IRELAND. PROGRESS OF PROTESTANTISM IN IRELAND. THE AMERICAN MINISTER IN IRELAND.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 616, 10 March 1852, Page 4

IRELAND.

PROGRESS OF PROTES TANTISM IN IRELAND.

THE AMERICAN MINISTER IN IRELAND.

Two very interesting communications have uppenred in the Times, on the state of the West of Ti eland, and particularly on the Piogrpss of Protestantism among the people. The writer is desciibed as " a gentleman of slnct impartiality, and wholly unconnected with either or nny of the parties into which Irish society is divided, and Ins infoimation may he implicitly lelicd on for stiict accuracy and thorough impailiality." We give the following extracts: — " On my at rival in Galway, I learnt that the Bishop ofTuam, accompanied with some clergymen and lawmen, had proceeded to visit and hold confirmations at several missionary stations in Connemara where numbers of Roman Catholics had abandoned their church and become Protestants, and having heaid much of these conversions, I resolved that as these stations lay in the route I bad marked out for myself, to visit them and test the accuiacy of the repoits that bad appeared in various forms respecting the progress of Protestamsm. I felt that a favourable opportunity would thus be piesented at these confirmations and examinations for seeing the poople, and conversing with them, so as to enable one to form a correct judgment of their sincerity and the extent of the movement, on both of which points I was somewhat sceptical. I determined, therefore, to trust to no statements I might hoar on these points, but as far as possible examine and judge for nryself. I thaiefore proceeded from Galway to Oughteiard on Tuesday where a confirmation was held by the Bishop. * * * There were 99 persons confirmed at Oughterard, of whom 74 were adults, some of them considsiably advanced in life, for 1 found individuals among them of forty, fifty, and sixty yeais of age. Of the entire number confirmed, only about ten originally weie protestants, and all the rest weie converts fiom the church of Romo. • ** * I went among a number of the people after the confirmation, and entered into conversation with them, as I was anxious to see if they could give satisfactory leasons for having left the church of Rome, and I wished, as far as I could, to find out the motives which induced them to take this step. All that I spoke to declared that it was the reading of the Scriptures that convinced them of the errois of Romanism, and they hi ought forward a number of texts from the Bible to prove their statements." There was a confirmation hero (Castlekerke) on Wednesday. After prayers the Bishop delivered a discourse, and then proceeded with the confirmation ; ninety-six persons were confirmed here, of whom only three were Protestants by birth, and the remaining ninety-three were Romanists. There were about sixty adults among this number of whom some appeared to be about seventy years of age. Theie were nged women with red petticoats round their shouldera, without any bonnets; some had neither shoes nor stockings. 1 was particularly struck with the appearance of one aged man, and on inquiry, I found that he had been the priest's clerk for forty years. I went privately among the people and conversed with them, and I found all to whom I spoke able to advance what would be considered satisfactory reasons by well-informed Protestants for having left the church of Rome, and they quoted numerous texts of Scripture in support of their views. The clergyman who labours among these people, the Rev. Mr. O'Callaghan, was for some years a student of Maynoolh, and from the information I could obtain ho has been very successful in inducing numbers of his former co-ieligionists to leave the church of Rome. Ho preaches in Irish, and his congregation amounts to about 400 conveits, and from the mode in which I heard him examine the children of the school, he appears to be well fitted for the work in which he is engaged." " In the three places that I have noticed—Oughterard, Glan, and Castlekerke, I was infoimed that there aio about 900 conveits within the last four years; and from the attendance 1 saw I think the number is not exaggerated." " I have been travelling for the last few days through that wild and romantic distiict of the county of Galway known as Connemara Proper. Proceeding from Joyce country to Clifden, nearly the western extremity of Ireland you pass through most diversified scenery. * * * * Tb.e progress of Protestanism in this district has excited considerable attention, and I therefore resolved to examine the truth of the statements that bad been made respecting the movement. The Bishop o£ Tuam proceeded to a place called Salruck, in the midst of the most beautiful scenery, on Thursday, to hold a confirmation. A Protestant chapel and school have been built hereby General Thompson, the proprietor of theproperty; thirty persons were confirmed by the bishop, two only of whom were Protestants, and one-half of whom wereadults. There is a congregation here of about 160 persons, and upwards of 70 children attended the school, and nearly the entire of all are converts from Romanism. I attended a confirmation on Friday at Ballyconrce, a pkee about six miles distant from Clifden to the Noith. "At Bidlyconree, 115 persons were confirmed, 40 of of whom were adults, and all of them converts from the Church of Rome. There has been an orphan asylum established here for children whose parents died in the famine and subsequently, and it affords shelter to 77 boys nnd girls, who are here supported and well instructed by the liberality of benevolent persons in different parts of the United Kingdom. A convened Roman Catholic priest is the minister of this station, and he has an attendance at divine service and nearly 300 persons, almost every one of whom are converts from Romanism. There aie three schools in connection with the station —one on the adjoining island of Tarbei t — which are numerously attended. I examined some of the children, and conversed with the adults, and they all could advance many arguments from Scripture, which they quoted fluently, for having left the Church of Rome. They sang some Irish hymns with great sweetness and feeling. " On Friday evening a public meeting was held in the school room in Clifden, at which the bishop was present, when addresses were delivered by several English and liish clergymen. The Rev. Mr. Hill, from the diocess of Exeter, and the Rev. Mr. Swainson, from Noithamptonshiie, showed the Roman Catholics present, by the recent movement that had taken place in England, that Romanism was not, as they had been informed, advancing in England ; and the Rev. Mr. Ellis, of Dublin, pointed out the progress of Protestan- j tisin in different parts of Ireland. | " There was a confirmation in the parish church of Clifden on Saturday, when about S2OO persons from the town and surrounding country were confirmed. Of these only 12 were originally Protestants; all the rest were converts from Romanism, and of the entire number 60 were adults. The same day a confirmation was held at a place called Derrygimla, fn Etrismore, where 119 persons were confirmed, of whom two only had been Protestants the rest being converts from Romanism, There were about S5 adults confirmed here, and the attendance at the service was very large. There is a congiegation here on Sundays of from 200 to 300 persons, of whom fourfifths were Romnnistß, and the minister preaches at other stations, where there is also a good attendance. On the road to this place there are mnny wretched'habitations, and the country has a dreary and desolate appearance, being principally composed of moorland interspersed with stony hills, among which small patches of ground are cultivated. I was informed that I could not judge of the poverty of the people from their dress, as numbers of them, who were in comparatively comfortable circumstanoes, were careless about their appearance, never having been accustomed to wear good clothes, and scarcely ever having an opportunity of contrasting themselves with those who wore them, and were perfectly contented with being merely covered, and had no taste for either improving their own persons or their dwellings. The congregation was most attentive, and the singing of the Irish hymns was wild and sweet. Near to tins place is Bunowen Castle, the late residence of Mr. O'Neill, but now an auxiliary workhouse, nnd a little farther on is Slyne Head, tho most westeily point of Ireland, so this may bo truly described as the veiy Ultima fhule of the island. Theie are about 600 children attending the schools in this district, nearly all of whom are those of Roman Catholic parents. " The bishop admitted throe gentlemen to priest's oi ders in the churcli of Clifden on Sunday, two of whom hud been Romaa Catholics. Theie were about 300

