The Presbyterian Irish in Ulster.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 142, 20 February 1886, Page 5

The Presbyterian Irish in Ulster.

" United Ireland "(Parnell's %\ eokly paper), whose editor, William OBrien, has been elected member ot Parliament for South Tyrone, printa the following article in double leads in its issue of December 12th : The supreme fact in connection with the Irish eloctions is that Ulster is now indisputably ours, and, above all, ours by the deliberate election of Protestant and Presbyterian votors. It is no longer seriously disputed. The South Deny and South Tyrone elections, in particular, clinch the matter. In East Donegal, North and South Fermanagh, and East Tyrone the Nationalists majorities so far exceeded the calculated Nationalist strength upon the register that they can only be accounted for upon the supposition that large masses of Protestant and Pre&byterian farmers took the winning side. Mr Bealy's amazing majority over Whig and Toiy candidates combined, in a contest in which ho could only make sure of winning by profiting by the dissensions of hig oppononts, is a still more conclusive proof that the Protestant and Presbj'terian democracy have deserted wholesalo from the garrison. In the caso of South Tyrone there is absolutely no resisting or evading the conclusion that it was Protestant and Presbyterian votes which secured to Mr Parnell the coveted majority of the Ulster leprosentativos. The Protostant and Presbyterian electors of South Tyrone had it absolutely in their power to turn the fcale between Parnellites and "loyalitcs" in Ulster, and they deliberately kicked the beam in favour of the Parnellites. Tho Orange organs reckon that the majority against the Parnellites upon the register was at least 300. Tho poll was a most exhaustive one. The Liberal farmers voted en masse, and the inevitable inference is that compulsion of Liberal wire-pullers like Herdman, to effect the discomfiture of the Parnellites, v oted in the secrecy of tho ballot for the Parnellito candidate, and so filled up tho yawning deficitbetween him and victory. This is tho first time upon record that nonCatholic voters in the North having an absolute casting- vote at their command caat it deliberately on tho side of a Catholic Nationalist. The fact is all the more noteworthy that their choice was made after an election contest in w hich the most unscrupulous attempts ever made to infiamo religious animosity were adopted as the settled policy of the " Loyalist " candidate. It marks an extraordinary advance toward tho obliteration of sectarian feuds when Presbyterian farmers, hofc from the bigoted tirades and atrocious calumnios they heard poured on the heads of the Papist "invaders," went unshakon into the ballot-box to plump for the man who, they wore taught from platform and press, came to persccuto their faith and confiscate their forms, if not cut their throats What is certain is, that the landlords have lost their hold upon the Presbyterian tenantry of tho North. There is now but one other party in Ireland to succeed to the magnificent inheritance of the confidence of that glorious yeomanry, who mighft so easily be the pride as they are one of the mainstays of _ the Irish nation,