THE FLIGHT OF THE "NOMINALS."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 29, 13 November 1885, Page 21

THE FLIGHT OF THE "NOMINALS."

(The Nation, September 12.)

The "nominal Homa Rulers" are confessing at length that their chances of re-election for Irish constituencies are now very faint indeed. Mr. Mitchell-Henry, bowing to the inevitable, has, after losing his temper as well-«s his seat. '• thrown up the spinge, 1 ' as the following interesting correspondence will show. Writing from Kylemore Castle on the 15th ot August, Mr. Henry says in part, ia a letter a Idressed to his Grace the Most Rev. Dr. M'Evilly, Aichbishop of Tuam : —

" And here I might stop, but I think it only right to inform you, who have been always so kind tome, that I shall feel it my duty to give my Co'inemar.i friends the opportunity of pronouncing whether they desire or not to «han=re me for a better reprr santative. I am very desirous not to •Dmunt your Graci> in any wiy, and therefore I will not even a^k for »n acknowledgmeot of this letter. But at the proper time I shall a^ui communicate with your Grace, and send you the first copy of nyallresi. S) far as lam c oinernei, I hive rcfiib'd quite a nnmbor of safe seats in England, but I cannot run away from my coloars, and I feel in mv heart that I have worked for and Irive d sired nothing but th 1 : be^t interests of Connetn ira. and tnat f have been unkind and uncivil to no man. and I have beun the means of giving the neans of sub^iit^nce to hundreds ot destitute people for the last tweu'y yeai-* Still the^e things are not political claims in these days, and I shall as chivrfully say goo 1-bye to those who want w° no loTger as 1 shml I if the event (of wh'rh I by no ruevis despair) proved that I am still loved and trusted. — Bdieve me us evei. your Grace'" fauhful and respectful friend. •• Mitchell-Hexey." Tj th's letter his Grac> replied as fo'lows • — •' Menlagh, Augmt 30, 188">. •■ My Dkau Mr llkn'RY,— Your enalosjd favour was forwaided to ny here, wnere I have been o,i visitation for home da>«. With ie£_ r ardto tbe political miter, 1 would not wi-sh to wit'ih >ld from you ray views of th.' pres nt sitation. It see n-^ to me, from -ill 1 could le irn. that throughout the country both clenrv and people are bent on returning a* far as nt'iom lies, tho-f alone svhoare members of the Irish pirliamentary pirty, la this vi»wof the can" 1 Imi self thoroughly concur : an 1 if Ihi I any in ti ieuc j I cert.nnlv won! 1 n^eit v—illu — ill personal feelings of frien Is'iip aput — Dn'v m favour of the Irwh party, as iv my opinion it is thiough them alo ie we can expect m the present coadition of politic vl cjmplici'ions in Englind any perm inunt good for this country. . . . Very sincerely yours, " John M'Evilly."' This Inter put Mr. Henry in a temper, and he proceeds to reply in the following terms to his Grace • — l( Kylemore Castio, Galwiy, '• 2nd September. 1883. - Mv LokD Archbishop,— l hwe the honour to acknowledge your Grace's letter of th- 23th ultimo, in reply to the orummueitioii I made to your Gr ice as to my desire to aft" >rd the popleof Connemira, at the ensni ig general election, theoppor unity of expiessm^ as they did m 18S0, their opiaici of the rival policies of the iol'oivers or Mr. Parnell and the late Mr. Butt.

"I thank your Grace for the frankness of your reply; and although I learn witu regret that you and your clcrgv, ani, in your Gnce's opinion, th • people bare gone over to Mr. Parnell and his party, I do ujt for a moment ques'un your m )tives or doubt the sine nty of the conviction you L.xpres, tint 'ovwntj to the present state of politic il complication m Kiglmd no oihor cours_« will ensure any perm me.it g •» id b"ing obta ned tor livl m I.'

•'Ever\one must ldmit .hat, pr >v,ded the price to hi pud :•* not too gr^at, it is l'lcumoi'tiL 'in your Grac-J to en ieavou: t i reip the 1 r_ r est har\e eof b'ne^cal k»,'islation lor the country. '1 hodi^t.tbhihtn a r of tie Pr itt'js a^t (.'nnrch. the rpfonn of tne land law-,, ai.d the almost, complete s institution of denonunat on U education i >v the Rysteras previously m force, ait?, n mover, reform*, wh ci hwe rl )wed dnectly from ihe reasonable and moderate action of Mi. Butt and his followers, acting on the intelligence and confidence of our lellow-subjects in Great Britain. Hitherto, as a representative of that

policy, I have bad the advantage of your Grace's political Bupport ; and, although now deprived of that support, I find some consolation in knowing that I have not stifled the still small voice of conscience, or sought to buy the favour of the Irish Parliamentary party by associating myself with doctrines antagonistic to tne laws of God as your Grace has hitherto expounded them, and certain to meet with eventual disgrace, aad in their present development to result in civil war. " The outrages, the murders, and the'decay of religion in Ireland have filled the whole world with grief and have caused her best friends to bow their heads in shame. Nor can the resolution, reported in the newspapers as 'passed last week in Galwav, that no priest in Galway was worthy to take the chair at the nationalist meeting to welcome their sitting member, Mr. T. P. O'Connor, be accepted as nnytL.^ig else than an intimation that the clergy are expected in future to follow, cot to lead, the conscience of the people. " The last few yeara have had many humiliationsfor those who have extolled the chivalry and the virtue of the Irish peasant, and who have made personal and pecuniary sacrifice for his benefit. One further humiliation waß still possible, and your Grace's defection has now supplied it.— l am, your Grace's obedient servant, " Mitchell-Henry." "The Most Rev. Dr. M'Evilly, Archbishop of Tuam." That Mr. Henry recognises the hopelessness of contesting Connemara is evident from the following letter which he has addressed to the Tines, along with a copy of the letter he has forwarded to the Archbishop of Tuam :—: — " Sib, — I will ask you to be good enough to give a place in the Times to the following letter addressed by me to the Arcbbishon of Tuam. v " I came home with the intention of again contesting this, the Connemara division of Galway, and had reason to believe that I should meet with influential support. If there was anylchance of success I should still go to the poll, but under existing circumstances there is no chance for anyone who will not take the degrading personal pledge to Parnell which was recently formulated at headquarters in Dublin. " The Archbishop of Tuam's attitude towards an agitation he has so often condemned throws an unpleasant light on the prospects of the future.— l am. sir, faithfully yours, " Mitchell-Henry " Kyleznore Castle, Galway, September 2."