HOME RULE AND ENGLISH CATHOLICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1280, 8 November 1911, Page 4

HOME RULE AND ENGLISH CATHOLICS.

Sir,—Tour extract from tho London "Tablet" a day or.two ago, re the nttitlido of English Catholics towards Home Rule, exposes and emphasises the lutlacy repeatedly put forth—that Homo ltulo would mean "Itomo Kulo' ; and, indeed, all well-informed' Englishman, as well as Irishmen, know right well that this is onlv a cry purposely and cunningly used by'the opponents of self-government being granted to Ireland. Especially is this "bogev" alwavs trotted out, with flourish of trumpets, bv tho "planters" of Ulster. It just suits their purpose to do this, in order to try and retain the supremacy and domination that they have held for tho past two or three hundred years. But lust as the Lords had to cave. in to tlio rights of present-dnv democracy, so it will be with others who want to lord it over their fellow men. What somo would term their rights and liberty might snell intolerance and persecution to others. "At any rate, all that the Irish people, in fairness, claim, is tho removal of this "domination," mid wrongs of the past, and have North, South, East, and West join hands for tho common good of their country, regardless of religion or It is scarcely news to Irishmen to learn that English 'Catholics havo never been ardent supporters of Homo Rule. On tno contrary, they have very often been the strongest opponents of tho measure being conceded to Ireland. It . may appear strange, but certainly that is uie position. As a glaring instance of this, the followill" is perhaps worth relating:—Some twenty years ago, tho land campaign, oi, as it was then called, "the .plan of campaign," was primarily instituted by the late Michael Davitt, to try and compel the landlords to come to a sense ot justice in dealing with their rent-ridden tenants, and the method adopted was to pav no rent—rents which were increased periodically in proportion as the tenants improved the land. And, in the o\cnt of the tenants being evicted lor said nonpnvir.eut of rent, ft ''boycott » was <lcclarcd and put into force against anyone, who took over the farm, as well as against the landlord. The Duke of Norfolk, that great English Catholic' Peer was asked bv the Government, or, I should more correctly say, his fellow Peers, to interview tho Pope,'to use his ecclesiastical authority over the hierarchy and clergy (Catholic) of Ireland, in order that they put down the said "boycott . against tho landlords, and those who took oyer tho farms from .them. The Duke, did go to Home, and got the I'ope to issue, a 1 astoral." or mandate, to the bishops_ and priests to stop the "plan. of campaign, but the Irish people declined to lie dictated to, even b.v the Pope, at the in-sti-ation of the Catholic Duke of Norfolk One Irish-American journalist— John Finnerty, of tho Chicago tribune -exclaimed, in righteous indignation, and wrote ".Bovcott the Pope," a sentiment, strong ns it was, which found an echo in tho hearts of tho majority of Irish Catholics at the time. Oh. no, the ln>h 1 helieve in religious authority being con- | fined to religious matters, leaving people free to bnttlo for their own material welfare and betterment, Iho great Dan O'Connell gave correct expression to that sentiment when he said: _l m prepared to take my religion from Home, but, not my politics."—l am, etc.,