persons pipsent in the church at divine service, and rieaily .ill of them, 1 was informed, were converts from Romanism. I wont into a Sunday-school where about LOO cluldien « ere assembled, and it was stated to me (hat almost the entire number were either the children of conveits from Romanism or those whose paients, though still nominally Roman Catholics, allowed them to attend. " There was a confiinution in Sellema, in the district ofOmey, on Monday. I visited a school at a place called Bair.ibrough, where 155 children were present; all of these had been Romaniuts, and they answered very accuiately several questions proposed to them from the Scriptures, and quoted most fluently texts to dispiove tlip rloctunes of the Chinch of Romr. "At Sellema there was a good congregation. There were 04 persons confirmed, of whom two were originally Prott-stanta, and "20 of the number were adults. There are upwards of 200 persons, nearly all of whom had been Romanists, attending the services of the church on Sunday at this place, and about 700 altogether at the various stations in the district. The bishop here consecrated a piece of land for a burial ground. I forgot to mention that he was assisted in the services of yesterday and this day (Sept. 22nd and 23rd,) by serelal clergymen, among- others by the Rev. Sir Christopher Lig-hton, Bart., and the Rev. Mr. Dallas. Sir Christopher Lightonjhas purchased a large tract of land, part of the Clifden property, in the Encumbered Estates Court, on which he is building houses and making considerable improvements. The Rev. Dr. Magee, the priest of Westminster, has a tract of land immediately adjoining, which is quite unimproved. It is stated that he is i ot popular amorjg the people, having disagreed with them about the wages they demanded for some work they had done on the land, and the speculation, whatever it may have been, has, it is said, turned out a complete failure. It 13 reported that when Mr. John Reynolds, M.P., of Dublin, was in Clifden some days since it was proposed to illuminate the houses in his honour, but some of the people stated that they bad done so for Dr. Magee, from whom they had received no benefit and they would not do so again. '• Theie appeals to be a favourable impression towards (he Protestants at the present time in all the places I visited. There was no disturbance or annoyance given by the people. The power of the priests is, from some cause or other, on the wane. In what I have written I have raeiely stated facts. 1 do not express any opinion as to the movement, but I have merely reported what I have seen and heard. It is reported by credible witnesses, that in the district through which I hare travelled for the past week nearly 5,000 persons have left the Church of Rome. There were, certainly, large numbers of Romanists, or persons who had left that church, at all the stations I have visited ; and with many of these I conversed, who appeared to be sincere and intelligent, a«d who were quite able to assign reasons for the step they had taken. ' As I am proceeding through the north of Galway this day (Sept, T3) to Mayo, I shall be able in my next to give further details of the state of the country and the feelings of the people." The following extract from the Dublin Evening' Herald shows that it is not only in the West that the labours of the missionaries are blessed with success. * " The confirmation services for the converts of the parishes of Doon, Tuogh, and Pallasgrean, were held' by the Lord Bishop of Cashel, &c v , on Saturday, the 20th, in the pariah church of D 10m keen. It had been confidently affirmed that very many of the converts would never abide the test of confirmation. Every expedient that Jesuit ingenuity could devise was eraployed to intimidate or cajole them into apostacy. Promises of * high wages,' of * constant employment,' of ' the good will of the neighbours/ of ' the priest's blessing,' weie liberally dispensed by the Romish friends or relatives of the converts ; and, when all failed, there usually followed (an eruption of wrathful indignation in tiie form of threatenings and cursings. Regardless of all this, the converts assembled in several bodies in thoir respective parishes, and pursued their course, occasionally saluted by a shout, or a groan, or s cur^e from the harvest labourers along their line of route. One party of the converts was approaching the chuich when tho bishop drove past them. He was greeted with a fujl ! and hearty Irish ' Cead millee failte,' which he cordially acknowledged. The services were read by ■ the curate of the parish, Rev. T. Miles, assisted by Rev. W. A. Darby and Rev. W. Scott. The converts joined very generally in the responses, and engaged iv the singing also, which was excellent. The Rev. Thomas Atkinson, Prebendary of Doon, conducted the arrangements for bringing forward the converts to confirmation at the first service, and Rev. Mr. White at the I second. The numbers of converts confirmed were — Parish of Doon, 107; parish of Tuogh, 66; parish of Pallasgiean, 102; in all 275 adults j which, together with 4 from the parish of Cullen, previously confirmed at Tipperary, and 13 from the paiish of I3allybroode, previously confirmed at Cahirconlisb, make a total of 292 converts from the district of Doon. The addresses of the bishop were admirable— simple, evangelical, and exceedingly appropriate.."

