FATHER KELLER AND THE LONDON TABLET.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 4, 20 May 1887, Page 15

FATHER KELLER AND THE LONDON TABLET.

♦ V this time everyone knows who Father Keller is, and why he has been sent to prison. Nevertheless we may be permitted to pat the facts of the case on record in this journal. Father Keller, then, is the parish priest of Youghal, and before his appointment to Youghal he had been for some years administrator of Queenstown. Throughout his career as a priest he has been known as a quiet, unobtrusive clergyman, who took little or no part in public affairs and strictly confined himself to the discharge of his official duties. Since his appointment as parish priest of Youghal he has pursued the same line of conduct. He has been known as a zealous, hard-working priest, rather retiring than otherwise in his disposition. We cannot say for certain, but we think we may pretty confidently affirm, that he never made a political speech. At least we, who Lave for many years been attentive readers of the Irish papers, have never seen his name mentioned even once as being present at a political meeting. But as a priest he has been highly esteemed both by the people and his ecclesiastical superiors, whose confidence be has won, and as events prove, deservedly won. Some short time age the tenants on the Ponsonby Estate in the neighbourhood of Youghal asked their landlord for an abatement of rent, an abatement to which in consequence of the fall in the prices of all agricultural produce, they were in justice entitled. This was refused ; whereupon they adopted the Plan of Campaign and lodged their rents, minus the

redaction they demanded, in the hands of some trustees, for the landlord when he came to a reasonable frame of mind, and, if he never came to this, for their own benefit. The landlord, in order to find out who were the trustees, forced one of his tenants into the Bankruptcy Court, and the Judge, on the motion of paities who thought Father Keller could afford some information on the subject, summoned this priest, and called upon him to divulge the confidence entrusted to him by his people. There were really no grounds for supposing that Father Keller was either trustee himself or possessed of any information on the subject. Nevertheless, because he respectfully declined to answer fishing questions — that is, questions calculated to elicit information which the prosecutors found necessary for their purpose — on the ground that they might lead to a betrayal of his people's confidences, he was committed to prison for contempt of court. This is the case : Both Judge and prosecuting counsel protested they did not aad would not dare to ask any question relating to the confessional, but they insisted that they were entitled to ask him to disclose all he knew outside of the confessional. This Father Keller declined to do, and very properly. Confidences are sacred by the very law of Nature itself. A confidence is the property of the confider himself, and the recipient of it is no more justified in betraying it than he would be in appropriating to himself another man's property. Whatever Father Keller knows about the matter under litigation, if he knows anything, he knows it as a priest trusted by his people, who would not tell anyone else what they tell the priest, ard who would not tell it to him were it not that they feel confident he would not betray them, and who give him their confidence under the understanding that these confidences are safe in his keeping. Honour, and justice, and the obligation of the love that subsists between priest and people impose it as a sacred obligation on the priest that he will never, on any account, betray the confidence of his people. Whether intended or not, this action in reference to Father Keller is an effort to separate priest and people, an attempt to coerce the priests to become informers against their people, and, having done them the wrong of betraying their confidence, to become the instruments in the hands of rack-renting landlords of inflicting a double wrong on a faithful and devoted people. All Ireland, both priests and people — the landlord class and their partisans excepted, — approve of the conduct and motive of Father Keller. So stands the case in Ireland. But how do English Catholics regard it ? We can only know this from tbeir accredited organ, the London Tablet. And here, by the way, we may remark that this journal assumes to itself the right to lecture and hector Irish Catholics on all occasions, and to interfere in their ecclesiastical and political affairs in a manner that neither Scotland nor even Wales would tolerate for a moment. It is, evidently, under the impression that Irish Catholics were made for its especial purpose, to be under its heel — an inferior race, to be taught, bullied, and used for English Catholics' interest as understood by the Tablet. Why English Catholics should so persistently act as if they in particular were the salt of the earth, and certainly immeasurably superior to mere Irish Catholics, is a profound mystery to Irishmen at least, who are not so ignorant, as is imagined, of the history of the English Church from the days of St. Wilfrid to the Reformation, and especially from the Reformation to the present day In its issue of the 26th March, the London Tablet does not conceal its disapprobation of the action of Father Keller, although Ireland with one voice approves of it. And this brings us to the question, Is it the teaching and the practice of English Catholics that the Tablet here represents ? We should hope not. We should hope that, civilised as they are, English Catholics would not expect their priests to become informers against their people, the betrayers of their confidences at the bidding of Government. Nevertheless, the conduct of the London Tablet puzzles us ; and we can only say, be it as it may in England, there can be no doubt whatever that were Irish priests found to act according to the opinion of the Londou Tablet, Irish Catholics would soon cease to frequent the confessional. They would have no confidence in priests even in the confessional who could so far forget themselves as to betray and inform upon their parishioners by manifesting, at the bidding of an alien and hostile Government, or indeed at the bidding of any Government, the secrets eutrusted to them in confidence. We are sorry to see that the London Tablet has committed itself to the course it has adopted in this case ; a course suggested,

