The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-04-20

cession of reforms; we were able to
point to the last session which has
been, perhaps. richer than the others
We told our people, too, that in this
very significant crisis with which we
have to deal, touching the question
which. as Mr., Devlin has said, is of
course the fundamental question of
Irish politics-our demand for self-gov-
ernment-that when the proposals of
the Government have been formulated
they will be laid, as Mr.. Redmond has
told US, before National Convention.
that the people of Ireland would discuss
these proposals patiently and with the
full knowledge Of every aspect and
bearing OF them; and our friends in
America told us that once the decision
of that Convention is taken they will
at once accept that decision as the Ma
tional decision of our people. For our
part, we were able to give them this
guarantee, that whatever methods,
whatever tactics the collective wis
dom OF the Irish people may think most
feasible and profitable there is one de-
termination at the back of it all-they
intend to fight this fight for Home Rule
out to a finish
. Az: the ENJOYS left Queenstown for
Dublin, they were enthusiastically
cheered. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Mr..
d. Lucey, H. c., and Alderman p. H.
Meade welcomed the ENJOYS at the sta
tion. When the ENJOYS reached Dub
lin they were received on the platform
by a crowd of friends, who extended to
them a warm welcome home.
In an interview, Joseph Devlin,
speaking of the Irish in Australia. said:
The Irish have their proportional share
in the. profe ms. in commerce, and in
politics as we'll as being landholders. 1
saw evidene to refute the calumny
that the Irish were not capable Of Sue
ceeding in commerce. Some of the
most successful commercial men in
Australia are Irish. l believe there is
no country in the world where Catho-
licity is so strong and so powerful.
Churches have sprung up like wildtirc.
and this. to d large extent. is due
to the influence of Cardinal Moran.
and to the fact that nearly all the
priests are Irish. to their splendid or
mia IVA I,
done in carrying on the work of Chris
tian education. AS matter Of fact,
90 perfect is the educational system
carried on by the nuns in Australia
that fully one-fourth of their pupils
are Protestants, and those schools are
maintained by voluntary contributions.
and by the pupils fees, secured by the
Nuns of the various Orders for teach
ing in various subjects. Ninety per
cent Of the Nuns are Irish. or Of Irish
attraction To those Nuns and the Irish
Christian Brothers is mainly due the
devotion of Australian youth to Ire
land, and the .perpetuation and dcvel-
opment OF Irish sentiment.
The Catholic Church is the marvel
and wonder and admiration of the peo-
pie of all other religious persuasions.
Cardinal Moran is not only great &C.
clesiastic. surrounded by a body of
priests and Catholic people who are
bound to him by the warmest devo-
ton and affection, but he is regarded
as q great democratic leader, and at
the last elections his pronouncement in
favor OF the Labor Party. which is the
great Party of progress and equality,
was chiefly instrumental in returning
that Party with a strength that it
never had before. The influence of
Archbishop Carr, of Melbourne-a man
of infinite charm. as we'll as a great
prelate-has also been exercised in Vic
toria in the same direction. The
growth fthe Catholic Church is con-
current with the growth of Democrat
ics ideas. and even the most bigoted
have to bear tribute to how splendidly
NAtnOllclty mas been instrumental in
making Australia the great country
that it is for the working classes. In
al1;the relations with each other of the
Archbishops, the Bishops. the priests
and the people there is a close COM
anunication and d spirit of mutual un-
Outstanding.
AS to the Irish in Australia they arc
more intensely Irish than the Irish at
home. Their wonderful fidelity and
love for the country is one of the
most touching experiences an Irish
representative can have, and 1t is
really an inspiring thing to meet them
and talk to them about Ireland-many
Of them fifty years away. And the sons
and grandsons to the third and fourth
generations are as proud of Ireland
ard as anxious to help her as even
those who have only recently come out
to the country.