Glasgow Courier. — 1860-08-09 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE GLASGOW COURIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1860.  This is a humble illustration, but a true one, of Irish character, and it is this want of self-reliance and independence of action which has placed them under the foot of the Church of Rome.  The statesmen of Queen Elizabeth committed a grave error in forcing the English language upon the Irish ; the Roman Catholic priests, with their usual acuteness, availed themselves of that error to gain the ears of the people. The English language was that of Protestantism; the English language was distasteful—ergo, so became Protestantism. Conversely, the Erse or Gaelic of the people was the chosen language of the priests; the priests were Roman Catholic, and Roman Catholicism was adopted by the people, not because they loved it, for the contrary is matter of history, but because it was taught in the tongue they loved to speak and hear. This great advantage, once gained, the national character has perpetuated, and the difficulty having been to bring the light to bear from without, we trust and believe that the modern discovery that "Rome is a very little place" will now bring that light from within. But the Irish, if not self-reliant or self-inquiring, are far from being deficient in acuteness of perception or natural talents—lreland has produced great men in every branch of human attainments. Once freed from enthralling priest-craft the energies of the most rude and unlettered rapidly rise. Their industry in this country and in America proves this, and in the second and third generation their children rise to the social level. This is a great contrast to the negro race, with which, for certain purposes, one-sided politicians love to draw parallelisms. The difficulty has lain not in their ability to see the truth, but to get that truth brought to them. Taught from infancy to believe the Pope to be the incarnation of allh havenly and earthly power, and Rome to be the centre and grandeur of the earth, and the dwelling place of peace and goodwill to men, no other results could ensue than a comparative depreciation in their minds of the Sovereign and Government of their own country. How then will the scales fall from their eyes? Here are men, living men, their sons and brothers, who have visited that Rome and tested its glories. Scanty food, scanty sour drink, ignominious treatment, oaths, blows, and contempt, are the answers they have to give to those friends who wish to learn the story of their adventure. The very faults of the Irish will rapidly propagate these narratives. Their social cohesion will the more readily receive the leaven of truth. From no Saxon lips, from no Saxon and hated tongue, shall that truth come. From their own camp, unwittingly, and most suicidedly on the part of their priests, spies have gone forth to view the land; and have come back not to tell of its overflowing with milk and honey, but of its poverty, its squalidness, and its brutality, and that "Rome is a very little place." The Roman Catholic priests have fallen into a ditch dug by their own hands. Magna eat veritas, et prevalebit.  At the meeting of Clyde Trust on Tuesday there was no quorum, and the business was consequently postponed.  _ _ At the meeting of the Gorbals Board on Tuesday, there was no quoram. Lord Brougham, it is rumoured, is this week to be the guest of Sir James Campbell at Stracathro House.  At the half-yearly meeting of the City Parochial Board, held on Tuesday, the inspector's report gave a highly satisfactory account of the state:of pauperism in the parish. The report was adopted, and a vote of thanks passed, therefore, to Mr Adamson, the inspector.  At the meeting of the Barony Board on Tuesday, Mr Charles S. Meek was elected collector for the parish by a majority of 41 to 31 for Mr Shaw; but the right of the meeting to make the appointment having been questioged, it was agreed to refer the point to the Dean of Faculty, and Messrs Q. Dick, and T. S. Wright.  The session of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological hall was opened on Tuesday in the hall, Great Hamilton Street. Besides professors there were present the Rev. John Inglis from the New Hebrides, the Rev. Dr. Lorimer of the Free Church, and the members of the Hall Committee.