'Ccnncll went on. rousing The
people into ono mass OF fierce earnest
ness and enthusiasm, until tho island
slowed and heaved like a volcano.
Peel and Wellington threatened war.
Coercion acts followed each other in
quick succession. Suddenly there ap-
pcarcd a sight as horriiic to English
oppression as the hand upon the wall
to BelshazZar--lRlSIl REGIMENTS
CHEERING FOR O'CONNELI.. Then,
indeed. the hand that held the chain
shook with the palsy of mortal fear.
Peel and Welington-those same minis
ters whose special platform was resist
Mi, inn
down to the house of commons ami told
the assembled parliament that Catholic
Emancipation must be granted. The
Man of the People had conquered
Now let us hear John Mitchc., the
Scotch-lrish patriot In his History of
Ireland he says: TO assent to an act
of justice seemed to George ~ like he
loss of his dearest hearts blood. He
cndeavoled to get rid Of the Wellington
cabinet. and to form a new ministry,
which would pledge itself not to do
justice. But in this he failed. Sir ROB-
ert Peel and the Duke were almost d
rcctly charged with being agents of the
Pope of Rome. However. the bill passed
through its two first readings in the
commons, and the third reading was
passed on the Both of March by major
ty Of SO. Next day it was carried to the
house of lords. and on the second Of
April, it's second reading was moved Ivy
the Duke of Wellington. who made no
scruplc to urge its necessity in order to
prevent civil war; Sir Robert Peel, in
his argument for the law, had been Jess
explicit and straightforward than the
Duke--hc had only said the measure
was nccdful to prevent great dangers
and public calamity After violent de
bates in the house of lords, lasting
several days, the bill was passed third
time, and passed by majority Of lO4.
1t then received the royal assent, and
what is called Catholic Emancipation
was an accomplished fact"
Had we time and space we could give
the Journal other reputable authorities
to show that this long -deferred justice
to an oppressed people was cXtortcd
from reluctant king and parliament
through Gear of civil war which they
were not ready to srapple with at the
time. The fact that Irish regiments had
cheered O'Conncll in his constitutional
agitation for religious liberty added
tremendous force to his eloquent APP
pcals. 1t was the same with Grattan
when demanding free trade and egisla
tive independence in the last century.
Though Il subcrb orator. probably lie
superior of O'Ccnncll. his eloquence
would have fallen on deaf ears had he
not 10000 armed volunteers to enforce
his claims. AS Thomas Davis says.
When Grattan rose. none dared oppose
Tho claims he made for freedom;
They knew our swords to back his
words
Were ready, did he need them.
AS for the other installments Of lus-
tice granted to Ireland by the Liberal
party under Mr.. Gladstone. the Journal
is substantially correct. The late states
man. however, discstablished the Irish
church from fear of Fenianism. and ii