we fear, more by national and political antipathies than by attention to principles and the circumstances of the case. It is greatly to be desired that English Catholics would cease to intrude themselves into Irish Catholic affairs, and that taey should confine themselves to their own domest'c businn ~ Jl*J 1* *" 8a Catholics never interfere in Kug.ish ecclesiastical affairs. They are never found, for example, idling about Rome, intriguing against England and English Catholics. Irish Catholics mind their own business, and their own business only. It is to be desireu that the same could be said of Other nationalities.

Thk action of the Tory Government towards Sir Redvers Buller, and the Cowper Commission should ba sufficient of itself to prove to everyone that it is not their desire to do justice in Ireland. They have acted as people commonly do who ask advica while their minds are made up and they intend to carry out their will. Government only desired that Sir Rodvers and the Commission should produce such evidence as would justify them in their intentions, but failing this, and the direct contrary having taken place, they are, nevertheless, determined to persevere. This throws a clear light on the nature of their honesty. Mb. Gladstone, in his speech on March 24, replying to Mr. Smith, finds fault with the removal of Sir Robert Hamilton, who, he says, had only done that which Lord Carnarvon himself had done. But the Tories have advanced in their policy since Lord Carnarvon's time. THE Nationalists have not been long in bestowing a nick-name on the present Chief Secretary, who is destined to be known henceforward as Bloody Balfour. The justice of the epithet illustrates the fact that weakness and ciuelty often go together. Balfour seems to be an affected fop who studies his attitudes and his accents, and prepares little impromptu smartnesses to whose utterance he adroitly leads the way. Insult is, indeed, added to injury when the affairs of a country are placed in such hands as bis. The eviction of Mr. John 4 , Dunne of Raheenahone has been the most remarkable though not, perhaps, the most pitiable, on Lord Landsdowne's Luggacurran estite. Mr. Dunne, who a little time ago was deprived of the commission of the peace which he held because of his adoption of the Plan of Campaign, rented several hundred acres from the Marquis and occupied a very good position in the county. Such evictions as this are not common even in Ireland. The trial of come anarchists lately held in Vienna, brought to light the fact that the opportune discovery of their plot had°alone saved the city from almost complete destruction. It is interesting to know that there is not a city in Oontineatal Europe wtnre such a plot may not at thiar moment exist without any danger of discovery Wp certainly live in hazirdous times, '' c Thb Russian Press shows but little confidence in the continuance ?nJ££?i a fl? pr ? diC^ 9 . that th » e fltat3 of q uie9en °c at present obtaining is only the calm that precedes the storm. The advance of Nihilism meantime, is proved by the failure to bria<* about a demonstration of loyalty on tha part of the stulenta at the St. Petersburg university in connection with the recent attempt on the Czar's life Of 2 000 signatures to an address of loydty expected only 700 were obtained and that means a great deal when the circumstances of the country are considered. The gravity of the situation is, moreover, proved by the facts that among the conspirators arrested have beeu several military officers and engineers, and that even a priest of the Orthodox Church, whose headship is the Czar's chief recommendation to the loyalty of the masses, was implicated. The visit of his Maiestv to the country of the Don Cossacks, as now reported, has probably some significance bearing upon the chances of inteßtine tumults or foreign wars, s The decline of anti-Irish bigotry in England was testified to the other day by the laughter with which the House of Commons received a question asked by Mr. Macartney as to whsther a person becoming a Jesuit was not liable to punishment, and the informer to reward. On the same occasion ironical cheers greeted an attempt made by another Member to obtain an expression of dissatisfaction respecting a Catholic procession that had lately taken place at Poplar. Mr. Balfotjr has promised in Parliament that Inspector Somerville and Constable Ward, found guilty by the coroner's jury of the murder of Hanlon at Youghal, shall be dealt with at the Cork assizes m,nt c wT 1 TT- I G hardly CXpect ' however ' tbat a worse P^ißbment will overtake them than that inflicted on the policeman at Belmullet, who murdered a poor girl in a simila. way some few years ago, and who was merely removed to another district. T =B literary and musical evening wh ich the Dunedin Catholic Literary Society intend giving next Wednesday, the 21 inst in St Joseph's schoolroom, Dowling street, promises to be very successful' The musical evenings hither-o tended by the Society have been much appreciated, and the committee of management are zealous in their endeavours to make the coming one thoroughly enjoyable.

