The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-17

From the DuDlln Leduei,
 paper
 "HE retirement of William Aiexanoer'
 the Protestant primate, from the
 U nublic life of a country that he has adorned for more than half century, has evoked a hush of sympathy ana al lection in every corner of Ireland. It IS no mean achievement to have held the great position that has been his through these decades of stress and strite' anu vet to be leaving our midst without all enemy against him in the length Of lre- land.
 Born as long ago as 1924 survivor or Oxford in the burning days of Newman apostolate at Great St. Mary's' ana the very last of the crown bishops in the palmy days of the establishment, he IS link with many far-forgotten things, and perhaps the only historical figure With us today Scholar and preacher, as none other of his generation, with him .he Celtic fire dies away from the Anglican pulpit. But, though eloquence must per ish OH the winds, true poetry can never cie. and Dr. Alexanders name is one that no Irish anthology can afford to be without. Years before there was revival of Irish poetry, a young Donegal clergy man had sung, among the sandhills of the west coast:
 And the Atlantic roll full often,
 Muffled by the sandhills round, Seems mighty city's sound. Which the night wind serves to soften
 droWned.-
 Seems a peal of thunder, caught
 By the mountain pines and tuned
 To a marvellous gentle sound;
 Wailings where despair is not
 Hearts self-hushing some heart wound. Still what winds there blow soever,
 Wet or shine, by sun or star,
 When white horses plunge afar,
 When the palsed froth lines shiver,
 When the waters quiet are"
 And in later years, filled with work and stress, the gentle writer of these lines never forgot his early musings with the communion of nature, with that great mystery in which all true Irish hearts since the days of Colum-cille have found a common delight. Ireland has had her full share of warriors, but her peacemak- CTS have been very few, and the depart ure of William Alexander leaves the country without the influence of one who, by rare and silent ways. achieved all abiding work of reconciliation and mutual respect, though often the word of the Fsalmist must have come into his mind- though I spoken unto them of peace, yet made they ready for battle" NQth- ing is pleasanter to record of his declin- ing years than the friendly relations cul- tivated with his eminent namesake upon an adjoining hill. and a delightful pass age in Miss Eleanor Alexanders book the Lady Anne's WallS-comes to mind, when she is complaining that the wild birds in the palace garden have been tempted, away by kind old cardinal. who, in black soutane, piped with red and scarlet baretta, can be seen any afternoon spreading bread crumbs for his feathered neighbors at the top of a fnc flight of steps that leads to his fine new cathedral
 And Catholics will remember, too, the courteous hospitality of the teacups which was extended by the household of the palace to Cardinal Vanutelli on tne OCCASION OI HIS Nieit tO <iHo6H do the emissary of papal Rome, whereby many bigot living and dead was made to wrthe in his bed. Armagh will be the poorer of a venerable parsonage. Generous to fault, bestowing his moneys for the good of his church, broad-minded and tolerant to a degree, that he was made to realize at diocesan meetings even to tears was beyond the comprehension of his flock he labored nobIy and mod estly for the high church ideals he had ed in his endeavors to preserve the beau- tiful symbol of the cross in the liturgy of his church, there was not an Orange man in the end who did not recognize