ORANGEMENS SERVICE AT ST. MATTHEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 177, 26 July 1913, Page 10

ORANGEMENS SERVICE AT ST. MATTHEWS.

~ iTo the Ktlitor.) j Sir. —Judging from t"io report of the I Orangemen's set vice in .St. Matthew's, on I Sunday. 13th inst.. it would appear that '/■■'■ Rev. W. E. Gillara adapted himself I ~i::i great success to the requirements of ■ •■,'• occasion, and to the mental peculiar-|jt.'->i of his ijranrre audience by discours- ',-■ "•' ii little toleration and lets <"hr_--.5'! cha,rit\. on the misdeeds of the -' iol.c r '.<nrc'u in Ireland. In <-hargtng a- '"iiircii with intolerance and per_e-leii-i'ijt a' an ; n!ierent part, of the Romish -. -y_-.<rn. Mr OiiLim has, by his reckless- : ■ ~r- and .inmoder;>tion, invited recrimin r.a'ion.- t ha" may no' be pleasing to it him. or red'iimd lo the honour and glory n j ..f his own Church. A- these fulmina- '. jtions n_.iins: Catholie_m have evident.lv !1 j had their inspiration in ancient history. '..- ! interpre-ed by modern prejudice, i do I not consider them worthy of further if notice. Fortunately, reasonable people ie of the present day do not base their ■h opinion,- of the different religious bodies <- on their actions ir the distant past, as '■° recorded in the unreliable panics of c- church history, but on their work and influence in our o_n time. Adoptinrr this standard, we in Auckland may well acknowledge with pride and admiration .. the noble charity of our Catholic fello.vcitizens. They have provide;], as no other denomination has done, for the | -relief of suffering -humanity, in miaistering to the aged, the sick." and the poor and helpless, and to the necessities of jtne ever-increasing number of poor orphan children who fall to their care. j The many splendid institutions in and

about our city—in which this 'Work is carried on—indicate, in some degree, its magnitude, hut not the whole-hearted generosity of those -who oat of their scanty means have contributed so largely to their maintenance: nor do they tell of the self-sacrifice and devotion of the Sisters of Mercy, who .have given their lives to this labour of love and charity. It should not be forgotten that the Catholics number-only a-bout one-seventh of our population, and though they are far from being a rich community, they have undertaken a work that probably exceeds that of the combined efforts of all other churches. It will, of course, be asked. What has this to do with Irish Catholicism? This only: it was from Ireland the Catholics of Auckland came, richly endowed with Catholic piety and Catholic charity, and where these are the national characteristics of a people, and where biff-hearted, manly men scorn mean action.-: and where puTe-rainded women ehed their beni_n influence, there, : bigotry, intolerance, and persecution can I have no plnr-e. ITo an Irish Protesta.rrt it _ not pleas- ! ant to record how the incorrigible preI judiee of the North exerc v ■ its pernicious influence. „s for instance, in political and municipal affairs. The following facts can be verified, as they are not drawn from ancient history. No j Protestant constituency or public body lin IreVand over by any .--hanee returns I a Catholic to Parliament; or confers on i him high civic honours, and Inri seldom indeed any highly-remunerative office; i those of the lower grade only fall to his lot. and thrno as sparingly as pcepihle. On the other hand, no Catholic constituency or public body ever rejects a Protestant, on account of his religion: political agreement is all that is required of him; in fact, throughout the East, West, I and (south of Ireland, and NorUi-west Ulster, wherever Catholics predominate, Protestants are treated with more than lav-sh kindnrsis: indeed, their religion 1 appears to bo their passport to special | | favour. The following information will i | probably surprise and interest many of | your readers. Twelve Catholic cono'titiijencies return t-welve-Protestant members |to Parliament. Sixteen Protestant constituencies—ail there are in Ireland— re|'tum Protestants only, and Dublin's Protectant University two more. Thus, Cometh brig under a million and a-balf Frow-tanu; are represented -by thirty Protestant members, while in Engla_d, Scotland, and Wales two and a-auartcr-million Catholics are represented by only five Catholic members. Under the' same generous treatment that Protestants receive in Ireland, the Catholic- in Oreai. Britain would be represented by about 1 forty Catholic members, i_ste_d of by five as at present. Thrne facts rm_ figures plainly demonstrate that Catholic intolerance is a wicked and maiieious fabrication of lies, and there is overwhelming evidence. On this point none have spoken with higher authority or more convincing force than Froude" and Leoky. They are the greatest historians of our time, and though Protestants and bitter anti-Home Rulers, they express, with a profound knr>w!od_o of Imh history, their implicit -belief in the religious tolerance of the Cafholics of Ireland. 1 share with many thousands of mv fellow-Protestants in Ireland their confidence in their Catholic fellow-country-men, and their belief that Catholic pa-triot.-m is irreconcilable with relicrjouß intolerance. This confidence should dispel all foolish mi_rivinrrs reffardino- any Ipownble sectarian dissension arisTmr „n der Home Rule. There is. undouWedhan ever-jrrowinnr conviction that, selfgovernment will confer -mcotimablc benefits, in which all will share. That, in ■the nations prosperity, old differences wrii be forgotten, and Catholic and Protestant will unite in friendship end <r,d- ol--wul to promote the Lasting welfare o7 their country.—l am. etc.. NEW IRELAND. r'T-iza-befl," also sends a letter on the same subject, but. we cannot devote briber space to this discussion.—Ed.J