The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1883. THE POPE AND IRISH AFFAIRS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1119, 10 July 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1883. THE POPE AND IRISH AFFAIRS.

In the Nation to hand by last mail, there is a very telling reply to the letter of the Pope to the Irish Bishops warning them to keep aloof from participation in the Land League agitation. The Nation points out " that the Carbonari —the real original fraternity of that illomened name we shudder to see any Irishman imitating—are the'growth arid product of his Eminence's (the Cardinal Secretary, to. the propaganda) own, country, not of oursi Yea, are the growth and product of the ( ' no-pn6st-in-politics' policy wherever unhappily they appear. The second is"' that wherever the Carbonari, the Illuminati, or any other unhallowed secret confederacies have been able to establish themselves, wisely recognise Jthat the priest in politics would be fatal to •their designs. The three murder leagues of Iceland, have-been at Maamtrasna iCrossniaglen andrDnblin. Maamtrasna is in the diocese of Galway, Crossmngli'h

is in, the arch-diocese of Armagh, and [Dublin is, of course, in the arch-diocese 6T Dublin. The three prelates affected are Archbishops McEvilly and McGettigan and Cardinal McCabe. ,i Is: Br McEvilly a Land Leaguer ? . Is- Dr MoGettigan? Is Cardinal McCabe? Is it anything short of libel to say that Dr McEvilly has ever encourage'! M f Parriell or the movement ? Is it les a than calumny to insinuate of Dr MoGettigan that he forwarded or aided the Land League in any shap or form ? Is it not recorded in Downing street how Cardinal McCabe from first r to last denounced the movement that saved the reople from ruin, and brought forth Mr Gladstone's Act of 1881. The, three Archbishops who most vehemently carried out the ' no-priest-in-politics ' policy are Dr McEvilly, Dr McGettigan and Cardinal McCabe, and their diocese have given us the Maamtiasna Murder League, the Crossmaglen Murder League, and the Dublin Murder League. Indeed Cardinal McCabe can boast of two murder leagues, Mr Carey's ' Invincibles' and Mr Davine's ' Avengers.' " The article then points out that the arch-diocesp of Cashe], ~ver jvliinli Arclibish"P Croke holds sjirtual powi'r, contributed absolutely nothing to.the atrocities which stained Ireland.

Archbishop Croke is a leading light of the Land League ; his priests are on every Land League platform, but though the arch-diocese embraces the county of " Tipperary, onco torn and stained by terrible deeds of violence, it has, through these recent years of fierce excitement, presented a spectacle of. public peace and practical devotion to religion." This make, the Pope withdraw his letter, It shows that where the priests are not allowed to mix with the people in the agitation there these fearful secret Societies have flourished, while Tipperary, which has been noted lor its deeds of violence, hns been completely free from the slightest because the priests mingled with! the people, and restrained them'. from going beyond what was legitimate agitation.

There is something very peculiar about this letter of the Pope's altogether. Telegrams have informed us that Mr Gladstone admitted'in the House of Commons: that the Government authorised Mr Erringtbn—an Irish Catholic —to try to influence the Pope in the direction of vetoing the Land League. And this is the same Mr Gladstone who a few years ago wrote a book with the view of proving that it was impossible for a Roman Catholic to be loyal to the, Crown of England. He has since .appointed the Marquis of Bute Viceroy of India, and sent Mr Erringlon, to Rome to beg the favor of the Pope to assist him in Ins Irish difficulties. These aref some of'the doings of the ,« grand" old man." About 20 years ,»iigo. he; 6aid in an address to his constituents that he would ■" govern Ireland ■ according to Irish ideas." Speaking at the National Liberal Club, of-which he is President, on the 2nd.of May last, he 6aid with regard to Secret .Societies in Ireland "those Societies generally are but the extreme growth df" the disease, for the production of which the Government of England in other days have been" responsible." "Twenty jears ago he would govern Ireland' according to Irish ideas, and now he tells us the Governments of the past are responsible for the' fearful atrocities which have been committed in that country, We do not dispute but that ' he is right, but we say this : "the grand old man •' is in his dotage, or he is "a grand old humbug." Lord Beaeansficld used to say that there was nothing**™ mean or too contemptible for a politician to stoop to; and it appears to us that' Mr Gladstone verified the truth of this assertion when he Bent Mr Erringtbn to Rome. By-the-bye Mr Errington, according ; to , the telegrams, is to be appointed Secretary, or something- of that kind, to the Roman Embassy,: in acknowledgment of having extracted the letter from the-Pope. How truly Moore's,lihes describe his position : \ Unprized are her sons, till they learn to ' ; betray; ■{ Uodistihguised 'they lived if they shame not their sires, And. the torch-that would lead them through dignity's, way, . I Must be caught from the pile where their i, i;: , country expires.