M. Tainb in the sesond portion of his arti cle on Napoleon I gives as a further evidence of his descent from the Borgias and Malatestas, instances of the ungovernable faries into which he occ»sionally got, when he would use vile language, assault people, break the furniture and throw his clothes into the fire. The writer gives egotism as the overpowering force that alone could restrain snch a temper. Nevertheless it must remain as a matter of astonishment with the reader, how a man bo possessed could command the coolness necessary to his success as a conqueror. Are there not cases, meantime, where such violent phenomena as those described distinguish people who can claim no descant from medieval princes ? M h. Gl^stone made an admirable speech to the Liberal Members for Yorkshire oa the night of St. Patrick's Day. He congratulated them on their county 's being the first to move in the cause of Home Rule. As to the consummation to be eventually attained to he said there was was no doubt anywhere ; time and manner being all the points of diff .tence. All other questions, however, were laid aside while it might be said with truth "Ireland blocks the way » Under the circumstances all that remained to do was to clear the line and dispose of the Irish question. In order to do this it was necessary to know what Ireland wished, and to consider whether it was reasonable. Ireland's wishes were made clear by the unanimity of 85 out of her 103 members, and ia the opinion of the speaker they were perfectly reasonable. « I for one," he said," stand fast by the cause of Ireland in what remains to me of public life." He recognised nevertheless, that he had also some duties towards the Tories, the first of which was to acknowledge whatever recognition they made of the real state of facts and prospects. Another duty was to leave the way open to them so far as possible for the pursuit of a right policy The Tory party could certainly change their minds upon great public questions as had been proved in the cases of freetrade, Catholic emancipation, and, the extension of the suffrage. With all his heart the speaker would be willing to see the Irish question settled by them. Tne great thing to which he looked for success was the teaching of experience, and he deprecated rapid progress. The speaker concluded by aa expression of firm confidence in the future of the Liberal party They had, he said, been terribly smashed and crushed at the election, but they still found themselves the object of warm interest and solicitude. "The movement of events," he said is m our favour-our convictions place us on a rock. Our object are at once imperial and local-they are at once for the Empire at large and for the welfare of Ireland in particular." He would have the motto of his party to be that they should help the present ?™ITZZ ifc ™ Poßßible ia doing right ' bQt w-

hi* j^ ,f?1, EL -n IC * S BBAOH haa gOne t0 Wi esbad e n to recover his strength A, his illnes, proves to b 3b 3 real we regret it. We further Sisrss^? 8 efforts by wM ' h * ™ a *~ ™ Although it is true, as Mr. Gladstone says, that the Irish question blocks the way « Parliament, there are numerous interruptions gven even to it which prove how much overburdened the Housed as at presentconstituted.-Mr. Gladstone's speech, for example, against the Coercion Bill was delayed some houra by a debate as to dep^ing refuse at Kensington. ofuniuug

