The Irish standard., 1902-11-01
THE LATE JOHN BOYLE o'RE,LLY.

Our esteemed contemporary, the
Leader Of San Francisco, Cal, edited
by the Rev. p. G. Yorke, takes up an
article in the Messenger for October,
on Catholic Congresses in Germany,
in which surprise is expressed that
similar gatherings are not held in
America, says the Boston Pilot. The
Leader makes occasion forthwith for
stiff lecture on the dearth of Cath
Ollie public life in America, and puts
the responsibility for the lapse of the
Catholic Congress on John Boyle
O'Reilly:
'Some fifteen years ago we had Il
Catholic Congress in Baltimore and
we never had one since. The reason
was in the first place the objection of
the ultra liberal crowd lest they might
offend their non Catholic friends. John
Boyle O'Reilly it was who put this ar
gument and put it well. His influence
it was that killed the Congress idea
with the so-called liberal wing. The
Puritans did well when they took up
O'Reilly and patronized him. He did
more than Cromwell to un-Irish the
Irish. He may not have meant it, but
his eyes We're closed to the fact that
Anglo-Irishism is a kind Of English
ism, not kind Of Irishism."
John Boyle O'Reilly was indeed pres
ent at the first Catholic Congress in
Baltimore, thirteen, not fifteen years
ago, and was the poet Of the opening
Of the Catholic University of America,
which Immediately followed it. AT
the Congress, however, though he par
ticipated in the discussions, he neither
presented a paper nor made a set
spec oh. Tie WAS more prominent in
the meeting preliminary to the second
Catholic Congress, held in Boston In
July, 1890, at the time Of the meeting
Of the American Archbishops in that
city, and his extremely practical sug-
gestions rs to the topics which might
profitably engage the attention of Il
congress Of Catholic laymen were well
received by Cardinal Gibbons and
other distinguished churchmen in at
was Il second congress. the Columbian
Catholic Congress, held in September
1898, in connection with the Worlds
Fair.
But Father Yorke puts graver re-
sponsibility on Boyle O'Reilly, and
with equal injustice. Liberal, indeed,
was the lalnented dead beyond any
of his assailants, in charity and cour-
tesy to friend and foe alike; but not
image with religious doctrine and prin
ciples. He was a practical Catholic,
proud of his faith and outspoken in
it's defense, and his paper, the Pilot,
in the matter Of Christian education
and other topics which are touchstones
of Catholic orthodoxy, was in the fore
front Of the Church's champions.
We know not what Father Yorke
means by accusing Boyle O'Reilly Of
Anglo-Irishism. If it is defect of Irish
ism for an Irishman, who had suf-
fered Imprisonment and exile and
rsked life itself for Ireland, to pre-
sent the Irish cause and oppose Anglo
mania, in an English-speaking CON-
munity in good vigorous English, then
was Boyle O'Reilly as guilty us Dan
lei O'Connell, Or as Parnell, or Davitt,
or Dillon, or Redmond, of later day.
Patronized by the Puritans! Who
ever dared to patronize Boyle O'Reilly?
1t was George Parsons Lathrop, son
of the Puritans, and a convert to the
Catholic faith, through Boyle O'Reilly,
who rejoiced to confess his debt to the
latter for liberating him from the mar
row traditions which were his hertz
age.
CANDIDATES FOR CONGRESS.