THE PENINSULA ELECTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 514, 16 February 1883, Page 19

THE PENINSULA ELECTION.

2?^ ? T ¥ h « re 5. roWB tefly over the defeat of Bishop Mown 8. inL Fv awi ft l i. ele ? t ?! lVl V This V onl y natnral - Jdo not fancy las Lordship will break his heart or lose bis appetite over his defeat —more especially considering what manner of men defeated him. I presume his object was chiefly to make the pretended " liberals' and friends of political honesty and justice in the Peninsula show their sincerity and hoist their real colours. So far, I presume, he has succeeded. Had he gained his election it would have been something very like a miracle. To tell yon the troth, I think his Lordship entertains too high an idea of " the free and independent." *«™^ ca »£date who expects to gain their favour must woo them SSL i? eren i fM J" 0?i0 ?i. from , tbat which he adopted. He must JfiS* ?? a ?., th e Scotch would say, he must "boo and scrap to them. It will not do to tell them off-hand he will not canvass * bem > °.r,. r , that wm not treat them at the public or pay *j& ? expenses, and that if they choose to vote for him they will do it, if not, they will vote for somebody else. This implies the existence of a degree of Spartan virtue and high principles among ft 1 in these degenerate times, which cannot well be looked for even in the « modern Athens" of New Zealand, iiad Dr. Moran been a Scotchman, a Presbyterian from Glasgow, and an ex-member of the directors of the Glasgow bank— honest and truth-loving men, all of them, and full of Presbyterian zeal to overflowing— he mightgpossibly have carried his election with triumJK^W" 2°? the ,f lec tprs-or such portion of them as hailed from the " land of cakes'* and brose and butter. Had he even been an kwhman and a " bad Catholic" he might have had abettor chance. Out Jtfrald seems scandalized at Dr. Moran so often scolding " bad Catholics, and trying to shame them into being good ones. He intimated lately that if Dr. Moran were to come up here and try his fortune in politics he would find that even good Catholics, like Mr. John Sheehan and Mr. Tole and others he could name, would say, 1 The back of my hand to your Lordship, we want none of your religious or denominational system, but the godless system, pure and unadulterated." But the subject is too serious for joking. The visible and growing evil fruits of the godless school system are melancholy and painful to witness. Considering that the present New Zealand educational system emanated from an utter Protestant or non-religious Government, that it is the natural fruit of what is called The Reformation, and that this Keformation was based on shameless injustice, robbery and dissimulabon, practised with a.view to destroy not. only Catholic schools, but the Catholic- Church, and to dethrone the Pope himself, I really cannot see that at present there is much, if any, hope of Catholics getting justice for their schools. Nor can I see that there is much necessity for a Government subsidy to Catholic schools if Catholics themselves were only true to their religion and to each other, and just to their children. The Catholic schools already established in the Soj^tb, at all events, show that Catholics can do without any Government subsidy. No doubt our claim is just, and Protestants of just and religious minds admit its justice. But the Protestant multitude, especially the Presbyterian and Puritan multitude, their ministers, and the Press, are not amenable to any feelings of justice, honour, or even shame, in their treatment of Roman Catholics on this question, any more than Knox and the congregation of the Lord" in Scotland three hundred years ago could comprehend the meaning of the words justice, honour, toleration and humanity, when legislating for Roman Catholics. The Catholic schools and Chnrch will, however, outlive this generation : and when Mr. Larnach and all his kind have gone to render an account of their injustice before a just tribunal above, Catholics may then expect fair treatment from the next generation. In the meantime let the Tablkt keep pegging away— 1 ' Fiat iustitia." Let iustice prevail No surrender. The proposal of Mr. Larnach to introduce the Bible into Government schools, is only a crafty and crooked Scotch way of introducing Protestantism into them, and the Kirk views of course.

Mr. J. Sheehan no doubt acts, or persuades himself that he acts, conscientiously when he sets himself to oppose the Church on this momentous question. De Quincy wrote an essay to prove that Judas Iscanot was a very good, though mistaken, friend to Christ, and no traitor in the common acceptation of that odious word. That he wanted to benefit Christ in what he did, when he betrayed him to his enemies. Only he went the wrong way about it, and that when he saw his error he was very sorry for what he had done, in so much that in his sorrow he committed suicide. Now possibly Mr. J. Sheehan is no traitor to the Church, m the vulgar offensive sense of the term traitor, but wants to benefit her in what he has done by supporting the present godless system of education. I, for my part, will not judge him Judgment belongs to God. Yet when I see a man profeeing to be a faithful son of the Church, openly and persistently defying the authority of the highest ecclesiastical power, and cooperating with the avowed and bitter enemies of the Church in a matter so vital to her safety as the education of Catholic and Christian youth, I must say lam somewhat perplexed. That man, I conclude, must rather be devoured with self-esteem, and have an overweening confidence in bis own judgment, or his honesty is at fault, ??1 rIS ti. Nyn y no * what in words he professes to be-a Roman Catholic. The evil one has got hold of him^and is too many for him -is driving him in th^rong direction. If I understand Catholic principles, the Church requires all her children to observe "unity in essentials," while in debateable matters or open questions they may follow their own private views, but in everything they must observe charity. Now Catholics, faithful Catholics, consistent honest Catholics, cannot regard this education question to be an " open question." The highest ecclesiastical authority has pronounced upon' it., Those who set his authority at defiance on such a question cannot be honest and consistent Catholics, if Catholics at all. Mr. Tole I think is' more to. be pitied than censured. He does not show the perverse

1 Hsa^TOiffiMsr **?*»•■.* fr* unity, and so much discord, among 'the CtotholiS^WreiaTnd. SSth?m a?aOng * a . C 9?r n , ity is to lead tfSSSjffSSft 2 fcl £ ?g? g ft eil^ elveB . and to seduce the more worldly among thei SS^lmS^ rS eU J^to'oMftent against tiat system o| Auckland, 24th Janaary. North Bbiton.