THE REV. BERNARD O'REILLY DESCRIBES THE RECEPTION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 10, 26 June 1885, Page 9

THE REV. BERNARD O'REILLY DESCRIBES THE RECEPTION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

(JVSw York Sun).

Dublin, April H.— What has happened within the last twenty-four hours at Mallow and Cork, in connection with the journey southward of the Prince of Wales, is of such gravity that I feel impelled to devote this letter to a dfiscription of the welcome given iD Dublin to the royal visitors, accounting at the same time for the sudden change in the temper of the Irish people toward them. I was very anxious to see and judge for myself whether or not the Imh element in the Dublin population, as distinguished from the English Colony in Ireland, would be induced to join in the magnificent demonstration which the latter were preparing to make on Wednesday, the Bth inst., and all through the week. I consequently obtained a place at a window on College Green, overlooking the former Parliament House and the famous statue of William of Orange. This was the place, on the route from the railway station to the Castle, at which there was to be the largest concourse, and the near proximity of Trinity College made it sure that here the loyalists would muster in greatest force. I took up my post of observation at 11. 45 — fully an hoar before the arrival of the expected cortege. The streets leading to and adjoining the college and Parliament buildings were gay with flags, in which the English and Danish colours largely predominated, with here and there, from some timid or politic shopkeeper's window, the green flag of Ireland waving Before my window, in the broad "avenues, the sidewalks were filled with a quiet, well-dressed crowd. In the middle Bpace stretched a double line of redcoats and policemen. A military band was stationed near one wing of the parliament buildings, and beyond the musicians, at the opening of one of the by-Bireets, was massed a large military force. Indeed, this was a precaution repeated near all the avenues which opened on Dame street, especially around the approaches to Cork Hill and the Castle. Well, to a New Yorker th« spectacle of these numbers of soldiery and police would not have been suggestive, at first eight, of precautions against violence or notousness. Our citizen soldiery turned out a far greater number in 1860 to welcome this same Prince of Wales. But here the national dissentiments and the tension of political passion* gave to this display of force the air of a menace.

As the crowds increased rapidly beneath me 1 was careful to examine of what elements they were made up. I was struck by the frequency on every side of the Oranga emblems. Men and women wore them conspicuously displayed. There was no mistaking the fact that the " loyal " and anti-Iriih forces had mustered in Dublin on that day. Rare indeed were the wearers of the green, co rare that an English gentleman by my tide attracted my attention to a lady who bore a waving plume of green feathers in her hat. If William 111. from yonder pedestal could have looked up and down Dame street half an hour before the passage of the Prince and Princess, he most have been gratified by the sight of his colours among the moving crowds below and around, on sidewalk, window and balcony. But at 12.45 there is a motion in the crowd, the lines of soldiers shoulder arms, every eye is turned in the direction of Trinity College, mounted polic« and hußaars gallop by, and then come between lines of cavalry the carriages c«ntaining Earl Spencer, his Countess, and their suite. There is a waving of handkerchiefs and a noise of cheering, especially from the steps leading to the Parliament House, where loyalty is assembled in great force. There is considerable hissing, too, as the Lord Lieutenant and the Countess pass, bowing continually to the right and left. It was done in a moment. Evidently the Viceroy has far more friends than enemies in yonder multitude. •

The excitement now becomes intense, as we know that the Prince is only a few minutes behind. Nearly twenty minutes elapse, however, before the agitation in the expectant throng shows us that the Prince and Princess are approaching. The noise of cheering from the packed and select crowd at Trinity College reaches us. People rise up ; a squadron of Lancers gallop ahead, tbeir horses bounding, their pennons dancing gayly in the breeze. And then come the scarlet coated outriders and the carriage bearing the future King and Queen of Great Britain. From the great majority of the multitude, evidently Proteatantß and loyalists, the greeting is hearty, and the Prince and Princess warmly acknowledge it. From the people, properly so called — and I was careful then to observe their attitude — there was nothing but passiveness ; they looked on quietly, the men not even raising their hats, and the women waving no sign of welcome. As I wrote to you and expected, all Ireland had sent to Dublin for the occasion Dumerous contingents of the landlord, aristocratic, and Orange classes, They call themselves the Irish people, the true Irish nation ; they are the landowners, the lords of the soil, the lawmakers, and the administrators of the law. They own the country and govern it ; wby should they not welcome enthusiastically their future King ? And they did— it cannot be gainsaid. But on that memorable Wednesday, as on every day of the ensuing week, there was one noticeable feature of every -gathering in honour of the royal visitors — tbe absence of the members of the Catholic hierarchy. One tfishop alone, the coadjutor of Bligo, who sought and obtained a place on the Senate of the Royal University, was present at the conferring of degrees on the Prince and Princess of Wales.

By this abstentien of their clergy, more than by their passive attitude, have the Irish people emphasied with unmistakeable significance their sense of Lord Spencer's political manoeuvre in bringing the Prince over here at this critical juncture in British and Iriah affairs.

One other incident will tell your readers to what straits Lord Spencer was reduced in order to make his guests believe that the Catholics of Ireland were not all averse to his own Administration. The Christian Brothers have »t Artane, in the suburbs of Dublin, an industrial school, in which some 800 poor . boys are admirably educated and fitted to pursue any trade. Lord Spencer haa more than

once pronounced this school to be the very best of the kind in existence. He arranged with the Superior to have the Prince and Princess visit the establishment, and was at pains to make known the day and hour of the visit. Long in advance there were so many applications for admittance, that not one-third of them could be granted. It was a most favourable and natural occasion to have a large attendance of the Catholic clergy. But beyond the one or two priests immediately connected with the school not one was seen there.

The Viceroy and the Countess Spencer visited the Christian Brothers' school at St. Mary's Mount, in Cork, and were quite enthusiastic in praise of it, as they might, indeed, well be. They intend to have the Prince and Princess visit this and the splendid establish* ment of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, in Cork, on next Wednesday, and it is said the venerable Bishop, Dr. Delaney intends to be there to greet them. Perhaps what occurred last evening at Mallow, and in Cork itself, will force all concerned to change their purpose. There has been bloodshed at Mallow and rioting in Cork. The London Times, by boasting that the Irish people had disregarded the advice of Parnell and Archbishop Croke, and given the Prince of Wales such a welcome as he had never got before, has driven the people of the County Cork to demonstrate the contrary. It was masterly strategy on the part of the archenemy of Ireland to rouse the national indignation, and induce some of the leaders to fire it still more. Remember that England has 25,000 regular troops in Ireland, with an equal force of well-disciplined police and detective?. These and the entire body of magistrates are in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant, to give the heir to the throncja grand military welcome at every point of his route, and to crush any popular counter demonstration. The Times asks no better than tocause a collision between the unarmed and helpless multitudes and the hostile military and constabulary. lam sorry to say, and say it with a sad foreboding, that this atrocious strategy now threatens to be successful. Should the, Cork Nationalists carry out to-morrow the purpose foreshadowed in'rhe riotous proceedings of last night, there will be a catastrojhe. 'And should this be so, nothing but a war with Russia, complicated by {he recent Freochdifficulty in Egypt, can save this unhappy country from a renewal of the Crimes Act. God save Ireland. Bebnard o'Rbim.x".