THE IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 29, 16 November 1883, Page 21

THE IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE N.Z. TABLET. Sir,— While the New Zealand department of the Irish National League is yet young let us gravely consider the proposal of Mr. D 0 Solkvan to use it for local political and religious purposes We ?£? !?A C 7 d ? r 6 lead , in &P rin cipleß of the parent organise tion and without going formally into it, it may be sufficient to say that a unity of purpose among the several denominations is one of its cardinal points *t is, '& course, unnecessary to state that Messrs Parnell, and thejaev.. Isaaq Nelson are non-Catholics! To me, then, it would seem a, violation of one of their vital principles to make, jt. a purely Catholic affair in New Zealand I fully admit the utility qf organisation to get an adjustment of the education question here, and as colonists, this bae nothing whatsoever to do with Irish aftairs, and imprudence ,ought to be kept as wide asunder as the Poles. la all other respects, the Irishmen in New Zealand are on terms of equality 'with every other citizen, and if there is any sincerity and determination in them, their registering and organising ought to be dove.. in .some other way than through the leverage of the Lush. JTational League. When the charge is made! that if Ireland iad, again, a. Parliament, of her own it would be exclusively Catholic, we reject tnejsharge with'scorn, and draw on our toleration ; powj proudly to a long list of non-Catholic patriots who have beenour earned antf loved leaders i.n the past, as well as in the present. Theil if the finger was quietly pointed to our' New Zealand section our^pride would^e humbled, our toleration ridiculed. Again, when some of our neighbours, while indulging in inflated speeches, show a very close relation between Luther and the conqueror of tbe.Bqyno, and also attempt to prove that the Pouo is using his greatest endeavours to get Home Bale, contempt fails us for such hopeless ignorance in these matters, yet this very proposition of • Mrr p'SnfliWtf* WORia<£i.Y.Ca -colour, j»f realty .to their wildest assertions. . #*>• ■ y - •

True, indeed, there exists the fact, pointed out, fiat designioo. personsy?y becoming members of the League, may'ascend WL-lia" nientsf/power, but after all if we are earnest in our -profelfons to support the, League we can scarcely, so soon, sa{|iff&ls2ame of the whole institution in order to use it for our local affairs ' ■" "' - «, W"?? c cl 1 1 ' I be ? ore i: turning the League, into any other use than that intended .by its. founders, to behold it from this -point of SoTto SSSSSStSCj^ damage * tip&m attea - to the arguments used h ? Mr.^flufiiVton support of his proposal, I fully admit their foice, so far as the&late to the necessity of organisation among the Catholics 'in tfeV Zealand tion and the National League should be one and the "dime. The ™™tT f ! ?v7 ari °T brapches tur oughout the Colony' ought to be most careful that nothing be done that would involve them in unThelSf h^ CtS> QOr dXd X any , thiQg be y° Dd the limits of their duties. Tne fact of being a member of the Irish National League, of course does not hinder one from being also an active member of any other" JESS'S Ut f b ° Ye aUd beyond ever y consideration the League SSfttf ptely cSoUc\^En meritß ' aUd SamQ ° Ught to *

• There is no necessary connection between Catholics and the League. In New Zealandit is quite an accident the majority of Catholics are Irish, and, in justice,- tire proposition is indefensible: supposing eyen that the thing became an accomplished fact, what is likely to be the immediate- result? I firmly believe it would have the effect of multiplying the chief means by -which the Iri B h party intend to wm local government for Ireland. Mr. Redmond laid particular emphasis on the necessity of disabusing the public mind throughout the colonies, thereby winning sympathy in its favour. .Now, it must be clear to anyone who reflects that to make it fh«I U » Ve i J Ca * olic ™ uld mea * arouse feelings of exasperation that would not be creditable to the community. Then neither the education question nor the League would be benefited.— Jam, etc., .November 12,1883.- " « ' ..V-'/V '. PMiBBIAN '