The Irish standard., 1909-05-22
|PLA|N TALK FROM CARDINAL MORAN
The Australian Prelate in an Interview Declares it Es.
sential That the New Catholic University be
Throughy Hbernian.
NATIVE LANGUAGE SHOULD Be MADE C0MPUL ULSORY
Explains Why Cardinal Newman Great English Convert
Utterly Failed at the Head of the Old
Catholic University.

are two streams. so to say, of ancient
languages. which have various branch
es: The Chaldean stream. with its
wonderful development Of 13abylonian
and Hebrew. and the Aryan, or Indo-
European stream with it's countless
branches. which embrace most of our
modern European languages. The aim
of present day philologsts is to find
the common source from which these
two streams have flowed. and. in so far
as progress has been made in these re-
searches. Celtic is precisely the only
source from which both can have
sprung. Hence. say. the greatest pos
sihle literary advantages, must be de-
rived from the study. of the ancient,
Celtic tongue, and 1t is a singular
thing that not only in some Of the Eng
11sh universities. but in all the German
universities. In Italy, and the United
States of America. special chairs ha%a
been instituted for its study.
There is no. reason. why Irish na--
tionality would not ,be quickenea ~
the revival of the Celtic language as
living tongue. and the example have
taken from the Czech national devel-
opment justif1es tho hope that ths
Irish language will become once more
the living language of our race.
"As far as I am aware; great prog
ress has already been made in tho
Irish secondary schools in. the cultf-
walton of the Irish language and dare
say most OF those aspiring to tmatricu-
lation would be sufficiently equipped
with the Irish language to make ia
vorable examination. Still admire
the wisdom and prudence Of the senate
to allow nnatriculation at the outset
without insisting on the language as
compulsory subject"
What influence is the new univer-
sity likely to exercise on Irish life?''
the Cardinal was asked.
THAT would depend very much on
the attitude and tone and atmosphere
Of the national university. My hope
is that 1t will set the highest ideals be-
fore the people, and that its students
will be led TO pursue those ideals in
the true spirit and in the genuine at
mosphere of Irish nationality. There-
fore, / look on the national university
as leading the way to restore to the
Irish race it's high fame for renown in
all the paths of learning and sancti
ty attained in the early centuries Of
Irish faith.
THE whole history of the Catholic
University In Ireland has yet to be
written" continued the Cardinal. "The
question was taken up with greatest
enthusiasm after the Synod of Thuries
in 1850, and vast sums were subscribed
throughout Ireland, the United States
and Australia to support the, new insti ;.
tuition. The first difficulty that pre-
sented itself was to secure: q rector
whose name and fame would be rec
ognized not in. Ireland alone, but In
all Christendom. The first person se-
lected was Monseigneur Cruise, Pres-
ident of the Ecocle des Hautes Etudes,
who was regarded as leader in the
literary schools Of France. Being the
son of Irish. exiles, he would naturally
be looked to to fill so important a post
in the land of his fathers, but he was.
so engaged with the development Of
Christian studies in France that he
could not resign his charge. The
thoughts Of leading scientists at home
and abroad were then directed to Dr.
Newman and Justly SO, for in the Eng
lish- speaking world his name and
fame were quite unsurpassed. Yet the
Catholic University in Ireland must be
regarded as the great failure of New.
man's life, and I consider it proceeded
from four causes: ,.s@s
"The first and most vital cause was
that Newman, with all his literary
tastes and marvellous genius. was .
~ Il m + fN