The Irish standard., 1911-12-16
grafton of Irish Roman Catholics

Grafton of Irish Roman Catholics I
take my stand on the judgment Of Mr..
Lecky, who was, as you know, trained
for the ministry Of the Irish Protest.
ant Church, holder of the Divinity
Testimonium of Trinity College. Dub
lin a protagonist for the Union, and
a member for Trinity College, who
had your own support and influence
in being elected for that constituency.
Irish history" he writes, contains
it's full share of violence and massa-
Gre; but whoever will examine these
episodes with impartiality will easily
convince himself that their connection
with religion has been most superficial.
Religious cries have been sometimes
raised, religious enthusiasm has been
often appealed to in the agony of a
struggle, but the real causes have
usually been the conflicts of races and
classes, the struggle Of nationality
against humiliation. Amongst the
Catholics at least religious intolerance
has never been prevailing vice, and
those who have studied closely the
history and character Of the Irish peo
pie can hardly fail to be struck with
the deep respect for sincere religion
in every form which they have COM
monty evinced."
Needless Apprehension.
You apprehend that in remote
evident sincerity believe all our happi
ness depends, be not maintained, there
may be in this country an outburst of
militant unbelief, "secularism, fierce
hatred of religion and ecclesiastical
domination" zone cam" as Grattan
once said, "never argue with prophet"
zone can only dsbelieve him." 1t is,
however, strange that Mr.. Isaac Butt,
who was, as you know, the son of an
Irish Protestant clergyman, writing In
1870, and Mr.. 7. w. Russell, in
speech the other day, held that the
establishment of an Irish Parliament,
free from corrupting and atheistic in
nuences, would save this country from
the so-called Rationalism which is per-
meating all sections of British society.
You think the establishment Of an
Irish Parliament and the restoration
to the people of this country Of their
God-given right to manage their own
affairs will be calamity. One of the
best of your predecessors, DR.. William
Dickson, who was Bishop of Down and
Conner from 1888 till 1904 regarded
the destruction Of the Irish Parlia-
ment as a great calamity, and was
one Of the signatories to the Irish
Lords Protest against the Union,
drawn up by Grattan, in which the
evils that atrocious measure has
brought in its train were clearly fore
shadowed.
The establishment of the Irish Par
lament is not more bitterly denounced
than was once the Disestablishment Of
the Irish Church. Who now would
wish to see that Church reestabished,
with it's Sees filled, not with men like
yourself chosen by the people, but
with the puppet nominees of a Prime
Minister? The Irish Sees have ceased
to be the preserves Of the younger
brothers or the younger sons Of Irish
Union Peers, and the hard-worked
clergy of the Irish Protestant Church
no longer starve on wretched pittanc-
es, as they did while the scions of COR
ruptionist governing families drew
their thousands and ten thousands
yearly from Church the distribution
of whose patronage was one of the
greatest scandals of Christendom. DR..
Knox, the Bishop of Down and Con-
nor at the time of the Disestablish-
ment, because he favored that meas
ure, was nsulted In the streets of Bel
fast and called Judas" and Traitor"
at a meeting to protest against Dis
establishment in the Ulster Hall.
Years afterwards the action for which
he then was exposed to calumny and
insult was justified by his election as
the first Lord Primate Of the Irish
Protestant church when it obtained
the inestimable blessings of Home
Rule
1t Is because I am as certain as
I'm Of my own existence that Home
Rule for Ireland will do for Ireland
what Home Rule has done for the Irish
Protestant Church by giving 1t self
government, instead of a government
which has been a corrupt Castle class
job, that l with all the warmth that Is
consistent with personal respect for
yourself enter my protest against both
the statements and the tone of your
address to the Down, Conner and Dro