The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-10-27
Forecast Of Irish Autonomy

Episcopal Bishop Of ossory Advises
Clergy to Adjust Their Minds To
New situation-AIl lrishmen of Good
Will Hope for Settlement by Con-
vention-The Church Will Remain
Linked to ireland, Regardless Of
Form of Government. ...
The Right Rev. DR.. Gregg, Protes-
tant Bishop of Ossory, Ferns, and
Leighlin, addressing the annual Synod
of Ferns on Monday in the Church
Institution, Enniscorthy, said that
since the last meeting of the Synod
affairs had moved fast and far in the
political world. A Convention, com
posed of Irishmen of various parties,
had been sitting for more than two
months with the object of arriving at
some agreement regarding the future
government of Ireland. All Irishmen
of goodwill cannot but hope that some
settlement based on adequate securi-
ties will be arrived at, and that the
perpetual discords with which. our
country is rent will be healed. 1t was
we'll for all of them to realize that,
whatever may be the immediate issue
of the Convention, great changes in
evitably lay before them, and they
Eshould be well advised to accustom
their minds to the prospect.
do not, continued Dr. Gregg, see
that the great reasons of State upon
which Pitt based his arguments for
no in hn
lost their cogency. Rather they have
in the last three years acquired new
force. But it is useless to deny that
If form of government does not
rest upon the consent Of the gov
erned, system abstractIy sound
may prove unavoidable.
And the Imperial Government has
taken the view that the internal dis
content of Ireland contributes a more
serious menace to the Empire than
would a dual Legislature. (Hear,
hear.) Opinions differ quite legiti-
mately on this subject, and will con-
tinue to differ, but it is. plain that the
larger number of politicians are in
favor of going a considerable way to-
wards satisfying the national aspira-
lions of the majority in this country.
Not only has Parliament shown that
it does not regard the legislative
Union as inviolable, for Home Rule
Act is on the Statute Book, but many
members of the Unionist Party have
shown latterly that they no longer
regard the Union as cardinal ele-
ment of Imperial security; and, ac-
cordingly, it behooves us to adjust
our minds to the fact that a change
is coming, whatever it's form may
prove ultimately to be. l have said
this because I want to reassure the
minds of those who are uneasy on a
certain point-namely, whether loyalty
to the King will not be compromised
by .acquiescence in new state of
things. It will not be. Ireland is not
going to be republic
AMY MORE THAN 1T WAS A RE-
PUBLIC BEFORE THE UNION.
If duly constituted authority gives
to Ireland new form of government,
the true loyalty is to accept it and to
do our very utmost to make success
of it. (Hear, hear.) Loyalty to the
Crown and Unionism are not neces-
sarily equivalent terms. There was
loyalty in Ireland before the Union;
there was loyalty which vehemently
deprecated the Union; and there can
be loyalty still If the Union is legally
dissolved. Let us get our minds clear
upon that. All who are members of
the Church of Ireland have only to
look at our prayer books of the Eigh-
teenth Century to see how positive
was the loyalty of the Church of Ire
land in the days when Ireland enjoyed
a separate Legislature of it's own-a
far more independent one than is like
ly to be granted now And yet how
definitely its position as a distinct
kingdom was asserted. Ireland was
acknowledged as being one distinct
kingdom of several, and not merely as
constituent part of one larger king
dom! The change from Kingdoms"
to "Dominions" was made in obedi-
ence to an Order of Council, January
1, 1901, to suit the new order of things.
And If it is decided by the proper au-
thority that we return, in whole or in
part, to the earlier system, or to some
analogue of it, let us remember that
though we may do it in regret, we can
do it with no lurking feeling that we
are unfaithful. The dissolution of the
Legislative Union does not mean
either quitting the Empire or losing
our King. The Church of Ireland has
seen establishment by law come and
go; it has seen Incorporation with
the Church of England come and go;
it has seen the sympathy of political
party come and go; and it is in posi-
ton to see the Legislative Union come
and go, if so the powers that be deter