SAVE HIM PROM HIMSELF.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 32, 7 December 1883, Page 15

SAVE HIM PROM HIMSELF.

E publish to-day a letter from Dr. Barewell, together with the speech he delivered at a meeting of the Catholic Literary Society at Christchtirch. It would appear that the Doctor entertained a doubt as to our publishing this speech, and, indeed \re -would not publish it had he not really lequested us to do so not, however, for the reason assigned by him, but cut of tenderness fqr liis good name. We have never

given any reasonable man just cause for charging us with being anti-English . We have never wantonly assailed England or Englishmen. But in self-defence, and in defence of the cause of the Church and of Ireland, we have, though with reluctance, told the truth iq reference to .England, particularly when English writers have unjustifiably attacked either. But this, it appears,, is a crime in us. "We are expected to shut our eyes and arrest oar, pen when to tell the truth is to endanger the "reputation of England and Englishmen ; to be silent as to the notorious injustice and cruelty of England's government _pf Ireland, an<£ her dire persecution of Irish Catholics. And because we" have not kissed the hand that smote our Church "and our country, and fallen prostrate at the feet that spurned both as. things most rile, we are accounted anti-English. . . >' f . .-.•>. Why, and how is this ?.\ Are the^ haughty and boastful English writers, statesmen/ and politicians to be allowed to heap insults and injuries on all other nations, to trample on their fellow-subjects in the sister Island ; is the English Press to be permitted to designate Ir\sh priests as surpliced ruffians and Thugs, to loudly proclaim to t|i@ world, the crimes of Irishmen, whilst passing over without 'comment the more numerous and atrocious . primes „ of its" own countrymen, without animadversion from' anyone," particularly x an Irish Catholic? Yes, thus it is . ..This is precisely, what is expected from us. ' Irish Catholics, simply because they arer-Irish C*thblics, are expected to tamely .submit id every insult' and every injury rather than disturb, and by agitation .render the social relations of English Catholics. This statement will, we feel assured, be made to serve as-ahotherproof of our anti-English Bentiments. But yre know jfrom, personal experience that the statement is true. If, indeed, we were only personally concerned, we should have little difficulty in adopting the course expected of us ;- and the only thing w« should have to guard against would be the mingling of contempt with Christian charity. But our position is a public one. We are the guardian of the interests and honour of thousands who trust us, look to tis r f6r guidance, "and call on us to defend what they not only Value, but hold most dear. No matter, then, what our private j and .personal Views and feelings may be ; whether we contemn such folly as we have spoken of, or would wish, in accordance with the highest example, to be patient, as an individuat, under gross injury and almost unbearable provocation ; as a journalist we . must fearlessly speak the truth, let who will bei pleased or vexed, and defend the just cause. And, if there be one tiling more than another that we have cause to regret, it is.ourjsltence^m, so'ine O&Jasibiis when, had we acted on our sense of justice; anii not permitted deference for: the prejudices and natLorial-anttpathiesibf ! others to sway us, we should have spoken oiit.holdly^^an^MtJbard when hard hitting ,was certainly .called ibr7 Without circumlocution, without even the interpose tion of a kindly word, witbT "EiideT "and ( unfeeling bluntness, without a particle . ,pf,, evidence, . D,a,J -Rakbwkll broadly charges the Land League and the National League with participation in the assassinations and v other Thames which have, though provoked by barbarous laws and/ainost partial administration of -them, disgraced the name of Ireland. It is nothing to Dr. Bakkwbll thatboth of these r 6iganisations have successfully defied. Government to prove their .'illegality or their participation mo crimeLof _ any -sorfe lXt ft "nothing to him that they have from first to last denounced < crime, not only because it was crime, but also because; the/crimes that disgraced the country were calculated, to inflict on these organisations the greatest injury. But it was "expected that men busily engaged in an effort to' preserve the lives of hundreds of thousands, should suspend, these, efforts, and devote their entire energies to the suppression of crimes that had been provoked by shocking misgovernm~erit,r arid -which a little wise legislation and administration by those who were bound to provide both, would have put an end to at once. This parrot cry against the Land League and the National League is only an adroit attempt to, fix on innocent -men the responsibility and odium of a state of things which wan, and is, the direct outcome of centuries of* bad government and en. el laws, — an attempt that it is our duty to stigmatise as not only unjust, but as barefaced, impudence. The truth is that English government and English legislation are the criminals and the traitors, whilst these Leagues have been, in reality, the most loyal of organisations, and the best friends of the integrity of the Empire. Whilst the misovernment tkat, in affect, laboured hard to undtrmiat the

loyalty of an, entire nation, obstinately perseveres in evildoing, these Leagues pointed out to an almost liopeless, and consequently desperate, people the roid of legal redress, and inspired them with the hope of obtaining justice in a peaceable and constitutional way. For this, they deserve the thanks of all lawH»bidlng,-peace-loving, and just men. It is not to the purpose to point to an interview between Mr. Parnell and French republicans. We fail to see in this a crime. We freely admit, indeed, that there was, under the circumstances, an error of judgment, but where is the evidence that Mr. Parnell advocated any wrong principle, or compromised any right one. Surely he was at liberty to. hold an interview withjfa foreign politician, and even discuss political situations so long as he kept his honour untarnished and his principles intact. And it has yet to be proved that^ Mr.- Pabnell compromised the one or abandoned the other. Besides, it is not for the admirers and patrons of Garibaldi and I^azzini, their helpers and friends, to endeavour to. draw political capital from the comparatively innocuous action of an Irish politician. Dr. E^KEWELLseems to be indignant with L us for. publishing a report of his speech, and broadly asserts that he did not say the. Land Leagae and National League' were condemned by the Pope. The speech referred to is now before oar readers, and it will be for them to jadge whether his assertion is borne out by the speech. For ourselves we must say tKat we find ourselves unable to perceive how the Doctor can say that his speech affords proof of "the misrepresentation to^ which he says he has been subjected . On the contrary, it appears to us that he has in his speech laboured hard ! to prove that the - Pope has condemned these organisations, and we think that the report of which he complains, and for the publishing of which he charges us with anti-English prejudices," Is 'fully justified by the text of the speech itself. Andn6w we may ask what good object could the Doctor have had in view in bringing his liiotion before the Literary Society. Did he expect he should succeed in carrying it ? Hardly, we I fancy. The affair was over ; the hall had been lent ; the meeting hatf been held. The speech of Mr. Redmond had been sucti that' no dispassionate man could find fault with it, and peace Vas reigning. Under ' these circumstances Dr. Bake well brings forward his motion, and delivers his most injudicious speech: Could he have been ignorant that such a.motion and such a speech must necessarily arouse strong, even passionate, and certainly successful opposition ? Had the ' Doctor intended to injure the Society, to rouse the feelings he would have us believe he deprecates, he conld not have adopted a.course better calculated to attain this end. He it ' is that is entirely responsible for the state of feeling that now exists, he it is that has roused national feelings and antagonism : and we have not the least idea of permitting him to ride off from the unhappy situation he has created, on the groundless contention that Irishmen are to blame for it.