THE ORANGEMEN IN REVOLT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 17, 16 August 1889, Page 31

THE ORANGEMEN IN REVOLT.

The Irish Tories and Orangemen are getting tired of being used as the mere tools of the little ring of toadies and place-hunters who call themselves the Irish " Liberal Unionists." The Liberal Unionists in Ireland are '• all officers and no soldiers." They are located for the most part in Dublin ; a considerable number of them are lawyers, eager for snug berths and good pay ; a few are so-called " merchants," and men of some little means, who yearn, and strain, and strive after every opportunity of mixing on the " hail-fellow-well-met " principle with those who used to be regarded as above them in social station. A small proportion cf those creatures are Catholics, and we feel bound to say that thpy are about the meanest and moat contemptible of the whole lot, To keep up the alliance between these Liberal Unionists and the old Tory pany, two conditions had to be observed by the latter. The first was that whenever the Liberal Unionists wished to make a demonstration the Orangemen should lend them the congregations wherewith to fill their balls; the second was that the Irish Tories in speeches, letters and newspaper articles should not be too brutally coarse in their attacks on the Pope, the Catholic clergy, and the Catholic Church. But this yoke sat heavily on the necks of the Orangemen. They bore it uneasily for some time, but now they are revolting against it. The Daily Express has given voice to their feelings, and for so doing it is receiving encouragement and commendation from all the lodges. The Irish Liberal Unionists — Cawtholics and others— are now told that they must know their place, they must fall to the rear, they must not go on pretending that they have any considerable force or following of their own in the country. They must be content to serve as privates in the ranks, and let the battle against Home Rule be led, directed, and carried on by the old Tory party in the old Tory way, under the banners of Orangeism, and with the accompaniment of the customary music and the favourite war-cries of the Orange lodges. The dominant Tory party will tolerate no longer the sham and trie imposture in which the '' Liberal Unionists '' have induced them to engage ; and we commend them for the honesty of that resolve. Liberal Unionism in Ireland the Daily Exjm-sv holds to b 3 nothing better than a fraud, an organised hypocrisy. Here are its words : —

" Liberal Unionism in England was a great power. Liberal Unionism in Ireland could be anything but the shadow of the LiberalUnionism of England — a foim without substance, and which could be only brought to the appearance of substantiality by delusive aitiiicee. ... No cause can iiourish by means of fictions and illusions, and one of the abundant fictions of the times is that Irish Liberal Unionism is a power in the land, and represents a great and influential party. . . . Really it is time that Lord Haitington and his fiiends should be disillusioned upon this subject, and all the moie so at a time like the present, when we learn that, even in his own country, where Libeial Unionists conlrol many constituencies. and were and are a power in the land, be on his part, and from the beginning, was strongly in favour of a thorough and complete fusion of the two sections ot the Unionist party." That is plain talking to the liberal Unionists, who, as the Kinross says, " reside almost exclusively in Dublin." It has delighted the heart of Grand Master William Johnston, M.1., and brought from him a letter of approval, from which we take the following extract :—: —

" There are many people who would do well to consider the important article in to-day's Daily jUxprixs. Borne of us have been afraid to say or do anything that might tend to the disunion of the Unionist party. I think there is danger of this being carried by Conservatives a little too far. There is, too, danger tnat English people may think that there is a gie.u and poweiful body of Liberalism in Ireland, when, as you say, there are " otficers aud not men " Wuen Mr. Cbambeilain. was in Dal fast 1 wished to get a ticket tor the bar.quet, and to attend the demonstration given to him in the Ulster Hall. I was told, p ssibly politely, that it was undesirable thai so prominent a Conservative should appear in this way ; so I had to explain to Mr. Chamberlain why I did not meet him, although I had refused an engagement in Eng'and in order to do so At the same time, it was desired to iill the Ulster Hall— the body of it— with^ Oiaugemen, who counted for the occasion as " Liberal Unionists. ' I think this has gone quite far enough." Yes, not only quite lar enough, but too' far. By all m earn let there be honesty m this rnatUr me Irish "Liberal Unionists " aie Snot strong enough to foim even the semblance of a party of their 3. Let ibeui ro over bodily to the Tone?. The Urange " anniBaries" are coming on, ami they will be in time to join in the ibrations, march under the Orange flag*, s-ing the Orauge dutits and drink the Orange toaste. Possibly, bir Richard Martin may be entrusted with a big drum, Mr. Albert Quill with a piccolo, and Mr Jvenny, •Q.C, with eith°r a trumpet or a pair of cymbals, wherewith

to swell the cheery music of " Croppies, liedown,"or " We'll kick the Pope before uj." We doubt, indeed, that the Orangemen would honour them to that extent. But, ho ver that may be, it is quite plain that the Irish Tones resent the miliation of b°ing marched into halls and lecture-rcoms disguised as Liberal Unionists to serve such purposes as those gentleman may have in view, and they are determined to stand th^t sort of thing no longer. Again we say that in this matter we commend their sentiment of self-respect and heartily approve tneir resolution.— Nation.