The Irish standard., 1919-03-29
THE MISSION OF THE GAEL SS%@@%s=z

rejected it, the ancient quarrel was
renewed on new ground and with
fresh bitterness. Failing to force their
philosophy on the Irish by the naked
sword, the English had recourse to
another weapon which they felt sure
could accomplish their purpose. This
was that infamous system of legal
enactments known as the Penal Code
of many schemes the most nefarious
and deadliest assault of all on the old
Gaelic civilization.
1t is well to remember that the Pen.
al Laws were aimed not so much at
the property of the Irish people as at
their minds. The greater part of their
lands had long since been swept away
by successive contiscations and were
now in the hands of greedy adven-
turers; but their minds were still
free, fed from the founts of native
tradition and nourished by the Faith
of their fathers. These their enemies
determined to destroy, hoping in this
way to break down forever the last
and strongest barrier against Anglici-
cation. 1t was their aim to reduce Ire
land to the level of an English shire
and her people to the condition of
serfs-hewers of wood and drawers of
water for their British taskmasters.
This attempt, diabolical alike in con-
ception and execution, has been we'll
described by the Irish patriot and his
torian John Mitchell. Everybody" he
writes, "has heard of the terrible Pen
al Laws; but not everybody knows
what they are. They took charge of
every Catholic child from his cradle
and attended him to his grave-Cath-
Ollie children could only be educated
by Protestant teachers at home; and
it was highly penal to send them
abroad for education. Catholics were
excluded from every profession ex-
cept the medical; and from all official
stations without exception. Catholics
could not legally possess horse of
greater value than five pounds; and
any true Protestant meeting a Cath.
Ollie with a horse of fifty or sixty
pounds in value, might lay down the
legal price of five pounds, unhorse the
idolator, mount in his place and ride
away. A Catholic child turning Prot
estant could sue his parent for main
tenance; and a Catholics eldest son
turning Protestant reduced his par
ent to tenant for life. A Catholic
priest could not celebrate Mass; but
any priest who apostatized was Sc
cured stipend by law" Fifty pounds
were offered for the capture of a bish-
op, twenty pounds for a regular, ten
pounds for a priest or schoolmaster.
Here" continues Mitchell, was a
code for the promotion Of true religion
from whence it may appear that Cath.
ollcs have not been the only persecu-
tors in the world. Some persons may
even go so far as to say that no Cath
Ollie government ever yet conceived in
its heart so fell system of oppres-
sion." It was described by Edmund
Burke as "a machine of wise and de-
liberate contrivance as we'll fitted for
the oppression, Impeachment and
degradation of people, and the de-
basement in them of human nature it.
self, as ever proceeded from the per-
verified. ingenuity of man."
. Yet it failed. The bodies of the Irish
were indeed more enslaved than ever,
but their souls still refused the gives.
They would not barter the glorious
birthright of their spiritual civiliza-
ton for the English mess of pottage.
And when after more than a century
of prescription, O'Connell struck the
shackles from the feet of the Irish
Church, the nation rose from her ashes
like the tabled bird of old. She began
to renew herself, to gather up and knit