The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-03-02

Catholics, however, We're not quite
half emancipated in 1929. In late years
Sir Charles Russell was chief justice
of England, but he could not be Lord
Chancellor of that country because of
his religion. Had he lived until now,
and had he been Lord Chancellor, it
would have been extremely distasteful
to him to have administered the anti
popery oath to King Edward ON the
opening of the present parliament. The
Duke of Norfolk, an Englishman by
birth, and Tory to boot, will ofticiate
as Earl Marshal at Edwards corona
ton. but because he is a Catholic he
is Ineligible for the chancellorship OF
the viceroyalty.
1t matters not how King Edward
feels about the obnoxious oath. He
must take it as prescribed until it is
abolished by parliament. Cardinal
Vaughan states that he brought the
matter to the attention of one of the
cabinet ministers three years ago, and
that he wrote to King Edward about
it after his mothers death. Despite
the loyalty of the English cardinal
nothing has been done by way of ex-
punging the offensive oath. This is
quite strange in view of the fact that
all subjects of England of every other
form of belief, whether Christian, Mo-
hammedan or pagan, in all parts of the
realm, are not Disseminated against in
such an outrageous manner. Gold
win Smith, of the Toronto University,
an Englishman and a Protestant,
writes as follows concerning the oath:
Catholics are we'll justified in call
ing for revision of the kings declara-
ton and oath, both of which are
couched in terms highly insulting to
their religion, abjuring transubstantia-
ton, denouncing the Mass and the ado
ration of the Virgin and saints as
1dolatrous and damnable and pledging
the king to uphold Professionalism as
the religion of the state. Such safe
guards belong to the past. The aboli-
ton of the Protestant declaration and
oath, however, will raise a question in
teresting to a curious little clique in
England, though of no practical i'm
portance. The crown was settled in
the Protestant house of Hanover on
account Of it's Professionalism, to the
exclusion of the Catholic line, which
was the elder, and as such had the
legitimate claim. The Catholic line is
perpetuated in the descendants of
Henrietta, duchess of Orleans, the
daughter of Charles l., represented
now by Maria Theresa of Austria,
married to Prince Louis Leopold of
Bavaria. This fact troubled the mind
Of George III. when he was called
upon to consent to Catholic emancipa-
ton. Though cherished by the little
clique of legitimists, it is not likely to
give much trouble now"
Our Mound City contemporary thinks
the coronation oath is "a veritable
mares nest" and that the press of
this country has been imposed upon.
The oath, or "the declaration against
popery." has been already taken by
King Edward con the first day of the
first parliament upon the throne in the
house Of peers" as said by Blackstone
in the passage quoted from his Com
mentaries. 1t was taken by him on
Thursday, Feb. IA, OF the words were
repeated by him after the Lord High
Chancellor. There is no occasion for
him to make the declaration on the
day Of his coronation. Once is enough,
unless the king and his ministers de-
sire to insult the Catholics a second
time.