THE ARCHBISHOP OF CASHEL ON THE IRISH BISHOPS AND JOHN DILLON, M.P.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 430, 8 July 1881, Page 16

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CASHEL ON THE IRISH BISHOPS AND JOHN DILLON, M.P.

His Grace the Archbishop of Cashel visited Mullinahone on Monday night, and met with a most enthusiastic reception. His Grace had been engaged during the day at Gurtnahoe in the visitation of the clergy of that district, and it was not until near seven o'clock in the evening that he left that village to proceed to Mnllinahone, a drive of eleven Irish miles. The evening was fine, and every hundred or two hundred yards along the road groups of men, women and children were found assembled to salute his Grace. Triumphal arches had been erected at intervals aloug almost the entire route, but as Mullinahone came nearer the number of these increased, and the decorations were more elaborate. A procession was formed headed by a score of two of well-mounted horsemen, followed by His Grace's carriage, in the rear of which came many thousands of people, mostly on foot, but some hundreds of them in waggonettes, croydons, cars and other vehicles. Several bands were present and played appropriate airs, The town, which was not reached until a quarter-past nine o'clock, was in a state of great excitement. The houses were all illuminated, numerous arches spanned the principal streetß. fronts of the houses were profusely decorated with evergreens, the effect of which was to some extent lost through the lateness of the hour. The cheering having subsided, Mr. Nicholas Shee read the following address to his Grace : " May it please your Grace, — We, the people of the parish of Mullinahone, hail with raptures of joy your visit to our parish. We welcome you as our beloved Archbishop and as one of the greatest Irishmen of our time. We are proud to have you as Archbishop of Cashei and Bmly ; and we merely express the wishes of Irishmen all the world over when we say that God may give your Grace health and length of days to enable you to plead the cause of our country and to vindicate the honour of Ireland's daughters. — Signed on behalf of the people of Mullinahone." His Grace the Archbishop of Cashel, who was loudly cheered, said : Mr. Shee and friends of the parish of Mullinahone, and Irishmen, though I am somewhat fatigued after the very long and arduous duties that I had to discbarge to-day in another parish, I can assure you that when I come and see here before me so large, so respectable, and so patriotic a body of my countrymen, all the fatigues of the day vanish (cheers) and new strength, as it were, is infused into me. Certainly, I cannot but be proud of receiving this address this evening from the people of Mullinahone. Mullinahone has a history of its own. Mullinahone seems to me to have been the birthplace of many a true Irishman ; and I believe myself that the spirit of that grand party that lived in this country over thirty years ago remains here still (cheers). lam convinced that, in honouring me here this evening, you are not honouring me individually, hut you are honouring me as one of the Bishops of the Irish Church ; and, let me assure jou — and I have the greatest possible pleasure in doing it — that there is not a bishop in Ireland — I believe there is not a priest in Ireland — who does not love Ireland as well as Ido (cheers). One man has one way of showing his love for his country, and another man has another way of showing it ; but I believe that, if the moment came, and if persecution were to fall upon us, and if we were otherwise tested, there is not a bishop presiding over any see in Ireland, nor any priest deserviug of the name, who would not be found amongst the ranks of his countrymen (cheers). lam not, singular therefore, in any way. All the bishops met the other day, as you know, in Dublin to consider the great land question which is agitating the heart of the country at present. You have seen their declaration. Was there any want of unanimity amongst them ? Did they not agree that the great curse of the country was that the land was not emancipated 1 There was no divergence of opinion on this — that the land laws by which the country is regulated at present cannot subsist any longer (cheers). We all agree upon that. The priests agree upon that — the bishops are all as one man — the people are all as one man — and, as far as I can read history, there never was an instance in which the ecclesiastical and the lay body united against the common foe in which they were not victorious (cheers). I will add more — the priests and the people of Ireland are more united now than ever they were before (cheers). They were persecuted together, and it would be a most unfortunate thing if anything divided them from one another. I am proud of Tipperary, but I am especially proud of Tipperary's imprisoned member (.cheers). The moment I find any man taken up by the Government and clapped into prison by the Government, even if I knew nothing of him before, I come to the conclusion that there is something in him, something sound in him, and that the Government think there must be something dangerous in him (cheers). Therefore, if I knew nothing of John Dillon, if I found that on his leaving my house, where he spent the last evening of his free life — if I found that they arrested him, put him under lock and key, to keep him there while this agitation lasts, I would say Mr. John Dillon must have a power else they would not have cared to grapple with him (cheers). I am proud of our people. The priests are one with them in this agitation. lam proud of priests and people. But amongst these there is not one that lam more proud of than of our county member (cheers). I knew his father ; I worked with in mj young days, worked with him after bis return from exile, and he is a worthy son of such a sire. With the traditions of our race, with the traditions of our county, with the priests and people united, with a fixed determination to win our rights, to do nothing wrong, our country will become, if not free in our time, she will become a happy, a contented, a prosperous and a fine country to live in (cheers). I shall as long as I live co-operate fearlessly with the people in order to bring round this most desirable result (cheers). The vast assemblage then dispersed.