The Irish standard., 1910-05-07

Punishment or exile" and the Irish
bishops, in an official document III
1850, attest the cruelty of the Puri-
tans, whose practice daily is, and
hath been, to extirpatc the Catholic
religion, and the professors thereof, to
the loss and proclamation of every
thing that is dear to a Catholic, as
also the shedding of prelate's blood,
even to death, and contrary to the
public faith, and the daily persecution
of priests and nuns, and their impris-
onment and Punishment by public
proclamation
In 1641 an act was passed in par
lament to the effect that the "Catho-
lie religion should never be tolerated
act into execution the lords of JUS
tice issued the following order to the
commanders of the British forces in
Ireland: 'It is resolved that it is fit
His Lordship do endeavor, with all
His Majestys forces, to STAY, and de-
stroy all said rebels and their adher-
ents and believers, by all the ways and
means he may; and burn, destroy,
spoil, waste, consume and demolish all
the places, towns and houses where
the said rebels are or have been re-
lieved and harbored, and all of the hay,
and corn, there, and kill and destroy
all the men there inhabiting able to
bear arms
All the subsequent acts of Parlia-
ment and orders of the Lord Justices
are dictated in the same sangulnary
strain. AS an instance, we may cite
the enactment of the Lords and Com
mons: THAT no quarter shall be
given to any Irishman or to any Pap
ist' born in Ireland" The writer's of
the party were animated by the same
exterminating spirit; and, though the
T, soul shudders at the recital, we shall
present an extract from one of the
political pamphlets of the period, that
the reader may fully appreciate the
/ virulence of the Puritan hatred
against the Catholics of Ireland:
II beg upon my hands and knees
that the expedition against them may
be undertaken while the hearts and
hands of our sold:ery are hot, to whom
/ will be bold to say, briefly: Happy
is he that shall reward them as they
have served us; and cursed is he that
shall do the work of the Lord negll-
gently Cursed be he that holdetf
back his sword from blood; yea
cursed be he that maketh not his
sword drunk with Irish blood-thar
and their country dwelling place for
dragons, all establishment to nations.'
1t would be tedious to enter inlo
full details of the cruel determination
by which the army in Ireland sought
to carry into effect the: desires of their
British masters. The whole history
of their sanguinary career may b.
well summed up in the words of the
Protestant historian, Borlase, "the or
ders of Parliament were excellently
we'll executed" The Protestant histor-
ians, Leland and Warner, refer to the
letters of the Lords Justices them
selves for the fact that the soldiers
'slew all persons promiscuously, not
sparing even the women"
And DR.. Nelson, another Protestant
historian, appeals to the testimony OF
officers who served in the Parliament
tary army: THAT no manner of COM
parison or discrimination was shown
either to age or SEX" Lord Osscry, toe
himself bitter enemy of the Cath
olics, in letter to Ormonde, informs
him how the Puritan Lord President
of Munster Caused innocent and gull
| ty to be alike executed" and COM
memorates some instances of barbarc
cruelty for which we would seek in
vain parallel in the fiercest perse-
cution of paganism.