Untitled

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 111, 19 February 1853, Page 10

To the Editor of the Lyltelton Times. Sir, —In Saturday week's paper I see a paragraph headed " The Irish in America," and how they leave their native country with feelings not the most kindly towards their neighbours, the English. Well, now, let me inform the public how that takes place, and in what a mistaken ■way the Government of England assist Ireland. -The Popish, or rather Papistical, religion they profess to follow, and not only profess to follow, l;ut do so rather more earnestly than a good many Protestants follow their religion. Now, Sir, I tell you, and I think that you will apree with me, that it is not the lower order of Irish that are to be blamed. Brought up in that reli■jnon, sucking it in, as it were, with their mothers milk ; brought up to observe all the rites observances, festivals, masses, and fasts that the priests impose upon them, and in their ignorance not knowing any other way than to yield implicit obedience to them, they do it; their ignorance of what their own religion consists of is a sufficient excuse for them, and their bigoted prejudice to any other religion proceeds "from the priests; for the priests know well, and they tremble when they think of it, that if the lower order of Irish, fur there they have the greatest hold, wereto seek to enlighten themselves and "Were todo it, their power would beatan end. Why

do they keep them in ignorance ? why read a part of their Chapel Services in a language the people do not understand, or, rather, they know the name of it, and that is all ? Because they are afraid of the people knowing too much ! Know you not that the Papists, if they could once ! get before the established religion, and aided by their Priests, would exterminate every one i that lay in their power if they would not turn | Papists ? Do you think that they would purI sue such a mild course as the Protestants pursue to them? Not they; the "stake" would be their universal cry; and England, the greatest of the great, would become a mere appendage of the Papal dominions. Now, Sir, I will tell you what I would do with Ireland: I would imprison the priests for the term of their natural lives; stop emigration from her shores ; have every child taught the Protestant religion, and brought up in it; let death be the penance against any person or persons teaching or promulgating the Papists religion ; Jet the persons that hold fast to that religion die in Ireland^ not on foreign shores, where one day they will make England smart for it if they can, and where they live cursing England for having to leave Ireland, when, instead of its being England's fault, it was their own, and that through their idleness, caused in a great measure by their religion, attending wakes, weddings, and keeping as many holidays very nearly as there are days in the year. Could they expect to prosper ? If they did they must have been mad. Living in a state of destitution ; cursing the English ; reciting their sins to the priest, so as to be forgiven by him ; their potatoe crop fails; they are worse now than ever; they shoot, their landlord's overseer because he wants his rent; they then emigrate if they can, cursing the English, and hoping not to die before they are revenged. Let it be stopped while it can be. Establish a military rule in Ireland for the first year or so, instead of educating Irish Papistical priests, who, after they have gone through their education, turn round, and would bite you like a viper. 'Twas a mistaken notion that, if the Irish priests were better educated in their own religion, they would better the condition of the people. Not so,; they turn their learning to a bad account, and are even worse than their priests that have gone before them. Let there be Irish Protestant Ministers educated; and though England would be cursed by the present population, yet once let thepresentone die off,and their descendants (Protestants, of course,) will see Ireland flourish once more, and let them know what it was that brought Ireland to the miserable condition it was in. Their blessings would more than repay their benefactors. Many people would say, let the Irish emigate, and the English surplus population could go to Ireland. Not so; the English quit their native land, and many go to places under the British Crown, and there settle down and become good and faithful subjects, ready to fight and die for their native country, or to uphold the Government which protects them. Not so the Irish; they do as I said before, and will do, unless some plan is adopted to stop it. I remain, Sir, yours respectfully, A Labouring Man. Christchnrch, February, 1853. [Ireland has long been England's difficulty, and . what to do with her has puzzled the wisest of her statesmen. Submergation for 24 hours has been recommended, and other summary plans. Our Correspondent has propounded an ingenious method to solve the problem, which, without offering an opinion upon, we publish for the benefit of "the present generation of statesmen.]