JUSTICE TO IRELAND.

Evening Star, Issue 2921, 29 June 1872, Page 2

JUSTICE TO IRELAND.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Your correspondent “Veritas” possesses twp leading characteristics of his countrymen in an eminent degree. He is prone to fight, bnt slow to reason. The very simple matter about which he has taken occasion to make it patent to the world that he at least is unfitted for the Civil Service, involved no charge against his country whatever. He drew public attention to the fact that out of 100 appointments made in the Civil Service at home, fifty-four were given to Irishmen, and only eleven to Scotchmen; and as these appointments are made after competitive examinations, we were invited tft infer that the young men of Ireland had proved themselves superior to those of Scotland in a ratio of nearly five to one. Now anybody but an Irishman with his head stuffed full of nonsense about the wrongs of Ireland will see that, in order to establish the justice of this inference, it will be necessary to show that the number of applicants from the two countries were equal. That it is morally certain they werq not equal the Telegaaph showed; so this cock-a-doodle-doo from Veritas” only produced a laugh at his expense. Scotland has contributed Gladstone to the Civil Service of the Empire, and that is an ample set-off agaiqst a whole brigade from the other side of the Channel.

“ Veritas ” if ill have it, however, that his country has been abused, and adds—“ The only effect such vile abuse is calculated £o have on Ireland, will be to confirm their faitn in tire present Government,! ©to. From this I infer there must be at least two Irelands; and not knowing very well where to look for the second one, may I venture to guess that as '‘Veritas” dates from Stuart street, Ireland No. 2 must be about the foot of that street, right-hand side going down. “ Irishmen,” he says in the only sentence in his letter free from some grotesque blunder, “always have had great difficulties to encounter,” and then he proceeds to enomerate them with all the familiarity of bed-fellow acquaintances— “ Stupidity, prejudice, big. otry,” etc.—and before the ink was half-dry wherein they were written “great difficulties,” he characterises their opposition as “futile.” And this is reasoning ! But “Veritas” in one sense is not an ass. I but pointed a thistle at him, and instead of taking kindly to the provender he produces a shillelagh.—l am, etc.,

Nemo me impune laces§|t, Ounodin, June Sjß ( [This correspondence must now close.— Ed. KS.]