MR. T. M. HEALY M.P., ON THE ROMAN RESCRIPT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 14, 27 July 1888, Page 25

MR. T. M. HEALY M.P., ON THE ROMAN RESCRIPT.

The following is a speech made by Mr. Hcaly at the fortnightly meeting of the Central Branch of the Irish National League held in the offices, 43 Upper O'Connell street, Dublin, as reported by the Nation .—. — 1 presume, meetiEg as we do to-i»»y for the first time after the recent declaration by the Irish Catholic Members of Parliament in the Mansion House, in respect of the recent circular from Rome, tbat it would ba supposed that some remaiks on the subject should be made here to-day. I confess I myself approach the subject with some reluctance, if not with hesitation— first, because I imagine tbat to a largo extent the effect of the declaration from the Holy Office has considerably worn off ; secondly, because of the inherent difficulties in dealing with any matter of the Kind by way of a public address to a mixed assembly. However, what strikes me in the first instance in relation to the matter isthia— and it must be one which I thinkshould give our friends in Rome cause — that the Pope would never have been appealed to by the British Government if the people in Ireland, in the first instance, had not made themselves formidable to the British (ioveiament (applause), so that the Papal power is only invoked because we ha?e demonstrated our power of opposition and resistance in this country by means of our organisation to the existing tyranny that prevailed in the land. In the 'same way, look ng within the last ten years at the play of Vatican diplomacy in its intervention in the affairs of ths people of Europe, one must be struck by the fact tbat the rukrsof any country never asked aid or counsel from bis Holiness until they foumi themselves in a petition of extreme embarrassment with the National Catholic parties in their own land. Now what occurred in Ireland in 1883 at the timeot the Err ngton mission under a Liberal Government, and what has occurred now with the mibsion of the Duke of Norfolk undei a Tory Government, resemble to a large extent what has taken place iv Belgium and Germany, and to some extent in Spam, since the opening of the present pontificate of his Holiness Leo XIII., and 1 myself that wu must be largely guided in oar judgment as to "he way in which we should receive any extraordinary intervention in our domestic and municipal affairs by reference to the manner in which other countries have received such interventions.

THE CASK OF BKLCUUM.

Now, let us first look at what took place in Belgium. It will be remembered that before his elevation to the exalted position of Sovereign Pontiff his Holiness had been Minister or Nuncio to Brussels, and, therefore, he must have had a large acquaintaince with Belgian politics. Well, Belgium is we know in majority a Catholic country, but it was ruled just as France is ruled at this moment, to a large extent by J ',ws, Freemasons, and Protestants. I say this without the least offence to any class or creed, and I merely state a fact. It was under tue premiership of Frere Orban, who wai one <>f the lea ling Freemasons in the country, and as the result his Ministry suppressed the Papal Embassy at Rome, which had been sjnt there by the Government of Belgium. Indignant at this conduct and at the geneial policy of the Freethinking Cabinet, the Catholics of Belgium, for the first lime I may say, rallied together as one m*n. An agitation of extraordinary strength was organised, and at its head were the archbishops, bishops, and clergy of Belgium. What happened ? No sooner had the Catholic party become Btrong, no sooner had they begun to make themselves formidable to the atheistic Government which had outraged tke Holy See, than w 3 find Frere Orban intriguing with the Vatican, and opening negotiations with the Pope for the re-establishment of the Belgium Embassy at the Vatican, and as a price for that re- establishment of diplomatic relations, he proposed that the Pope should intervene to mitigate the agitation of bis Catholic subjects in the kingdom of Belgium. Had the Catholics of Belgium bt-eu let alone they would have done what absolutely happened within the next three or four years — they would hare established a Catholic Government in that country ; but some diplomatists were anxious to pluck the apple before it was ripe, and remonstrances were addressed to the Archbishop of Maliaes and other Catholic dignitaries from Rome. This gave rise to high debates in ths Chamber, and finally the high contracting parties, being unable to come to terms, Frere Orban coolly read the whole of his correspondence with the Pope in the Belgium Chamber creating panic, alarm, and indignation on the part of the Catholic people in Belgium, and such was the resentment thereat aroused, that if anyone wants to see the way in which exterior intervention in domestic affairs should be treated I would advise him to read the pastoral upon the subject by the Archbishop of Malines on the intrigues of the atheistic Government of Belgium and his Holiness. I say that if the terms used in that pastoral by the Archbishop of Ma'ines towards the authorities of the Church in Rome had been employed by any of the Catholic diguitariesin this country his position would not ba worth ten minutes' purchase (hear, hear), and it is only that the people of Belgium are a people with their own Government, and their own Parliament and their own laws (applause), that their Arcubisuop and the Catholics ot that country were enabled to take up this important and independent stand (applause). We in this country are accustomed to being kicked. We in this country are like the toad under the sioue. A kind of callousness has come over us, our bkin has become thickened, a id so we don't treat with the same spin 4 " of indigaition the intervention by an exterior power wmch other people, like the people of Belgium, would display ; and the position of the Belgian Catholics was the position of the Irish Catholic Nationalists, whicu is ihat if the Curia would be good enough to leave us alone (loud applause) we should settle our contest with the liriiisn Government in double-quick time (loud applause), I am not saying tor one moment but that the Circular does display courage trom a Catholic point of view ; and we as Catholics muso take some piidc in the fact that, in a situation certainly of great doubt, the Holy Offica should have the courage to run the risk, in their view, in the interests of religion, of alienating a large body of the Ir'sh nation here and in America and Australia (applause).

