IMPARTIAL WITNESSES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 21, 13 September 1889, Page 15

IMPARTIAL WITNESSES.

(Southern Orou, August 9.) Dubing the past week two Non-Oooformist ministers, fresh from the old country, have been giving us the benefit of their views on the Irish question. Both are competent and impartial witnesses. Mr. Hastings visited Ireland as a Home Rule delegate shortly before coming to South Australia. He therefore witnessed the heartless eviction scenes which he so eloqaently describes. Notwithstanding the savage provocation, he points out that the sister island is comparatively crimeless — much more so than England or Scotland — and he attributes this to the hepe and confidence inspired by Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Parnell in constitutional methods, " Home Bule," be says, " simply means justice to an oppressed people." We do not know whether the Bey. Hugh Gilmore, who so ably lectured on " Ireland and the Irish " last week, hails from the " Ould Sod " himself, but he is evidently a Celt, thoroughly appreciating and understanding ths genius and temperament of the race. He touches the lights, shades, and idiosyncrasies of Irish character with a master hand— the poetic temperament and warm imaginative nature of the people are portrayed by one who evidently sympathises with them, and has studied their ways and peculiarities. In practical intelligence the Celt, Mr. Gilmore informs us, is inferior in intuition, imagination, and the finer sensibility. The intellect is literary rather than practical, artistic more than mechanical, and speculative more than scientific. The hospitality, sociability, morality, love of country and kindred, reverence for the past, deep sympathy, and other prominent traits of the Irish people were dwelt on, nor were their faults passed over, " They are never at peace but when in a row," the lecturer wittily observed when referring to their combative spirit. Mr. Gilmore paid an eloquent tribute to the wondrous vitality and persistency of nationalist life. " There never was," he lays, " a nation worse treated, and seeing that it has preserved its nationality, and that is to-day five-sixths of Ireland, its eems to me that it is impossible to destroy the race. The Great Disposer of all events has purchased the continuance of that nationaly, and has a part for it to play." Like Mr. Hasting, Mr. Gilmore is convinced that Mr. Gladstonea's scheme of Home Bule would be a final settlement of the difficulty between England and Ireland. It was accepted by the Irish people, and it is Irish, not English ideas, as the rev. lecturer pointed out, that must govern the settlement of this question' if it to to be finally and satisfactorily settled. " Condemned to death, but fated sot to die, 11 the grand old Celtic race still maintains its place in the world's history. We welcome to South Australia men of such liberal aud enlightened views as the two reverend gentlemen to whom we have been referring. Their voices wiJl reach a number of people who only require instructing on the Irish question to be heartily in sympathy wjth us. The Orange bigotry an.l fanactiem cf such men as the Bey. W. S, Moore will not have muc b effect on the public mind while we have the liberal views, tolerant spirit, and broad Christian sympathy of such men as the Revs. Mr. Gilmour, Mr. Hastings, and Mr. Rourke as an antidote. We wish there were. many more like them to spread the light aud remove the mists o£ prejudice, intolerance, and bigotry.