THE ARCHBISHOP OF CASHEL AND THE. IRISH PARTY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 430, 8 July 1881, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CASH EL AND THE . IRISH PARTY.

The following letter appeared in the Freeman :—: — The Palace, Thurles, May 6, 1881. My Dear Sir — I write you a live, at once, by early post, and in a, great hurry, yet with full deliberation, and no small sense of the responsibility of the situation, to express my opinion as to thy attitude which, it appears, a majority of the members of the Trisa. Parliamentary party are about to assume in reference to the Land Bill now uuder discussion in the House of Commons. Jsy a vote of seventeen to twelve they have resolved on not following the Government into the lobby on the Parliamentary division to be taken on the second reading of the bill, and furthermore, to leave the House in a body before such division. They have come to this conclusion because they think this coursethe best, both to mark their condemnation of the conduct of the Government in arresting Mr. Dillon, and their belief that the present Land Bill is inadequate to the settlement of the land question. As regards Mr. Dillon, I yield to no mau in Ireland in respect for him, or in the amplest appreciation oE hia noble nature. I admire him as a hero, and believe in him as a politician. 1 hat is to say, I think he is thoroughly acquainted with the wants and woes, as well as the virtues, of our people, and that he would unhesitatingly lay down his life for his country's good. It is kind for him to be an Irish Nationalist. His father before him had to fly for his life, g||h a telon's price upon hia head, and had ™ '• To run the outlaw's brief career, And bear hia load of ill." But, after all. as this day's Freeman sensibly puts it, the fact that the Government by arresting Mr. Dillon, had done a wrong and spiteful thing is not a sufficient reason why the Irish party in Parliament, should do a foolish, or even imprudeut, thing to avenge it. I am prepared to take my share in any movement, within the law, which the friends of Mr. Dillon may suggest, whether as regards the action of the Government in his case, or in testimony of the truth, high principle, chivalry, and dauntles* patriotism of Tipperary'B imprisoned member. At the same time lam bound to confess that I cannot approve of the special meaus which the Irish Parliamentary party are said to contemplate with a view to exhibit their sense of loyalty towards their colleague. Then, as to the Land Bill itself, about which there is no question, I hold to the pronouncement of the hierarchy substantially and in each and every one of its parts, and take the liberty of saying to the advanced Irish party in Parliament — with whom I have cordially co-operated, though in a small degree— whose fidelity to the national cause I have never doubted, and whose pluck and perseverance I never failed to admire— that, with great respect for their judgment, the vast and overwhelming majority of the Irish people— including,, of course, Irish ecclesiastics of all grades — are, in my humble opinion, in favour of giving the Government a fair chance of passing the bilL in case the amendments suggested by the bishops, as well as in the Land League manifesto and convention, will have been substantially incorporated with it. . . Anyhow, this does not appear to be the fitting time for giving opposition to the measure. Let it have a second reading. Let it then be discussed, and dissected, and fought over, if necessary, in committee : and, if under these various testing processes it cannot be brought into such shape as would commend it to the good sense of the country, or in harmony with the views expressed by the leaders of sound public opinion in Ireland, both lay and ecclesiastical, let it, in God's name, be rejected by all means, as inadequate, to do what it pretends to do, and unworthy, therefore, of our approval and support. Much more might be written on this weighty subject. Ido not desire to write more, and speak only for myself. I think, indeed, that I shall never be found saying or doing anything unworthy of one who has never left the people's side in any of their struggles, or recommending to the country any retrograde or pusillanimous coune. I trust, too, and believe that, however individuals may honestly differ with me in this particular matter, the bulk of thoughtful and patrioticIrishmen will agree as to the substance of what I have said. I remain, my dear sir, your faithful servant, ijj T. W. Cboke, Archbishop of Cashel. .