Mr. Abbott Lawrence, the American Ambassador, has been making a visit of pleasure to the western coast of Ireland ; and the leading citizens of tbe towns which hope to see diiect communication between Ireland and Ameiica from some coast point near to themselves have vied in paying him flattering attentions ; so the journey of pleasure has been made a sort of public progress, and has evoa had the air of demonstration. This visit baa furnished the Times with a text for the following communt :— Plis Excellency has too much respect for this country, and too just a sense of his position, to let the Irish see bow an American cannot but regard them. He knows very well that they are all bis own fellow citizens in embryo, and tbateveiy Celt will renounce the sceptres and coronets of the older world. It is better for all parties, perhaps that it should be so, little.as we may like to see our society, our laws, and our soverpign the objects of worse than indifference. Mr. Abbott Lawrence says nothing of all this. Tbe Trisb flock to an American Minister as to an angel from Heaven, for if he is curious to see the place tbe Irish come from, they are equally curious to see a man from America— the goal of all their hopes and expectations. They have set their face towards America, and as men on a march see chiefly those who are before them, on the spot which they will the next moment tread themselves, so tbe New World is every year more vivid, and the Old World more faint, in the Irish imagination. Hence it is that Mr. Lawrence finds himself received with almost the honours of Royalty. 'Railway directors and corporations give him special trains, banquets, and addresses and every city prepares an ovation. What can Loid Clarendon, with the very best intention, offer to compare with the sympathies of a man whose country has welcomed a million Irishmen in the last four years ? The railway companies have a special interest in these civilities. They have just been completed in time to convey the aborigines of Ireland to the poits where they take leave of their country. Strange to say, they derive a fleeting piosperity from depopulation and despair. So at Galway, Mr. Abbott Lawrence is eagerly laid hold of as a patron of the plan for making that city a Translantic packet station and an Emigrant depdt. At Cork, it may be supposed that similar expectations have helped the enthusiasm evoked by tbe arrival of an American Minister. Mr. Lawrence, however, to his credit, speaks only of such a communication as might be supposed to exist between two equally spreading and equally inci easing nations. He delicately avoids any allusion to that uniform onward movement,— vestigia nulla retrorsum, from Ireland to the opposite shore. In the face of facts, it -certainly required all the face of politeness in an Arnerican'Minister, standing at Gal way or at Cork, to wish happiness for the Irish in their own country, and to point out the natural resources by which six million, eight million, ten million, or even fifteen million people could be sustained in Ireland. The prospority and happiness he speaks of may some day l'eign over that beautiful island. Its fertile soil, its rivers and lakes, its water-power, its minerals, and other materials for the wants and luxuries of man, may one day be developed ; but all appearances are against the belief that this will ever happen in the days of the Colt. That tribe will soon fulfil the great law of Providence which seems to enjoin and reward the union of races. It will mix with the Anglo-American, and be known no more as a jealous and separate people. Its present place will be occupied by the more mixed, more docile and more serviceable race, which has long borne the yoke of stimly industry in thig island, which can submit to a master and obey the law. This is no longer a dream, for it is a fact now in progress, and every day more ! apparent. No kind wishes, no legislative measures can atay the exodus of a people who have once found the path fiom intoleiable degradation to comfortable and dignified independence. Even if the rulers of this country should change thoir mind, and resolve not to let the people go, that resistance would only add another impulse to the movement. As the Irish have clung together at home, so will they cling together in thoir wundeimgs. That, at least, is what they do now. It is scaioely possible to suppose Mr. Abbott Lawrence

