The Irish standard., 1902-05-10
Commons a better parliamentarian, a
man more skilled in debate. more re-

Commons better parliamentarian, a
man more skilled in debate, more re-
lentless in argument, Il man more fear
ed had almost said hated-by the
treasury bench and by his opponents?
Mr.. William O'Brien is, practically,
from cause which every lrishman Ia
ments, out of the fight Mr.. Sexton
has disappeared from public life, to the
infinite loss of Ireland and of the
House of Commons. Mr. r. p. O'Con-
nor is still with lis, perhaps the most
versatile of all the party, and certainly,
with the exception of Mr.. Redmond,
the most accomplished orator and de-
batter. Mr.. Blake. who relinquished IL
great position in Canada to stand by
his country at home. grows old, but
his eye is not dimmed, neither is his
natural force abated. Compare these
men with the representatives of Ulster
aye, with the representatives of any
part of the United Kingdom. re-
member. during the heat of the home
rule struggle, Mr. Chamberlain remark
ing to me that. Notwithstanding the
grave risk the province of Ulster ran,
it had produced no real native-born
| leader during the crisis of it's fate
The problem always and ever pres
ent to the mind of the statesman in
this corner of the kingdnm has been
complicated and greatly intensified by
some comparatively modern grOwths
and developments. The Orange society,
for example, is a great factor in the
life of Ulster am not concerned here
with either the history or the prirci-
pies of the order. 1t is said by it's sup
pOrters to be based upon the word of
God. Orangemen are declared to he,
when true to their principles. the fol-
lowers of Him who went about doing
good-bOund by solemn obligations to
love and to help their neighbors with
out regard to sect, creed or party. Ac-
cording to the rules of the organiza-
tiOn, Orangemen ought everywhere to
be examples of liberation in a dark
and intolerant land. This may all. in
theory. be true, and the ideal of the
founders Of the institution may have
been what have sketched, but when
all this is admitted. it is equally ccr-
tain that no society, processing such
noble principles. has ever been more
sadly or more completely misunder-
stood. that no body of men have ever.
apparently, been ut less pains to en-
cmplify these principles i'll their public
lives. And if the founders of the inst-
tuition aimed ut universal brotherhood.
their failure has been complete and un-
questionable. Too often. in it's history.
the Orange society has brought. not
peace, but the sword Too often it has
produced, not love. but hatred; not good
feeling, but bitter animosities.
And who are these people who fight
the squalid battles on the streets of
Belfast in the name of Professionalism?
Protestants. forsooth! If the truth
must be told, they rarely enter a
church door; they never subscribe Il
siXpence for THE furtherance of any
form Of religion: they below on the
streets about the Pope, and about the
Protestant religion. The public house
is their temple; the publican is their
great high priest. They preach a gos-
pei Of hate and of hatred that would
disgrace a race of savages. a gospel of
which the Christian religion knows alb
solutely nothing. This is the spirit
which distigures the great northern
capital. and discretlits the entire PROV
ince. It's grosser exhibitions arc almost
down. and one or two similar centcrs:
but the spirit of the thing is every
where throughout the province. 1t
takes innumcrable shapes. but hatred
of Popery. aud even of 'Papists," is
everywhere.
remember in one of my election
campaigns. being called upon to dis
cuss the Catholic university question
with more than ordinarily Intelligent
farmer. We argued the question in
and out, and after l had driven him
from every stronghold of prejudice. he
'Xclaimcd: "You know. sir, what them
Papsts are. They must be kept down
" we cannot live in this country"
This is the whole sum and substance
Of the matter. The spirit of asccmlency
is ut the bottom of it all. Equality Of
rights and of citizenship cannot be en-
'lured. 1t was of no avail for me to
tell my friend and constituent that
had lived in Roman Catholic city.
under Il Roman Catholic municipality.
and that | was sensible of no griev
ance. 1t was enough that tho dreaded
'PapistS" were getting their heads up.
Nothing is really possible until the
| spirit is allaycd. 1t ought to be the
| aim and object of all good citizens to
Get rid of it ut any cost and at any
| sacrifice.