The Irish standard., 1907-06-29

AS for the Irish Devolution bill. it
| is admitted that nobody liked it. and
| mat only since its rejection has any,
pody mourned it. Even Tories Knocked
1t as concession to Irish demands of
| the very slenderest sort, and asked
who was to be satisfied with it. Es-
| pecially it was scorned as an applica-
tion of the policy Of confidence to the
irish question. since so many precau-
tions had to be included to prevent the
elected representatives of the Irish
people from doing something wicked.
The Protestant minority must be given
appointed members in addition to
those they could elect from the few
constituencies they still control and
the appointed Viceroy must have an
absolute veto over everything the ma
! tional council should vote.
The Liberal.>apologies for the meas
ure are rather, abuse qf--the- -risht -neo-
pie than defenses Of the measure 1t
is said that Mr.. Birfsesll did his best"
and was unhandsomely treated by a
country to which he wished we'll. 1t is
even alleged that this defeat has
darkened his political prospects, since
nothing succeeds like success. He
should have known that nothing is so
fatal to any Englishman's reputation
as the attempt to govern and legis-
late for Ireland according to British
ideas. The familiar spirit. whom Ma
chael Scot set to twisting ropes out
of sea sand, and who is toiling at it
to this day. as you may see when the
tide goes out. had an easier job laid
upon him. And not an inch beyond
British ideas did Mr.. Birrel get in
drafting this abortive measure. 1t
proceeds on the principle that what is
! good for Ireland is Just what England
! finds it convenient to grant to Ireland
that and nothing more. Behind such
| measures as his lie not right reason
and natural justice, but inveterate
English prejudice against the Irish
people, their race. their creed, and
their ways. The Irish have no busi-
ness to be Celts. to be Catholics, to
be bright and quick witted when their
lords and masters are neither.
Naturally this leads to the old cry
that Home Rule means Rome Rule"
This the Dissenters were charmed into
ceasing by the influence of Mr. Glad
stone, but they have gone back to it.
The Irish people have no right to self
government, because they adhere to
the Church of their fathers, instead of
adopting the English creed! They have
no right to manage their own affairs,
for they would oppress their Protest.
ant neighbors abominably. Who ever
heard, asks the British Weekly. Of a
Catholic majority that was fair to a
Protestant minority? Are we to take
Ireland and it's history as illustrating
the superior fairness of a Protestant
majority to a Catholic minority? But
the direct answer lies near enough.
In 1880 Catholic Belgium was cut
loose from Protestant Holland. Every
attempt was made to nfame Prot
estant opinion against the Belgians
in order to defeat this wise measure.
and especially it was predicted that
the Catholic majority in Belgium
would oppress the Protestant majority
in that country. But with the estab-
lishment of Belgian independence re-
ligious animosities came to an end.
and the Protsstants of Belgium en-
joy the fullest religious liberty. and
would resist any attempt to subject
thor country to it's neighbor to the
North
In Ireland the only public question
on which difference exists on relig-
ious lines, is the character Of educa-
ton. Cn this the majority of the
Protestaats are in entire agreement