THE CASE OF GERMANY.

Now, take the case of Germany, and no more fatal instance could be quoted than the effect of the intervention of the Holy See with the Centre or Catholic party in the Reichstag of the German Empire. What was the case in Gernrmy ? The case was this. After the war with France a federated Parliament was created in the German Empire. At that time, 1572, no religious question had arisen, and there was no Catholic party to safeguard the interests of the Catholic population ; but owing to causes :nto which I will not now enter, the May Laws, or Falk Laws, as they were called, were passed, by which the Church in Prussia was put as much under the dominion of the Emperor as a regiment of his own hussars. Well, the Catholic people of Germany, who were inert and inactive, as were the people of Belgium, had for the first time- to consider their strength, and, under the lead of the ablest Parliamentarians of the time, the ex- Prime Minister of Hanover, Windhorst, in a short time Catholic unions, and Catholic cluba, and Catholic newspapers were studded like daisies all over Germany, and at the next general election a Catholic party, strong in numbers, was created. Well, we all know that Bismarck had used the celebrated phrase that " he would never go to Canossa," as a German Emperor Lad done in the aays of Hildebrand. No sooner, however, was the Catholic paiiy formed than Bismarck changed his tune, and one of the most remarkable things in Continental history was the manner m which, by the action of that party, bit by bit the May Laws were relaxed, and at every fresh election the party achieved fresh victories, until they numbered 80, and I believe, ultimately 90. What happened then I The Catholics being strong, Bismarck went with bia petition to the Pope. They were interfering with the German Umpire, and had become a cause of offence to the Government. Bismarck, jnst about this time, seized an island belonging to Spam, apparently with the object of asking the Pope to negotiate as an intermediary in the matter between himself and the King of Spain. The Pope, of course, was highly flattered that a man who passed the May Laws should now "go to Canosaa," and the result of the Pope's intervention was that he gare back the island to Spain. What happened then ? Bismarck made one of the most unconstitutional proposals, from a British point of view, that could possibly be imagined. He asked that in view of the apprehension of war the Reichstag should vote the war taxes seven years