The reported occupation of Port Hamilton by China points at the increased probability of a war between that country and'C* lon should take place, and the Russian Government had done the Scllllt* The following passa ge taken from a report of Judge Boyd's attempted examination of Father Keller explains the situation and nobly indicates the conduct of the venerable priest:-" Your lordship » he said with fentle dignity, "is o f course the proper interpreter of the ,aw in this court, but I beg respectfully to sa£ that your Ldship canno be expecte to understand the nature of the obligations tf a Catholic pnest (applause in court, which Judge Boyd sternly sud pressed) Father Keller calmly coutinuingJ Oblations whTch" by hit T v r<^ a 8 8 BaCr6d IFUBt the confid «°ces reposed in him by hi. flock. I beg respectfully to repeat that the knowledge of my doty and my concience must be my guide, an d they forbid me to be^ tray the trust confided in me as a priest." Lord Aberdeen, during the week , paid a short visit to Wellmgton where he was the guest of his Excellency the Governor re urnmg afterwards to Auckland. In passing through WangS his Lordship received an address from the local branch of the Irish Nat,onal League and at Wellington, where an address of welcome was presented to h,m at the Theatre Boyal-the Hon. Dr Grace orettH Dg ~£T PHed at S ° me leDgth ' makiDg B P ecial refe ™<* to Home Kale. He denied that the movement was one of a disloyal kind or tending towards separation, and bore personal testimony to the favourable effect produced upon the attitude of the Irish people with respect to the British connection by their anticipation of self-govern-ment. He deprecated excitement or agitation in the matter since success could not be very long postponed, but recommended earnestmess and resolution on the part of those who possessed any influence

more especially in condemning a coercive policy. His only anxiety was lest the friends of the cause should indulge in unnecessary violence, and in this way lead to a misunderstanding of the r<.al character of the movement.

We would remind our readers in Dunedin and its neighbourhood of the entertainment in aid of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, to be given in St. Joseph's Schoolroom on Friday evening, 27th inst. We need hardly recommend the object to their charitable consideration.

We desire once more to call the special attention of our readers* to the urgent claims on their charity of the Magdalen Asylum at \ Ohristchurch. A large sum is still required to place this institution j in thoroughly working order, and it depends on the generosity of charitable people to furnish it. No good work can be more deserv ing, or appeal more to the sympathies of every well disposed membe r of society. All classes and all creeds are interested in its promotion. The Rev. L. M. Ginaty, S.M., will thankfully receive all such contributions as are sent to him for the purpose in question.

The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times gives the following: — From a return attached to the financial statement it appears that there are in the colony 17,043 persons and 32 companies owning between five and 100 acres of land each ; 15,451 persons and 21 companies owning between 100 and 1000 acres; 1615 persons and 30 companies owning between 1000 and 10,000 acres ; 213 persons and 17 companies owning between 1000 and 5000 acres ; 18 persons and 11 companies owning over 50,000 acres each.

So sympathetic have the police proved with regard to Captain Plunkett's telegram authorising them to fire on the people at Youghal, that they seem to be making use of their guns in a promiscuous sort of way. — Under the pretence of keeping a look out for moonlighters, they have, for example, shot a harmless servant-boy dead with a volley of buckshot as he was about to enter his master's door, near Tralee. At Ballyshrule in Galway, moreover, one of the force has been arrested for sending a charge without any ostensible pretence through a farmer's window, and presenting his riflo at several people who were working in the fields as he passed along the road. These amiable protectors of the peace are evidently anticipating the joys and privileges of coercion.

An attempt has been made to explain the Pope's action in supporting the septennate in Germany as a hostile demonstration against France. Sensible Frenchmen, however, generally recognise it as having averted an immediate attack upon their country and are proportionately grateful. The idea of the Pope's mediation is, in fact, gaining ground rapidly in every part of Europe.

It is much to be regretted that Mr. Parnell's state of health appears so far from satisfactory. His loss to his party and the cause generally would be almost irreparable. And, moreover, all of us must earnestly desire that he may live to see and rejoice in the fruits of his successful efforts.

The study of the Irish language aeems to be making good progress. The number of pupils of the Irish national schools who passed the examination in the language referred to had increased from 12 in 1881 to 421 in 1888.

It is hardly creditable to the House of Representatives, if it be true, as stated, that the majority who voted foi the second reading of the Bill giving the suffrage to women, had still not the slightest intention of allowing it finally to pass. By doing so they simply threw ridicule on the sex, and descended rather frivolously to paying a French compliment. Under the circumstances the chances of women 'B obtaining this heart's desire of their strong-minded members appear very slight, and by demanding it they only expose themselves to something like insult.