blind to what passes before his eyes, nnd we can only admire the dexterous politeness with wliich hs expresses his sympathy and his hopes for the Irish, with scarcely a hint at their flight fiom the land of theii fathers to the country of which he is the representative.

Execution of a Pmtsi in Cochin China. — A letter from Hong Kong, addressed to the Univers, gives tbe following details of the execution of a M. Schcefflcr a Missionary priest: — "On tbe Ist M ay, about noon, by order of the Gn.nd Mandarin, elpphants and hoi sea were prepaied, and two legnnents of satellites were under arms. The muskets wore loaded, and every one expected that it was an expedition against the rebels which was being fitted out, or that an attack was to bo made on tbo haunt of some brigands. It was soon however, understood that all these preparations had been ordered for the execution of M. Schoeffler. The mandarin fearing that the Christians would endeavour to lescue their missionary by force wished to intimidate them by this display of troops. When his intentions weie known, all the town showed the greatest affliction. The gaolers, the prisoners, and all those who had had any connection with tbe missionary, expressed their sorrow and regret. M. Scbocfller, oh tbe contrary, was smiling with delight, and he prepared to walk to the place of execution with greater ease by dressing himself as lightly as possible. The mandarin was apprehensive of a riot, and he took up bis position on the ramparts, surrounded by bis troops, all ready for action. The execution took place outside the town. The cortege of the martyr was arranged in the following manner ;— Before him marched a soldier, carrying a board affixed to a pole, on which was wiitten, ' Notwithstanding the severe prohibition against the religion of Jesus, a European priest named Augustin, has dared to come here clandestinely to preach and seduce the people. When, arrested, he confessed everything— his crime is evident. Let Augustin have bis bead cut off, and thrown into the river. Fourth year of Tv Dv ; Firat of the Third Moon/ Eight soldiers, with drawn sabres, marched by the side of M. Schoeffler; 100 men armed ,with muskets or, lances, formed the bead of the .procession ; two elephants formed the rear-guard. Tbe martyr held up his chains when walking; he walked quickly, as if hastening towards bis triumph, and -continually offered up thanksgiving. He was surrounded by an immense crowd; the greater number of these Pagans were struck with religious admiration ; there were some, however, who vailed and blasphemed. On arriving at the place of execution, the martyr fell on bis knees, kissed the crucifix three times, and, at the request of tbe executioner, he took off bis coat, and turned down the collar of bis shirt. Tbe executioner. having afterwards tied bis hands behind his back, the martyr said to him, 'Do your business as quickly as possible.' ' No, no,' replied the mandarin, who was informed of what Scbcsffler bad said, ' Follow the signal of the cymbal, and only strike at tbe third sound.' Tbe signal was given. ( The band of tbe executioner trembled. He struck three blows of his sabre on the neck of his victim, and was at length obliged to cut the flesh with a knifr, in order to detach tbe bead from tbe body. In Cochin China, tbo.se who are present at executions are accustomed to disperse immediately if is over, but on, this occasion, although, tbe greater number present were.Pagans, for there are very few Cristians at Son Tay, they rushed forward to collect some drops of the blood,. and to get some portion of the garments of the martyr, It was remarked that an inferior mandarin, a Pagan, before tbe execution, threw a coat of white silk and a piece of white linen at tbe feet of the martyr, in the hope that it would be stained with bis blood. M. Schosffler, thinking doubtless that they belonged to some Christian, took them, up, and placed them inside bis shirt next bis beart. When tbe chief mandarin was informed of what bis subordinate bad done, be ordered him to receive Beveral blows with a stick j be, however, went off very delighted with the possessions of bis precious relics. The Christains obtained tbe body of M. Schoeffler, but the head was thrown into the river, and had not been found when the above letter was written."