CANON DOYLE'S INDIGNATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 20, 13 February 1891, Page 29

CANON DOYLE'S INDIGNATION.

The name of Canon Doyle, the venerable parish priest of Ramsgrange, County Wexford, is well known not only in Ireland, but amongst the Irish race throughout, the world. Forty years vo the Canon was as brave and conspicuous a patriot as he is to day. Young Ireland to the National League he has been in the front rank Btanaing up every time for th» right cause in trie right wev. On the present crais, there is no mistake as to his view. H<^ hi«~ 'ak-n good care to leave do room for doubt Sub| iit,cd \\v (InWi WorM) give extracts from a Ions; letter of his to the Dublin Frrmiait, wLi.si that paper refused to publish • — To the editor of the Fnenian — Ram*grange, Arthurstown. November 24. 1390.

Sir,— One of the mjst shtcking scandals 1 rom-'m.M to have occurred in my time is the futile attempt rmdo by you and o*hiM» t> whitewash unfortunate Charles Stewart Parnell. I waited till .ill your suddenly got-up and cleverly-managal m'etings from w 1 len a I protest was carefully excluded (mine scut to .1. E. Redruoml, M p., at least), were over, in order to know what coukl be said in his 'favour! The platforms were wel l furnished with Q.C.'a and M.P.'s \ery distinguished gentlemen ; but I must confess I dou't remember sj gr at an amount of rubbish shot broalcist over the cjuntry from"" , my meeting ever assembled in Dublin before,

Now that all the resolutions on this na?ty subject ha?" been paßsei, and that the country ha* been swamped undjr a delude of feeble fustian, what do they all come to 1 Why, this, and only thisftlnl Parnell, though steeped to the hp9— ave. heal and ears— in a very cesspool of the foulest crimes of ten years' standing yet is •• essential "' to Ireland ; "cannot be done without ; " "he is tte only une man who can guide the ship. ' Whs , sir, [ tnoujfht oir boa^t was that we had a superabundance of gitted and clever mm . that a'most evt.rv Irish village could supply a s-atesruan. We 'lern-ind Home Uule oil the very ground that we are amply capable <>f governing ourselves , but now our boosting subsides to the humiliating c nfession that we have only one man fit to lead n->, ml h<e so s'u-ped in ab lrmn.iiions that his very name at this moment stinks in the nos'nls of the civilised world. Then, should death call this " i^nti il " criminal uwav the demand for Home Kule must cease, and the hop^s of Irei.ind b ' buried in his unsavoury gra\e. bir, fiough I know lam only "the voice of one crying :n tha wilderness," I feel r my- duty to enter my feeble but solemn protest against tnis degradvio"u of our mst nix'i imperishable cause and of our dear old country.

And then we are supplied with Scuptur.' not it ions . jes, Scripture has been ofteD quoted for vile purp jsl»r. l'u ■ wjini'i for<nv> n in the Temple was bid, "go in peaci and bin no more." I say the same to Parnell. bhe aid no: claim h lead j r-hip amongst the Daoghters of Israel. Magdalene was also forgiven, b k &.he was no longer found in the crowded city anl pro-ninent amidst th ■ assemblies of men ; she retired into the desert to do p^na-ce daring the remainder of her days. 1 say to Charles Stewart Parnell. "Go t jou and do likewise."

Now, we are told how David fel 1 . Vi«, he fell from a sudden Uftiptation caused by the gross imprudence, if not t^e wily traiity of g,*oman, and to cloak the first sid he fell into a second. Is it not afflicting and humiliating in the last degree to find Irish Cubohc journals and orators quotiog Scripture to minimise and palliate the damning crimes of this degraded man .' We are told of Divid's fall, but not a word about bis quick repun'ance and ov rwhelming sorrow — not a syllable about the dreadful chastisements thos'f sins, though repented of, brought upon David and bis bou-p. We are not shown the aged King pros'rate oi* the ground, his garments rent, a. id his gray hair sprinkled with ashes, crying from ths depths of a broken

beart, " Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercy, blot out my iniquities."

Of conrse, every one who attends to public affairs muat knowthat there are far abler men in the Irish party than Parnell. He was a respectable fi»ure-head, and being one of the gentry, accustomed as we are to be slaves, we were glad to have him ; but in point ot ability and acquirements he is uotuia^ to Thomas Sexton and others I could name. Though surrounded by a number of able, practical men, and aided by their counsel, be made some sad mistakes, one of the worst of which was his alternative proposal to Mr. Balfour's Land Purchose Bill. If that proposal be engrafted on the amended bill about to be introduced, it will give the eoupde grace to Parnell's leadership. If be were not entirely shameless he would have retired from the public gaze long since. I call upon the faithful fathers and husbands of Ireland, upon the virtuous and loving wives and mothers, upon our modest and chaste young girls, and upon our chivalrous young men to pat an immediate end to this infamv — to call with one voice for the retirement of this unfortunate man from the position he has disgraced. Thus, and thus only, can peace be restored, and the caus», now ripe for settlement, be brought to a happy consummation. " But this will give joy to our enemies, to the Times, and the whole Pigottist gang." Not a bit of it, but it will bring them consternation to see the bone of contention removed> and the Irish party settle steadily down to their work under an irreproachable leader. The retention of Parnell is the ruin t>f our cause. If he were not blindly se fish, ambitious and utterly shameless, he would have retired from the public gaza long since, and hidden himself and his infamy in the woods and glaies of Avondale. Thomas Canon Doyle.