The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-06-25

different. The fences and roads are
kept in good repair, the houses are
either painted or WhiteWashed, and
there are separate houses for dOmes-
tic animals, and the little farm bios
sons like rose; the inhabitants are
employed and wages are good; the
WaterpoWer of the streams is uti-
lized, and huge mills are seen here
and there; schoolhouses are numer-
Gus; Catholic cathedrals are less fire.
quent, but cheeful Protestant
churches are seen everywhere. The
towns and cities are prosperous and
afford ready market for the pro-
ducts of the soil. Why is this? The
gospel of Christ is taught, and not
the dogmas of Rome. The Bible cir
culates freely and is read, but in the
Catholic districts in Ireland it is a
sealed, and, in many respects, a
strange and mysterious, book. The
people of Protestant Ulster are
trained to habits of industry. Those
of the other districts move about as
indolently as if they cared nothing
about their future welfare. Ulster
is not burdened by priests corrupted
by the confessional-box, and drained
at the rate of thousands of dollars
per annum for the Peters pence
fund.
We were highly pleased with Bel
fast. This city reminds us of the
thriving cities Of our country. The
contrast between its smartness and
Vivacity and the dizziness and langOur
Of Dublin, is apparent. In sixty years
the population of Belfast increased
from eighty-fiye thousand to about
four hundred thousand. Two-thirds
OF the people are Pr0testants. Dub
lin has a natural harbor, but that Of
Belfast has been made, and it is a
fine one. Her large vessels are made
and repaired; here are large manu-
featuring establishments here are
as fine stores as can be found in the
world; here people are up with the
times; the city is we'll lighted and
we'll kept; the people are industrious
and ingenious. We saw the large
linen factories with linen spread
over acres Of ground for bleaching.
Everything was so cheerful and
homelike that we felt as if we were
in America. 1t is possible for all
ireland to be as prosperous as Pro-
testant Ulster. The Irish were, at
Oic IA1Ac1 G1S uAO0t Sil1i6o1bOAiOO III
Europe.
The English-Irish, Scotch-Irish and
French-Huguenot- are a great
people Their descendants are Pro-
testants, and they have given many
great men to the world-such as Ed
mund Burke, the great statesman;
the Duke of Well ngton, the great
general; John Curran, the great law
yer; Dean Swift, the great satirist,
and George Berkeley, the great bish-
op. The Protestant people Of Ire
land would be a credit to any cOun-
try. In the early history of Ireland
the learning of the people was great.
For seven hundred years she stood,
not as the servant, but as the rival
Of Rome. Her piety was more fer
vent and practical; her missionary
zeal more active and successful; her
schools were free to oil tie world,
and were crowded with Students; she
stood fourth as a nation that led the
world in thought. Such was Ireland
before she became subject to Rome.
From that day to this Roman CathO
lie ireland has been stepped n super
stitiou, ignorance, vice and crime.
The Pope has Rad q fair field here;
he has borne sway; he has studde ed
the country with churches and con-
vents; he has crowded it with nuns
and Eriests he has had the power
and know edge of the Confessional
box al his command; tie people have
been His most faith ful servants