DR. NEWMAN'S PAMPHLET.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 123, 3 September 1875, Page 13

DR. NEWMAN'S PAMPHLET.

- , . - [Fiest Notice.] Having- lately read Dr. Newman's pamphlet in reply to Mr. Gladstone's celebrated " Impeachment," I send yoa a few meinotanda of ■ what occui red to me to be the most important points in it, expressed in uiy own way. They, may interest some of your readers who have not seen the venerable Doctor's production. - The pamphlet was written at the urgent request of the JJuke or Norfolk and some other influential members of the Catholic body. ~ By permission of the Duke, it was published under the form of a letter " addressed to his Grace. Dr. Newman did not wish to make the Duke in any way or in any measure responsible for the contents of the pamphlet. He was merely desirous to gain the rapport of the Duke s .Same ; a name which is the fitting sample and special representative ' of a laity as zealous for the Catholic religion as for the nonor and Merest and independence of Old England. The pamphlet is written <^roughout without' anything like personal or sectarian bitterness or heat The author when he has occasion to allude to Mr. Gladstone personally.,' does so in a most friendly and respectful, and even affectionate manner. '-< I deeply grieve," he says, " that Mr. Gladstone his deemed it his duty to speak with such extraordinary seventy ot our religion and- ourselves." Again he remarks : " Mr. Gladstone s account-., both of the recently promulgated Papal decrees and of the faithful who have received them, is neither trustworthy nor charitable " He thinks it " unworthy of Mr. Gladstone's character to have inveighed against us" as he lias done, These are about the most severe censures he has passed upon him, for having so cruelly misrepresented Catholic principles, and done his utmost to expose us to public odium and unjust suspicion. Nay, he goes further, and actually apologises for Mr. Gladstone's conduct in publishing such a heavy " Impeachment against us." "I own to a deep feeling, he .says, " tI-->. Catholics may, in a good measure, thank themselves and no one else -or having alienated from them bo religious a mind." How so ? Bee -pc for years past many Catholics have conducted themselves as if t . responsibility was attached to wild words and overbearing deeds. They flourished in the face of Englishmen the Pope's claims, as if in defirnce of their feelings.and prejudices, not considering that Englishmen are exceedingly sensitive about these claims, which Dr. Newman himaelf takes care to say he has never denied at any time since enterin" the Church, and has no wish to conceal now that he is forced publicly to explain and defend them upon the present grave occasion. The main questions Mr. Gladstone has started are these Ist, Can Catholics be trustworthy subjects of the State? and 2nd, Has not a foreign power such a hold over their consciences, that it may, a,t £ny time, he used to the serious perplexity and injury of the civil •ivenimftn-; -'nder which they live? He has started these important 6j lestions under the influence partly of fear and partly of indignation. He was alarmed at the Pope's Encyclical and " Syllabus," and the Definitions of the Vatican Council upon the universal jurisdiction and doctrinal infallibility of the P pe. But this terror was succeeded by a burning indignation, when in February, 1873, his Irish "University Bill" was deteated, as- ; .he supposed, by the direct influence of t»io Eoman Catholic prelacy of -1 eland, or in other words by Pius IX. The Pope had snatched the reins of power from Mr. Gladstones hands as he believed. Then it was he be ame more firmly persuaded than ever that "Home" was still "powerful for mischief," and was preparing " to furbish up her dusty weapons," and must be checked somehow. 'Hence his pamphlet exposing the dangers to which England and every other country was exposed fro n the Papal power, and the blind subserving of all Roman Catholics to tint power. Had Mr. Gladstpne's Irish ' University, Bill not beeu defeated, it is next to • certain we should never have had his "Expostulation" pamphlet, -written to arouse the indignation of the Bidl family against poor Catholics and their religion. But I suppose" it was foreordained that Mr. Gladstone's Irish University Bill should be introduced and rejected ; that he should write his "Expostulation," and that Dr. Newman should reply, and whatever is best. As 'to the action of the IrishCatholicßisho.ps in the matter of Mr. Gladsto " c's University Bill, there is no raasttn to suppose the Pope interfered at all, or that his interference was at all reg ire'd.. _ Irish Ca holic bishops are Irishmen, and as si eh, altogether irrespective of thoir creed, have pecuniary rights and interests in common with their people. Why not stand up for these ? They did so and defeated -Mr. Gladstone, who was prepared to sacrifice their pecuniary interests and to set their conscientious 1 scruples at defiance. Are Irishmen to allow themselves io be trampled Jon merely because they are Catholics, whether laics or ecclesiastics ? Can Irish Catholic bishops not act from national as well as from religious feelings? They like their religion better than anything in this world,;but they like their country, too, and her people dearly. They stand forward not only in defence of God's Church, but of the Irish people. Let Mr. Gladstone or any one else try to wrong either the one or the other, and the Irish-Catholic bishops will not be slow to make them smart if they can. They had an opportunity of punishin<* Mr. Gladstone for his attempted wrong doing to Ireland and the Catholic Church, and thoy did punish him by driving him from power. By way of'retaliation Mr. Gladstone turns round on the Pope and all Catholics. He denounces the former as a masterful tyrant and the latter as abject slaves. Poor spite that. It is certainly unworthy of his character, as a great statesman and learned, scholar and sincere Christian. But the time for reflection and repentance will come, when he will see the matter in a very different light. Mortified pride ie hard to bear, and darkens tho understanding. If Mr. Gladstone was really persuaied, as he seems to have been, that ho and his party, the great Liberal party in England, were defeated mainly through Papal power or influence, exercised through the Irish Episcopay,. no wondei he felt both alarmed and indignant, and vented his feelings in the "Expostulation," charging Catholics with being moral and intellectual slaves, ready .to do whatever the Popo ordered them, however absuro orwiokedt . * X _ Laio,