ahead Well, the Centre party were willing to give the taxes tbTee y ears ahead ; but they would not give them seven years. They deleated the Government, and Parliament was dissolved. To counteract their action, in a purely domes'ic matter, taken probably to prevent bloodshed with France, Bismarck went to the Pope, and ry»eldinjr to his persuasions ami in vVw of getting further concessions under the Faik Laws, which the Centre party would in any case have acmeyed, for they weje winning, as we are winning our fight, the Jt'ope intervened, and issued practically what am -unted to a mand .te to the G-rman Catholics to vote for the s^ptpnnial proposal. The prestige of the fighting Catholics, whose raitoa d'etre, whoee poasible reason for existence w*B that they were fighting the cause of the Church was weakened. They found themselves. so to speak, attacked m the tt mk from Rome, and at the present time, 10 a large extent division exists in the Catholic party in Germany. Windhorst did not remain silent, and in his speech at Cologne he laid down what in his opinion w s the limit of just intervention from the Vaticm wita their affairs. He took a ster-i. bold, r-sp^ctiul. but uncom promising alum 1 ; and I say hla attit , ie , au ,, the at , ituJe of top Archbishop of M rt h »e-. fi m, calm. ».d unflinching, are very proper nioiels for the i.ish d'holics to ad.>pt (,h"ar, hear) Now, I may be told that theie is no proportion in the recent Papal Circular which might not be a^nred to as a matter of fait 1 !, and which should not have the cheerful absent of every Catholic and Lishman, once you grant the premises upon which it is founded (hear, hear). But if high dignitaries, congregations, and ecclesiastics, choose to decide propositions on wrong premises, then those whom these precise* affect will knock the bottom out of these premises, and will expos j them with as much ruthlessness as they would feel bouud in their political course to expose any other political falsehood with (hear, hear). v ' CARDINAL MOEAN. Now, I see that Cardinal Moran is very soon to be in Rome, and 1 am very glad of it, because there is no man more competent to give good advice on the subject of the relations between the Irish tenants and their landlords than his Eminence, and I would advise if I might humbly and respectfully tender any advice in ruch a distinguished quarter— l would advise Cardinal Monaco, who seems to have penned the recent circular, to iak« counsel with Cardinal Moran on ilo". ' a " d t0 a&k him f»ra eight of ihe lamous letter of October, l»80, in which his Eminence Cardinal vloran laid down the proposition, a B I recolUct it. that instead of the Irish tenants paying' any more rent to their landlords, the landlords ought to make" restitution" to them (hear, hear) for the robberies that they had commuted in the past. In the state of doubt and anxiety in which we are placed lam willing to balance the opinion of Cardinal Moran, the Irishman against Cardinal Mon..co the Italian (h ar), and lam well persuaded that the opinion of the cautious, prudent, and by no means enthusiastic dignitary, such as Cardii.al Morai is, coming from one who has menteathe highest honour winch it ism the hands of the Pope to confer, that tbat opinion expressed eight years ago, before the present equation arose, and before any question of the Plan of Campaign loomed upon the horizon, respecting the real position of lush tenunts, must, if it be pursued With diligence, carry enormous weight in any q.arter where his opinion i 3i 3 entitled to consideration (hear, hear). QUEEIi INTERPRETERS. I pass, therefore, from that eubji-nt with this observation tbat while no man would contest a y of the propositions of mo-ahtv which the Circular lays do.vn, what we complain of. aucl what I think we have a n> /ht to complaiu of. is that t>.e interpretation of a document which has been given to the public Press is practically, tar us I can g^.h.jr, Lift to the. London Times and to the Irish Defence Union, and to ill • Irish Loyal and Patno-ic Un on to pi ice whatever co isiru.-tio-i tnjy like upon it (hear, hear) jiist as the Act ot Pailument known as the Coercion Act is left to the Jimer^ncvme-i to construe, although it is an Act which if it was admi leered by H fair jar> find fair tribunals, no one would see anything unfa r t., couipiui i of. So in the svme way with this document it is possible that its umtmts, pmports, and objjes can be interpreted in any way they { ,1 a -e by an unscruoulous bind of enemies who hat ■ the 1 ope only our u.-jnvu less than they hat.. v , (hear hoar) 1 must s-iy that the auihor of tho " Dtfuirc of Philosophic Doubt " and other pious Freethinkers who seek ih. Pope through the intervention of the Duke of Noifolk remind me of an obswvalion of L«ird Macaulay. 1 thu.k lie was speaking ot India, but I won't be bine uponthat point. He said that for thow? who believj ia any creed or doctrine it is j ist and n K h' ihu they ti.o ild be swayed and euiJcd by itsproci-pih ; but for ota-r pei^ >ns who regard mat doctune m gross superstition— and tbat is Mr. Bilfjurs attitude with regard t) the Catnolic n ngion-to s-c-k to influence others by the operation of N%ha- they .'cc.arc to be a Hupe^tition, is as b.i Pl . an aitifice as over entered luto the; n.ind ot m.n o concave (hear, heat). IRISH ACTION. Ju my « p.Lion, tbe lush p.-.plo will proceed at the present day exactly as tney pnceed.d in 1883, when the unfortunate circular relating to " Parne 1 and h ■ gang," as we were ivepectfully termed was issued. J here will be no c, laneem.nt in a, y sense between the Irish people Hul \ then- p«ior«. or the Pope, or the lioman antbonties: but just a. u.e lush people are shrewd and sensible enough to avoid flying n.t,, on ■ c-xtrcn-, «o wit,, equal good sense and judgment they will avoid runmnomto toe other, b, cause the Irish people are good Catholic*, ami becute they understand their religion, and know very «e,l what .ie the Hue bounds and confines to place i.pjn this Papal document, tor my part, if my a heßioa „ aske( { t0 h abstract propositions laid down in that document, I will say I cordially ns.ent to them, and d-claie that if any man does ext..n money, or do, s attempt io rob a,. y other mm, he is a criminal, and ought to be fl pptd at the can's ta 1 ; and if any unjust and unlawful is going on that n ou K bt to b- pursued by the spiritual Qand temporal power ; but wrh equal cociidence and firmness I give it as my opinion that if a mail takes lani from which others are un-

