The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY ,MAY 4, 1882. CAN IT BE?

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 2, 4 May 1883, Page 15

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY ,MAY 4, 1882. CAN IT BE?

§HE Archbishop of Sydney is reported to have spoken as follows on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of a Catholic school at Balmain :—: — "He knew the English mind. Englishmen were prejudiced, but they were eminently just, and when the scales dropped off, payment by results would como. But he did not advocate " fighting" for that act of justice ; he advised them, on the contrary, to keep quiet, and do their work, and it would come. The country would have justice done, and until the public mind saw its way, and fixed justice on an immovable basis, it was best for them to wait. Any see-saw that would keep up a ferment, and keep Catholics out of pub-

lic life; had better be avoided, if possible. His pastorals had had the effect, politically, of giving perhaps no favour, but certainly fair play, to Catholic politicians. When were so many able men of theirs in Parliament before ? Let them wait. They would work and wait until a sense of justice throughout the land swept away all cobwebs and levelled all bigotry, giving to the true and loyal Catholics of the British Empire justice pure and simple." For the present we assume that Dr. Vauqhan really spoke these words, or their equivalents. He said he knew the English mind ; that Englishmen were eminently just ; that he did not advocate fighting for justice ; that, on the contrary, he advised them to keep quiet, and wait. This is a change of front. Why, is it because two Catholics are in the N. S. Wales Ministry, and about half-a-dozen Catholics are members of Parliament ? For this reason it is that the fight, which has been a pretty brisk one, is to be given up and abandoned till the Greek Kalends. There is no secret about the motive. Dr. Vaughan avows that any see-saw that would keep up the ferment and keep Catholics out of Parliament had better be avoided. It is clear, then, that his Grace advises Catholics — the entire Catholic body of New South Wales — to give up all agitation for justice, lest a few Catholics should be kept out of Parliament. He advocates a Very poor recompense for a very great sacrifice. Godlessness is to be permitted to pursue its course undisturbed, lest a few Catholics should suffer some political embarrassment ! Dr. Yauohak says he knows the English mind ; that it is eminently just ; and that it is only necessary to wait, and be quiet ; and that justice will be done. His Grace's coreligionists in England and {Scotland were very quiet, and waited, for a few centuries for justice from this eminently just English mind, and waited in vain. The justice full and simple never came ; and even an instalment was not given by this eminently just mind till the Irish Catholics, who had sad experience of its justice, wrung it from the fears of this mind, from which, however, Australian Catholics are exhorted to expect great things, provided only they will be quiet, and wait. How long are they to wait ? Two or three or four centuries ? The Irish Catholics have waited for seven centuries for justice from this eminently just English mind, and have not obtained it yet. They were for long periods quiet, very quiet indeed. The quietness of a plundered, down-trodden, enslaved people was theirs again and again for long periods. But the justice they waited for never came. It was only when .the indignant demand of a nation determined at any cost to be no longer trifled with, thundered in the ears of this eminently just English mind, that even a small relaxation of cruel penal laws was most reluctantly conceded. And our experience of colonial life convinces us that if Catholics remain quiet and wait till justice is spontaneousy done them by the eminently just minds of British colonists, they may make up their minds to wait till doomsday. Agitation, no doubt, is rather inconvenient for such ambitious Catholics as wish to further their own political views at the expense of their co-religionists. Agitation may probably help to keep such gentlemen out of Parliament. But if Catholic members, as we know some have done, vote against justice to Catholics, why should Catholics be called upon to make sacrifices to help them to seats they so egregiously abuse ? What is the use or meaning of trying to return Catholics to Parliament if they are no,t to be expected to advocate justice to Catholics both by speech and vote. If not, anyone, Turk, Jew, or Atheist, will be just as eligible ; in fact, more so, for a man's greatest enemies are those of his own household. It is evident, therefore, we differ toto ccelo from Dk. Vaughan on this point, tie is entitled to his opinion and the expression of it ; we also are entitled to our opinion and to the expression of it. And, in addition, we protest against the policy that calls upon Catholics to throw aside all effort to enforce their claims to justice, in order that an empty compliment may be paid to that myth, the eminently just English mind, — though we admit there are large numbers of justminded men in England, — and an easy way may be opened to the ready sale of the Catholic vote for mere political ends.