The Irish standard., 1913-05-10
ROAD THAT LEADS TO
HAVEN OF PEACE
Bogey of Religious Persecution in
Ireland Now Seen in All Its
Humbug and Folly.
AS Home Rule Approaches the Old
Animosities, Old Terrors, Old
Lies Are Retreating
Like Ghosts to the Congenial Dark
ness in Which They Were
Born and Begotten.

The whirlisis of time writes Papy-
rus, in the Catholic Times, brings in
his revcngcs. But Il little while ago
and those OF us who have defended or
supported the sacred cause Of Ire
lands possession of liberty and JUS
rice were being bcwildcrcd With the
objection that, once Homo Rule was
granted, tho Catholic Church woult.
persccutc tho Protestant minority in
the rest OF the country and would play
such pranks that no peace could he
possible, civil war would arise. and
+, England would have To police the
island again. 1t i'll seemed to us to
| be very silly, lu be akin to midsum.-
, gion. catholic Irishmen intolcrant
towards Protestant lrishmcn! A ma
| ton that has Just rcsaincd its rights,
proceeding directly to deprive a part
of itself of rights A people. divided
in one thing, united in every other
f, thing; quarrcllinS over that one, for
| getting all the others! Men doing
; business together in peace all the
week. and cutting throats on Sundays!
Really, one had to have been brought
UP in Il special environment or to
have lived under stones to credit such
nonsense. What is there in the his
tory of poor. prosecuted, ILL treated,
lOng-suffcring. generous hearted, keen
wttcd, noble minded, forgiving, for
getting catholic Irish men and women
that could have led any man in his
waking hours to imagine that liberty
and Justice would produce nothing but
a sudden birth of knLvery and folly ?
If ever there has been in this world
| a March hare madness it is this
charge that the Catholics of Ireland
were going or were likely 10 pcrsecutc
The only answer to give II is: They
are not such fools. Indeed. Protest
ant Trishncn themselves are now be-
ginning to be ashamed of having ever
entertained so foolish an idea as that
their rights would be imperilled by the
concession of Home Rule: to ireland.
I Church, Should Be Recognized.
"British Review" there appears an ar
ticIc which should be read by all
Catholics. English or Irish. The writ
er is not, think, of our faith. But
he is anxious that our Church in Ire
land should be recognized by tho
British Government. And he seems to
see reasons in Irish Protcstants ana
their changing attitude for suggesting
and recommending this course t.
statesmen. The past has been bitter
!. but, he believes, the old bitterness is
passing away. "Only now. when
threatened as to their own existence
do the ProtcstantS of ireland begin tC
entertain fellow feeling for the Cath
olic Church. only now do they iind
it possible to forget about the Sacred
Lady. the sale of permits to commit
sin. the inlmuring of nuns all Tho
, scJulousIy disseminated stock in trade
of their astOnishingly pervcrsc big.
ptry. The mere hasty movement to.
wards a rapprochcmcnt with Rome
r and although there is little conviction
of the Justice OF Romc's claims The
movement must, in spite OF it's self
interest, inevitably make for good
i. The first benefit Of Home Rule. though
;; but in prospect is the sentiment o
religious difference: not persecution
, but Cancellation. Already the SOU
prophets are in course of being con
l ! founded.
!. Friendlier Relations.
s Wisdom once again is being justified
OF her children. Those who foretolt
S to Irish Protestants. now see tn
. Protestants becoming much friendlie
S with Catholics. The writer OF this ar
I ticle, who knows his Ireland, bear
!. witness Of the importance of Englan,
= not restraining but encouraging tn
!. Catholic Church there! SO far hav
n we all gone along the road of SAINT
towards the haven Of peace. He says