justly ev.cted, if men wrongfully covet their neighbour's goodi. they take what are politely called in the Circular "vacant » farm! bat for which we caa find other terms, these men, I beliere, are risitei by he censures of the Charch, as well as of mankind for stealing thorn farms, for stealing th, improvements on these farm? and for destroying the tenancies of unprotected men (cheers) I S h V v t ! £«? qui ' elrighte I right th £ tbe arm ?f? f the P^ple should Veach them and by that arm I mean this, and this only-that there is no obli«T. tion upon us to salute such.men in the street or to fetch or carry fop them or to show them any kind of courtesy, or to give them any kind of aid. Let th m "gang their am gait » , let them find their friends id the police-barracks ; let them rely on « the strong arm of the law* " let them get the assistance of the British Government ; let tbem «t their belp by any means that are open to them ; bnt as t« cettimr my aFsiß'ance, or my salute, or my help, I can only say the only helS they will ever get from me will be to wish that every honest m*n ,£ he passes them by will p*ss them by with a scowl, and that even their children and l their children's eh. dren will be renumbered as the offspring of ihe grabber (cheers). Now, in regard to the Plan of Campaign, the other branch of .his subject, I say-and I say without reservation of any sor-that if the Flat, of Campaign worried °l fa y th \ means referred to in the Circular of the Hol/Office I should not , b.ve the smallest objection to the terms of the cJndemna. tion used by its authors, but we all know it is nothing of the kind f °7h ,*• lhoßel hoße te , m 8 * ere foUQded °* tbe statements of the enemies of the Irish people, and have no more reference to the Irish situation, as we kaow, have little more reference to the existing state of affairs here than to the state of aff iirs in Laputa (cheers? but it i, because thi. Circular is baing construed by Bme^encymen' and by Removables, and by other tag-rag-and-bobtail of the British realntS " " ° f &U thiß that W ° ha ™ rea9On to *»» I** THE POPK'S POSITION. I, of course, joined with my fellow-members in the einrpwinn n f regret that the Holy Office d'd'not notice, wh!l Zyte^STpol to notice minor aberrations of the Irish movement, and did not express regret at the treatment of the people (cheers). I do not although I am j intly responsible for the resolutions, feel it at all an acute grievance that they did not do so, for I think we mast all agree .hat if we condemn intervention upon one ground we must condemn it upon all. If the Pope condemned coercion it would offend the British Government, which i, a matter which must be peculiarly considered. He would, undoubtedly, in his position of Sovereign Pontiff, give needless offence to a Great Power if he ten. dered advice with regard to m.srule in this country, and that being so, that he would offend any Great Power by interference-it was doubtless, wiser for one who has so many interests to safeguard all over the world, that he should not. But then, I ask in all charity ought not even greater precaution be used in taking the side of Ebb' land against a small and depressed peopl,? The Irish people are a ye , poor people. They are a very small people, and there is nearly a million, I suppose, out of five millions-at any rate there must be one-eighth of the population against us. We are face to face with the enormous power and energies of one of the greatest empires that the sun ever sbone upon. We are making head against them We are trying a race against odds such as no other country has ever had to face and we are entitled at least to the indulgence and charity