The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-07-14
be glad even Of belated conversions to
the moral necessity Of square deal

pe Sidu even OF belated conversions to
the moral necessity Of a square deal
for Ireland.
Elsewhere The Tablet quotes this
impressive passage from an open Let
ter" of Mr.. Hillaire Belloc, NJ. P, to
Mr.. Masterson, NJ. p, citing the Irish
race as the living argument in favor
of Christianity:
Have you considered the Irish:
Here is a people scattered over the
whole earth; they live chiefly in the
great cities where the influences of
which YOU speak are most strongly at
work. They have been, till recently,
proletarian of the proletarian. God
has distributed them to live among the
worst of His creatures, among the rich
of Liverpool and Chicago and New
York, whom Christ risen from the dead
can hardly save. Can you not see that
the Irish are sign? Their nation ex-
lists. They have territorial base. Their
sacred island approaches every day
more nearly to decent and Christian
government, and they themselves
throughout the world are increasing in
comfort, in influence and in security.
What is yet of greater Importance, they
are increasing rapidly in numbers.
Where there We're none, as in
London or in Philadelphia, there
are now many: where there We're
few. as in Sydney or Melbourne,
or San Francisco, there are now
Il multitude. and soon to be Il
majority. Nor is this people of the
sort that pose for martyrs. They are
not literary Christians; they are of the
faith, cOmbative and eXulant. Their
affairs do not grow impoverished; they
grow daily more Respondent with Of
all the ends of the earth; and almost
in proportion as the Irish are today
wealthy, dominent and governing, al
most in that proportion do they, l will
not say submit to, but proclaim and
blazon that by which mankind may
achieve at last it's salvation"
In other words. Home Rule in Ire
land and the worldly success of men
of Irish blood in other lands will not
diminish Irish zeal for the practice
and extension of that religion with
which it has always been the glory of
the race to be identified.
Much harm has been wrought to the
sacred causes of religion and true lib
erty by the little English Catholic
clique who, having convinced them
selves that it was good for Ireland
to be governed by England, persistent
~ endeavored to discredit the Home
Rule agitation in Rome. 1t must be
always remembered. however, that
Home Rule has had some of it's strong
olics We need hut recall Frederic
Lucas. of O'Connell's day. and Car
dinal Manning. the Marquis of Ripon
Lord Ashburnlam. Wilfrid Scawen
Bluat and Wilfred Meynel of later
time
The intrigue at Rome came to
naught. In fact. it was largely respon-
Sihle for the explicit declaration of
Pope Leo XIII. on the righteousness of
the cause: for lit cannot be supposed"
said His Holiness. that what is per-
mitted to all other nations should be
denied to the Irish" Furthermore,
according to T'Searclaes' life of that
illustrious pontiff, he refused the long
desired English Embassy i'll Rome on
learning that a condition of it's es-
Enlistment would be his condemnation
of the Irish cause.
Yet. very lately. we have seen it
stated by an American Catholic that
Home Rule!
The mischief about assertions like
this is that some i'll Informed per-
sons who never see the refutation and
who for one reason or another are not
sufficiently grounded in religion and
history are troubled, mayhap shaken
in their faith. by notions of religious
opposition to national aspiration.
Any attempt to sow discord between
the Irish and the Catholic Faith is in
famous; especially, when it is made in
the name of patriotism and so insidi-
ously that the poison is working be-
fore its presence is discovered.