The Irish standard., 1906-01-27

'1AAv4 0sS AVVVs n.f is57i5
the historic castle walls. The highest
honors were paid to the dead states.
man, whose career opened as a re-
porter on a small newspaper and his
name is revered by people Of all de.
| nominations all over the Dominion to-
day.
Mr.. Curran's article is we'll worth
reading, and not the least interesting
part is the following letter, written by
the dead statesman, at the time the
storm of criticism and religious big
otry was being showered upon him.
The letter speaks more than a vol
ume. it shows the calm. rugged soul
Of Canada's statesman, and we can
easily understand the great and Won
derful character of the man who stud
led faithfully the doctrines of Mother
Church and later practiced these doc
trines as humbly as the lowliest of
her members:
The letter follows:
My Dear
Words cannot express my apprecia-
ton Of your great kindness in writing
! to me, as you did, about the extraordi-
nary attack made on me by DR.. Doug
lass. The noble words of your rela-
tive, too, We're great comfort, and
made me realize how many there may
be among the 100000 for whom DR..
D. claims to speak, who have too
much Of the Christian spirit to follow
his uncharitable judgment on one of
whom he knows absolutely nothing.
have many indications of the same
kind from my own Province, where
my life was spent until the last seven
years, and there no enemy, political or
otherwise, ever breathed of me any
one of the SANDERS which the doctor
has twice uttered in the West. One
acquaintance, writing from Halifax a
few days ago, declares that in the
Methodist Church, where I worshiped
when a youth, there are very many
who have referred to these TRADES,
but that every one has condemned
them; and that if I were to run an
election in Halifax tomorrow, the
great majority of the congregation
would be at my back, as it always
was. Every reference to detail in the
Doctors two addresses was absolutely
false-the Bible class was myth. I
never taught any but class Of poor
children who were learning to read.
AS to the rapidity Of my conversion
-"as sudden as the widest Saliva
tionist''-I had been attending the
Church Of England and Roman Cath
olic services exclusively for upwards
of four years, and reading all Of con-
troversy could get my hands on, and
finally yielded only when to believe
and not to profess appeared to be
wretched cowardice. The occult rea-
sons'-what could they be? I did
not know one r. G. prelate. I had
very few Catholic clients-no tnhuen-
tial friends Not my marriag. rela-
tions---1 had:sS made the acquaintance
of my wife after had resolved tc
makea~the change; but I had been
married year before the change oc-
CURED, as did not want st to ap-
pear as though had turned" in or.
der to be married. My wife brought
me all the joys and blessings that
have made my home happy for twen-
ty-two years, but not one dolla., o1
money. In fact, I believed the day
of my baptism was the day that close,
my chances Of professional advance.
ment, or any other. felt that ha6
| but one resource left-h.y Shorthand
at which I knew could support
my wife and myself If matters came
to the worst. But felt that there
was no use in putting all this before
the public, in answer to DR.. Douglas
and that it was better to stand or eai
by the certain right which had, tt
declare that these were not alters
| for public discussion, but matters Of
! conscience only. If I had discussed
them I must have added, that aft.,
more than twenty years Of experience
! and consideration, wou,i 90 again
| If it were necessary, what I did then
and do it thousand times, II neces.
! sary, even IL all the blessings ana
+, prosperity which have had were