Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1847-12-29 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

OPINIONS 07 TUZ MESS.  LORD ARUNDEL'S _LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP  Mn A LE.  Every Itoinsn Catholic in her Majesty's dominions will feel grateful to the Earl of Arundel nod Surrgy tor the noble-spirited letter still eswed by hint to John 'foam, the " Lion of the tribe of Judah." With a chivalrous sense of his own position, at.d that of his co-religionists, at a time when bloody murders are said to cry to heaven for vengeance against certain members oh the Irish priesthood, who have profaned the holy day consecrated to the Estimation of the Divinity by inciting the peasantry to deeds of brutality and violence, tint young nobleman has implored the Catholic Archltishop of Tomo io make such investigations into those charges against the subordinate clergy, as shall demonstrate either titer guilt or innocence. and to exercise in all cases of proven delinquency the sacerdotal authority contided to him at the pet mod of his consecration. It reminds Dr. M'Hale that the Roman Catholics resident in this island are just note subjected to • perpetuil sorrow, because of their utter incapacity to vintlicaie the teachers of their religion in Ireland from the dismal accusations laid against them of living virtually tom derers and the inciters of murderers. It explains to that prelate the anguish inflicted upon the heart of every cons, imitious Catholic by the reiterated charges made against certain members of the Irish priesthood, of being dyed with a guilt immeasurably worse than that of merely [nerd complicity," in the most devilish of the agrari in axsassinatiolis. It also reminds Archbishop M' Hale that the enemies of Roman Catholicism avail themselves of the opportunity afforded by the indolence of time superior a itlenities of that religion, in not bringing the suppesed offenders to an ecclesiastical tribunal, al, i visiting them, in the event of their culpability being established, with those putlishments of sacerdotal it igonlation, or suspension fo.m the r duties as clergymen, Millol are telt by a priest to be the most terrible and ignominious. To this important remonstrance the Archbishop of Timm returns an epistle which is little less than a most courteous prevarication. It is min that there is not in the Ltier etilusion any of that flagrant sophistry which characterised [Sr. M' Hiles letter to tie Prime Minister. The "Lion of the foil of Judah " no longer roars forth his extenuat tons of curse attributed ton M.Derinott, or his sympathy in the offence charged against archdeacon Laffitn. But Dr. M'Hale forsakes for once his favourite style of disputation. The gentle but impressive epistle of the Karl of Aruodel and Surrey has so far subdued the moral pugnacity of the prelate as a co:respondent, that he answers the young Peer with extraordioary circumspection of manner, and tnipreeenented temperance of langui.v. Still his reply is the very reverse of satisfactory, it is an evasion that al cost degrades the writer at times into the apologist of criminal denunciators. Much as the spirit evinced by Archbishop M'llale throughout these tr.uusoctuttis must be deplored, suspicious as may be the quietude of the ecclesiastical authorities in Ireland, heinous and diabolical as is the iniamy accruing to the Catholic te•nuary from such bloody deeds of assassination, It is creOitalile to the religion when laymen can boltily pronounce their abhor retire of critnivals whose coritiouance among them is an enormous disgrace to the priest' ood—when Lord Beaumont can speak as he tins spokeu within the walls of Parliament, and when the Earl of Artiodel and Surrey can write as he has written to the Boman Catholic Archbishop of Tuatu.—Sna.