Year: 1878

l. DAY after tO-iuOrrOW the Ofaugemeu oi Sah-
ada propose to fight it over again in the
| streets Of Montreal


Those cynical philosophers who assert
that Christianity has gone but skin deep in
any Christian community, SO called, Will
laugh to see so curious confirmation OF
their theory. These Orangemen profess to
be Christians followers, and not only fol-
lowers, but supporters of One who COM
manded His disciples if they were struck
on one cheek to turn the other also, and
who denounced woe upon them that gave
offence. Yet in the name of Christianity
they insist stirring up evil passions,
strife and bloodshed. 1t would be ridicu-
lous if it were not too serious for laughter \
What has the Battle of the Boyne to do on
this Continent? Its commemoration is
thought of SO little importance in Profess
tant England that Orange professions are
there forbidden by law. What they could
not do in Great Britain they insist on
doing in Canada, and for what? 1t is
perfectly understood by them that
this procession of theirs revives and
keeps alive religious animosity and





all it does. 1t has no practical purpose or
end except to do in public, in the open
streets, what a large part of their country
men, it is we'll known, will regard rs an in
suit, and which, when no useful or practical
end is in view, is, in fact, therefore only
gratuitous offence. To achieve this end,
Of exciting and offending considerable
Of hot ha
men think it right to endanger the peace
of the city, to interrupt its business,
and to put it to an expense, for which the
taxpayers must suffer, of certainly not less
than hundred thousand dollars, and pos
sibly much more.


We do not seek to excuse the excitement
Of the Catholic Irish, or their needless
bitterness and opposition to the Orange
parade. They ought to be more sensible;
they ought, as their clergy admonished
them in Montreal on Sunday, to be 'up-
holders Of the law and defenders Of the
peace y it is their duty as Christians
and as good citizens to bear with provoca-
tion and to determine on good order. But
it remains true that in this case the provo



it concerns an old quarrel which it can do
no good to revive or keep alive on this side
Of the water. The folly and wickedness are
indeed acknowledged by themselves, for
our telegraphic reports say that the Orange
leaders, ashamed Of themselves, apparently,
declare that this is the last parade they
mean to attempt We still hope they will
1,a pyih uuh IN oiv
years foolishness.


What have these old country quarrels to
do here? The Irish belittle themselves in
the public esteem when'they go about seek
ing somebody to knock chip off their
shoulders or faunting red rag in some
body's face. Here not long ago an Irish
agitator thought proper to 60 to Toronto to
deliver Fenian address. He succeeded in
raising public disturbance, and that was
all He made himself nuisance to the
peaceably disposed citizens, just as these
Orangemen ofMontreal insist on doing next
Friday. New York endured this kind of
thing for a good many years; but good
sense at last prevailed. The Orange societies
here now conduct their celebrations quietly
in some rural grove, and no longer seek to
make the occasion terror to respectable
people and an obstruction in the streets.
OF course the right of citizens peaceably to
assemble is sacred. But the citizens of
free country have many rights which, ii they
are sensible and respectable, they will not
at all times insist on exercising. Moreover,
the streets are public property, and wise
1ov mi hiatt fhav c1o11
not be used for professions, except after due
notice to the police authorities and under
their permission and direction. They do
not seem to have got as far as this yet in
Montreal. Possibly it will require con-
siderable bloodletting to teach them wis.,
dom.


But the main point is that such old
bonmen have no place on this side Of
the water, either in Canada or the United
States. They are absurd and disrepu-
table; they justly lower in the public
esteem those who insist on Keeping them
alive they show lack Of true patriotism
and Of common sense Here in the United
States we hear II great deal too much of our
Irish fellow citizens and our German fellow
citizens and our French fellow citizens in
the lower counties of Florida the political
demagogues speak OF their Cuban fellow
citizens in the far Northwest they fatter
their Swedish and Norwegian fellow
citizens, and SO on to the end of
long chapter 1t is not necessary
or desirable that anybody should deny or
forget the place of his birth; but when
man is endowed with the rights of citizen
ship in this country he becomes, or ought |
to become, an Americans and when he hears
a political hummer fattering the Irish voto
or tho German vote, il he is a sensible man,
lie will despise the speaker as dcmagoguc.
~, Il L.. !.