AN IDEAL UNION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 45, 1 March 1889, Page 29

AN IDEAL UNION.

TO THE EDITOR N. Z. TABLET. Sib, — The]great social ques ion that has been recently propounded "Is marriage a failure ? " h*s, as might have baen expected, elicited a vast variety of re phea. The problem h»s received no antuf act iry or final solutio i, tor, from its very nature, it cannot be solved witu anything like ma hemaioal cerUinty. It truy be affirm d ; however, wuh perfect c nfid;nce tint marriage, ti ba supremely happy aad maccessfu!, must be oetween a man aid wonaaa of congenial tastes, of nearly equal age, navinir mutual respect aad estee us, possessing thu aptitu Ie to bear and forbjar, and, wichai, having that sensitive •ympathy with eacn oiher m joy, sorrow, aad trouble, without which sentiment there must ba duonteit, if njt discord. Bat the ideal uoion I wish to pourtray refers to a political aad national union which analogically has a very close resemblance to marriage. 1 shall tiy to product abounding aud convincing evideuca to show that the auioQ betwen Great Britain and Irelan 1 stands forth before the world as a perfect illuitiation of a pjrtact union, as I have ventured to desciibe it. Ejgland, hiving entered into pirtnership, on merely business principles, with Us old foe and troublesome neighbour, Scotland, and having prospered greatly by trie transaction, did, like some noble, we-iltay. aud powerful suitor, Beck to win the heart and hand of a sweet maiden called Erin. luuumerable tokens of timid, shy, and it may be. coqietun affection on her pare ha I bjen mauitesttd for a long period, and immediately preceding the hippy eveut of marri this bashful mail had the felicity of experiencing the many lovab.e qualities and noble aenttmeuts of her ardunt lover. Whin this briet penod — all too short — f'' billing and cooing," whijn s jme in ilicious an 1 iyiug chrouickh have btylod the- Great liebt,lli on oi 98, w s ovu , the grand an<l cjstly anan^ements were made t v (he columns .tion of a union ih tt was to be the loving but s rung iiuk iv the unuie chain ol power, pea.c, ami love, repi'eoented by the tnimle, the r^e aud the phirnmeit. Toe eventfal ceremony was ceiebialed with all t ie m ijeetic dig nty, the rich luxury, ani the leiburely movements befitting mmh a royal mamage, aud bjntires of njo ciug illuminated every lull of the Emerald isie. The bl-isstd uijion was welcomed by ihe newly ein-ncipued rirttivta wit 1 detnonbtiaiijus ot that gratti al love winch characterises the impulsive Irish, ami the atted and ompliant (ieoige 111. wa:s regarded as their gracious s»viour. Never was bnde h) flittered and caressed ; for ihe m st timid wish, desiic, or tancy of Enn was lully and prump ly g.diifiei. lhere was, indeed, a bold, presumptuous, but feeble att' nipt on the part of a foinier juveni.e lover to seduce the happy a ite Hum her allegiance 10 her esteemed husband aud lord. But bis efforts failed, aud with the serenity and gracioubiiess ot supivme r ya Hy, England threw around this impudent rebel a golden cord of fi tii tiun, and set him on a high plac'f* as an ever-enduring monumeut of ltd intention to return good for evil. It was. howev.-r, soon fouod that in the marritge beitlemi nt thire was a technical flaw in r gai 1 to emancip.ui <n, and gnat ami loud were the lamentations of tie so^ and iiaughteia ot Krin tlu-rea 1 . Hut, like a faithful and loving husband, tui^la'id did nut wait to be eut.eattd, cjaxed, and ihita'c ie.l tor •_".) years to have the evil rem died. No, T-rily, for it I astenul to giaiity ih ■ a^'ed heart of Giattan, the pure and noble, by forthwith paa-iDg the Catholic Kmancipation Act. This little '• mt in the lute over, another Mini I annoyance to the sons and daughters of lieland came to the surface. Ihe Uhmchci. tugland, established in the inland fur the benefit c r the bulk ot the people, and honoured, levered, and suppoit^d by them, was a thorn in the side ot the lew insignificant natives called Catholics. But with the tennerneas c£ a patient aud loving mothtr England plucked it out, and did not permit it to fester aud torment her fretful caildrea for halt a ceutury, until the ladual Gladstone perceived its irritating, corrupting, and enfeebling lLfiueLCis aud effects ! Then, again, the luxuriant pnvilege of lithe coiltetion w.»s removed wiih pr ibeworthy alacrity. When 40 years ago, the sole crop of the Irit-h people was suddtnly •-eiz.d wi h a destructive diseabe, and larniui , pestilence, ani deain decimated the populati )n, did ijot the Buk ish Guvernin nt thereafter pasi with joy I til steed another meieure of conciliatory love to bind iU> pooi hli Ufig liig tfunntb to tiitu giacious lan lloids / It secured for thebv. people lue un.Jienable right to occupy at fair ieuts thosn patches >i lirni wlneh lj ing hißtonaiiM 'ell u« wire i in eaten t-d to be consolidated int'i large holdings foi sheep or cattle, and then occupants exiled to Ami li a aud the tour coiners of tbe earth. Ihe great üb^raio', G'Conmll, contaminated with the essence of vilj ingratitude, dieiof a oroken heari on witncßting such :i startling exhibitijn ot the migiity maitial love <t 1» upland. OtV r rebels, wi h the impoieit iage of despair, ra sed their unfihal hand against england, the loviu^ protector ot lr la id, stud in consequence w< ie tia.ispoi leil to Aubtrali-i aud Van Diemau's lyarii, loaded witn dignified < haius. and wno lon^ afterwar.iH came to be honoured mlers and Jeuleia l i the coionits, to whom self-government waa reluctantly granted. Then, again, with

tbtkeen discernment of anxious love, England perceived the necesIfMgl fMg of improving the laws of landlord and tenant in Ireland. The Government, eitn the noble House of Lords at their back, urged on the work of reformation, and again and again passed laws for ameliorating the condition of Irish tenants, and preventing the aggressive and oppressive acts of landlords I All euch measures ware the spontaneous work of the anti-types of such men as Salisbury and Balfour —men who now seek to perpetuate the loving tpells by which the union of 1800 was contracted, and which has ever since been inseparably cemented with innumerable acts of condescending grace. All honour and praise to leaders such as they who practise with persistency that gulden rule of love which constraineth the cheerful obedience and the affection of that perfect ideal union which I promised to pourtray I— l am, etc., A Taoa Umohiit.