of the Holy See m the difficulties with which we have to contend. INSUFFICIENT REASONS. Inland Pays yearly a ren, -roll which I presume must be about twelve million pounds, and with house-rent I believe there must be more than twenty millions rent paid in tins country every year What is the entire amount raised under the PJan of Campaign? I have no information on the subject mure than can be had by anyone from newtpapflrs and m forth: but I doubt if the entire amount has reached the sum of £100,000. Now, is it with regard to a fleabite of that sort that a Papal Decree is to be directed again.t us 1 I say tbat all affaws must be largely dealt with by human prudence, and I lav that when you consider tbe whole sum-total of the rental to be twenty millions, and that the part of that tital subscribed under the Plan of C^mpa-Ko cannot be mo.c than £100,000, it is rather like a tempest in ateapo' to have dchbc.ations of this character in Rome on so small a concern (applause). Of course if it ia a crime-there is no degree in crime-it ought to be struck at ; bat when we consider the crime that is in existence in other walk* of life and in other countries that this little Ireland should be placed in relief unde? the b.aze ot the bull's-eye of a deciee from the Vatican-should have ite purple patch of crime pointed out as something exceptionally meriting thuuderbolts-seems to me to be a peculiar feature in the situation We have to face the same set of facts which «is.cd when the wron-s of nwr" 119 m Th G /V CaUße su PP orted b * tne priests and bishop! of our Church Ihey did not see there was anything wrong iv what t-iey supported and no circular from Rome could change right and wrong. I hat being so, I confine myself, for my own part, to this that in so far as I have approved of boycotting a 8 I he e it before me— a. d my public declarations are on record-I have had nothing but condemnation of the strongest kir.d for the hostility shown to families like the Curtins (hear, hear). I have pronounced repeatedly aeainst any action of that k.nd. But in so far as I have g,v P en my approval my intellectual adhesion, to h ; manifestations known as the Flan of Campaign aud boycotting I remain, in regard to these two matters, Sn't ffnS^SS aX^4. Jlly ™*™»™ «* -W THE LIOHT OF CONSCIENCE. If the Plan of Campa-gn condemned by the Vatican be not my Plan of ( ampaign, and their boycotting not my boycotting, thetbh£ -eso !v,s use.f into this that the matters to be determined will X matters to be determined by the spiritual law in the light of each man a conscience. I am satisfied lo leave the matter there. lam s, „ fied that the Insh peopl,, uuder the guidance of their pastor? will know how to disciiminate accurately between what is lawful ana what i 3i 3 not lawful (applause) . The issue of a frtsh edition of the Tw

Commmdments would not in my opinion aff ict the situation any I more or any less tbau the issue of the Circular of Cardinal Monaco flspplause). Ido not believe there is any reason for the Irish paople to be sour or iil-lempereJ over the ma ter. Mistakes are sometimes made. The Pope and tbe Cardinals preside over a Church comprising hundreds of millions of inhabitants, and the affairs of Irelan i occupying probably a pige >n-ho)e in toe Vatican, are insignificant compared with the affairs of other countries. I regard it as a judgment made on inexact information, and that being so I confidently appeal to the people to preserve a calm, dignified, and respectful attitude, satisfied of the righteousness of their cause (applause), which, if it be the causa of justice, will have God on its side, and against it ultimately nothing can prevail (loud applause).