We hardly as yet understand the cable's report that a meeting addressed by Mr. O'Brien in Toronto passed resolutions condemning his views and expressing confidence in Lord Lansdowne. What seems to us certain is that the Irish colonists of Canada, as, indeed. is proved by the enthusiastic reception given to Mr. O'Brien at Quebec, abhor Lord Lansdowne's proceedings in Ireland and uphold the national party as heartily as Irishmen do elsewhere. Tt is also clear to us that if priests in Toronto condemned Mr. O'Brien's mission, they could not have been liish priests, who, perhaps, might have used their influence to prevent the holding of a meeting whose ill success they foresaw, but would have gone no further than that. We expect that the truth will prove to be that the opposition shown was by the Orange party, whose sympathies Mr. O'Brien could never have hoped to gain. And if priests condemned his mission they must have been those of the French population * . i are hardly less hostile to Irishmen than English Catholics of tU Norfolk following themselves. The cable, however, in everything relating to Irish affairs is unworthy of confidence.

MUCH dissatisfaction prevails at the tariff proposed by the Colonial Treasurer. In many instances it seems prohibitive rather than protective, and the prohibition extends to articles of almost necessary consumption. In some instances, 100, where a tendency towards Protection is shown , the taxation of raw material seems to counterbalance the advantage offered to the local manufacturer,

The Harbour Engineer in his report denies the allegations made by Captain Hume as to the treatment of prison labour at the Otago . Huads. It is strange that the Inspector should lay himself open to such flat contradiction, and hardly speaks well for the exactness of his information or the efficiency of his superintendence. It remains, however, to be seen how he will deal with the denial made by Mr, Ross and the Engineer. An important body like the Otago Harbour Board should hardly be seriously accused without grounds. Pbince Bismarck has openly acknowledged in Parliament that the Kultur kampf was a great mistake and that the friendship of the Pope is necessary to the stability of German policy both at home and abroad . The acknowledgement has caused great chagrin among the so-called Liberals. One of their chief organs complains as follows j " Not enly is the Roman Church undisputed victor in its contei with the German Government, but the leading statesman of the country has even appealed to it for support to overcome this opposition, which, after all, is composed of bis own countrymen, though they are his political enemies." The declared insanity of the Duchess of Cumberland, his aunt, seems to bear out the rumour that his Czarovich shows some weakness of intellect. It is said that the Empress, his mother, is much engaged in preventing sharp disputes between him and his august father, and that the poor lady has thus a rather melancholy and anxious time of it. The Czarovitch, moreover, is also descended from the mad Emperor Paul. We have received from Mr. C. Gallagher, Ophir, the handsome sum of £38 lls 6d, collected in his district towards the funds of the Irish National League. Those requiring the services of a dentist should call on Messrs Myers and Co., Dentists, Octagon, corner of George street. They guarantee highest class work at moderate fees. Their artificial work gives general satisfaction, and the fact of them supplying a temporary denture while the gums are healing does away with the inconvenience of being months without teeth. They manufacture a single artificial tooth for Ten Shillings, and sets equally moderate. The administration of nitrons oxide gas is also a great boon to those needing the extraction of a tooth. Bead. We desire to call attention to Mr. Armstrong's (Dentist) new method of extraction, by which, although absolutely painless, the ill effects of chloroform, or the racking headache so often experienced after nitrous - oxide gas, is completely done away with. Mr. Armstrong's artificial work can safely rest on its merits ; and as all the fees are but one half the usual ones, we can safely recommend persons with defective teeth to 112 Princes street, exactly opposite Cargill's Monument. A cheap and extensive sale will commence to-morrow (Saturday) at the Continental Boot Depot., Princes street, Dunedin.of the excellent stock of Mr. Walter Clarke. Valuable bargains may be obtained to provide against the raising of prices by the new tariff. Messrs. James Samson and Co. will sell by auction on Thursday, the 26th inst., the large and excellent stock owned in connection with his calling as an undertaker by Mr. W. G. Geddes, Octagon, Dunedin, who is about to retire from business. Mr . W. Hay Dicksoo, Liverpool street, Duncdin,has become agent for the Westport Coal Company. — He will supply on the most liberal terms the celebrated Coalbrookdale and Wallsend coal. AH orders will be punctually attended to.