The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-03-14
Idle to Deny That There is q Religious
Sentiment in Atmosphere Of
Irish Situation.
Lands of the Catholics Were Confiscated
by the Crown and Given to
the Protestants.

The leading article In Donahoe's
Magazine for March, entitled, "Ire-
lands Coming Day." is contributed by
Mr.. John ]. O'Shea, the able editor
of the Philadelphia Catholic Standard
and Times. From it we copy the fol-
lowing passages:
1t is idle to deny that there is a re-
ligious sentiment in tho atmosphere of
the Irish situation. The brawllng
brook which begins the majestic river
nfuses its quality into the waters all
along its course. 1t cannot be forgot
ten that it was by religious persecution
that the land Of Ireland passed into the
hands Of alien lords. A large Catholic
population was exterminated In Nun.
ster, by famine and the sword, simply
because Of their religion, and the lands
of the gentry were bestowed by Eliza
beth OH English Protestant adventur-
crs. This first plantation" as It was
called, was followed up by far more
sweeping one by the worthless son of
Mary Stuart. He finished the Munster
tragedy by "plantlng,' an English COL
ony of Jail birds in the midst of the
Catholic population, surrounding their
settlement by strong wall, and mals-
ing the place the borough of Bandon
Bridge. famous thenceforward for the
most deadly nnimosity to everything
Irish and Catholic.
1t Is essential, III order to obtain q
clear view Of the whole question ut ls.
sue, to survey 1t in its historical light.
1t Is too often left out of sight thnt
English law OH land-holding In Ire
land Is thing Of comparatively brief
duration and modern experiment. 1t
may astonlsh many to learn that it
was only toward the end of the six
teenth century, In the reign of Eliza.
beth, that the ancient system of ten
ure. as laid down in the Brehon law,
was finally swept away and displaced
by the feudal code introduced by the
Norman conquerors of England. The
old law ruled up to the gates of Dub
lin Castle, oil through the period of
the Pale, and 1t was not until the de-
feat Of Feach Hugh O'Byrne, the VIC
tor Of Glenmalure, that it was extin-
guished In Leinster. Previous to that
event, Judges "going circuit were
Obliged to take cognizance of the Bre-
hon code In cases involving questions
of tenure and title. Under this code
the land was the property Of the tribe
at large, the chief, as matter OF dig
nifty, possessing q larger share than
any of the others, but not an inordinate
one. At death the land was divided
among all the children, much as under
the Saxon law of Gavelkind. Under
the fcudnl law of the Norman con-
qucrOrs the system Of prim0geniture
and entail changed the ancient equit-
able rule into the barbarous one of
all the land over to the eldest
male heir and leaving all the other
children TO live by their wits or their
vices, or whatever way they might.
The Irish chiefs who exchanged their
proud old tribal designation Of "The,"
which signified headship in the clan,
and was hereditary changed the old
land law also, on the first opportunity,
in many cases, for that of the "Sas-
senach," but it was not until the brave
Wicklow tribesmen were obliged to
succumb to superior force, after a
struggle compared to which that Of
Scanderbeg against the Turks was on
ly skirnlish, that the banner of Eng
lish feudalism doated over the whole
ravagcd country, outside Of Ulster. So
that three hundred years is the whole
term of that system which has been
habitually spoken of as though ages
had LEM it sanctitv which it were