The Irish standard., 1911-12-02
HELPING THE CAUSE
Canadian Protestant Minister Believes
In Home Rule.

Canadian Protestant Minister Believes
In Home Rule.
The following letter was recently
sent to John Redmond by an Irish
Protestant minister of Canada:
Dear Mr. Redmond:-Will you kind
ly add the enclosed small contribu-
tion to the Irish National Parliamen-
tary Fund. AS an Irish Protestant
the son of a clergyman of the Dis
established Church and myself a cler-
gyman of the Anglican Church in Can
ada am glad to take this oppor-
tunity of associating myself with other
Irish Protestants who have disclaim-
ed any BELIEF in the cry, raised partly
in ignorance, partly to serve political
ends, that Home Rule would mean loss
and persecution for the Protestant
minority in Ireland. Though I have
lived in Canada for the past nine
years I was born and brought up in
the heart of the Protestant corner Of
Ulster and afterwards lived for nearly
ten years In Dublin, and have always
kept in touch with Irish life and Irish
affairs. And I am only stating abso-
lutte facts when l say that l have
never known of any act of intolerance
on religious grounds on the part of
the majority in Ireland. Such iso-
lated cases of intolerance as 1 have
come across have been, I regret to
say, on the other side. Such religious
animosity as may exist in Ireland is,
In my opinion, the direct outcome of
the system of government, or rather
Of disagreement, which has so long
been an incubus on the country.
The policy pursued by successive
English governments of playing off
one set of people in Ireland against
another was no more calculated than
it was intended to promote unity
among Irishmen of different creeds.
The tendency of the minority to cut
themselves off in every way from the
sentiments, social and literary, as we'll
as national and political, of their fell
low countrymen naturally intensified
the division, as did also the fact that
in the main the landowners were of
one creed and the tenants of the other.
With the advent of Home Rule and
the completion of land purchase these
causes of division will be removed,
and Irishmen will find no more diff
Guilty in cooperating in the service of
their common country, while agree
ing to differ on points of theology,
than do the inhabitants of any other
self-governing country. The spirit of
nationality is wonderful crucible in
which the most diverse elements are
fused Irish Professionals have only
themselves to blame If they have lost
their due share of influence in the
public life of Ireland. So long as they
set themselves against the aspirations
and aims of the overwhelming major
ity of their fellow-countrymen they
are not entitled to complain If they
are passed over in elections to Coun-
ty Councils and the like. They can
not have their cake and eat it-seek
inspiration abroad and expect appre-
citation at home. Let them take their
part as Irishmen in developing the
national life and Ireland will not be
slow to give them their proper share
in shaping her desinty. AS to the
loyalty" cry, it seems almost ridicu-
lous to refer to 1t in view of the re-
cent utterances of Sir Edward Car
son and Captain Craig. But may be
permitted to say that residence in
Canada-once governed from Downing
street, and in consequence on the
verge Of rebellion, now autonomous
and deeply attached to the Mother
land-has only confirmed my deep
seated conviction that the only way
to make a people loyal is to make
them contented, and that the most
trustworthy bond of an empire is the
freedom of it's component parts, each
developing on its own lines and con-
tributing it's individual note to the
harmony of the whole.
May I conclude by expressing my
admiration of the skill and patience
with which you have carried on the
work of your great predecessor, Mr..
Parnell, and my regret, which is, l
feel sure, shared by practically every
Irish Nationalist on this continent,
that any men protesting to be Ma
tionalists should have been found to
weaken by factious opposition move
ment which has done such great
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