The Irish standard., 1901-03-16
IRELAND'S PATRON SAINT,

of the twentieth century, occurs to-
morrow. AS usual, the Irish Standard
deems 1T appropriate to make q few
remarks on the day to be celebrated
by the children of Erin and their de-
scendants the world over. Our adult
readers may already know what we
Shall say, but they must remember
that what is familiar to them may be
new to the rising generation. There
fore it is that on every recurring ami
versary of Ircland's patron saint the
same old story is repeated substan-
TALLY for the special instruction of the
boys and girls of the Northwest who
belong to the Irish race.
The mission of st. Patrick in Ire
land was complete success from a
religious point Of view. In the course
of his lifetime he succeeded in con-
verting the inhabitants from paganism
to Christianity, and his achievement
was unique in that the transforma-
elOiA NuN tlSSoIulliSllC "llIlOuI llJ cl-
fusion of human blood.
In all other countries where Chris
tianity has been planted, the mission
aries have been prosecuted and slain.
Ireland is the only exception among
tho nations; but centuries after the
death of ST. Patrick the blood OF mar
{n.pc II I.nl
failed to do in the fifth century was
done by the English thousand years
later.
During the sixteenth, seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries, Protestant
England prosecuted the Irish more
cruelty, If possible, than the Romans
prosecuted the early Christians. DR..
Samuel johnson in 1913 said to Bos-
we'll, his biographer, that "thcre is no
instance, even in the ten prosecutions,
of such severity as that which the
Protcstants Of Ireland have exercised
against the Catholics" During the
century Of gloom which elapsed from
the violation Of the treaty of Limerick
to the time Of Grattan's parliament,
the Irish Catholics had no rights which
Protestants did not deprive them of.
Edmund Burke, n Protestant himself,
declared that the penal laws enacted
against the Irish Catholics were the
most CALLING and the most odious that
ever emanatcd from "the perverted in
genuity of man." Bancroft, the Amer
lean historian, says of them: by the
laws Of William and Anne, st. Patrick
himself, in Ireland, in the eighteenth
century, would have been felon."
The English. Notwithstanding their
boasts Of religious equality, have been
the greatest prosecutors of modern
times. They made religion a pretext
to rob the Irish of their property, but
had the Irish been Professionals, like
the Beers, they would have robbed
them Just the same. Their motto then
as now was might Makes Right"
The more the Irish were prosecuted
the more they chung to the faith of st.
Patrick. They lost everything they
possessed, but they retained the faith
and prayed for their prosecutors.
Some Of their rights have been re-
stored to them, but the Protestant mi
Iority In the island have rights and
privileges that are yet denied the
Catholic majority.
In modern times English writer's
have said that st. Patrick was a Prot
estant, despite the assertion Of Ban
croft that he would have been felon
In Ireland in the eighteenth century.
They say that the Irish church which
he founded was not in communion with
the See Of Rome, though he had re-
ceived his commission from Pope
Celestine. They say many other nom
sensical things of st. Patrick which do
not deserve any serious consideration.
All their talk about st. Patrick being
| a Protestant more than thousand
years before Professionalism was born
is not worthy Of attention, and so we
will let it pass.
Not only did the English prosecute
the Irish children Of st. Patrick, but