ARCHBISHOP KIRBY AND THE BRITISH ENVOY AT BOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 4, 23 May 1890, Page 19

ARCHBISHOP KIRBY AND THE BRITISH ENVOY AT ROME.

(The Nation, March 29 )

Wa are glad to be able to lay before our readers full and auUienfic details of what transpired at tbe St. Patrick's Day (inner in ihe Irish College, Rome, between the Butisb Eovoy to the Vatican ami the Rector of the Inth Collet. Sir John Simmons ha, since he entered Rome, been seeking for the recognition of trie Irish representatives there. He went so far on the < ccasion of the ce'ebration of tbe festival of Bt. Thomas at tbe English College as to publicly abk tbe Rector of the Irish Co le^e, Arcboishop Kirby, f _>r an invitation to tlie S\ Patrick's J^ay celebiation. We ventured at the time to Lxpms the hope that it would not be givi n. Ihe motive of the (X'raordinary departure fiom the lines of official etiquette was too plain. Manifestly it was simply an attempt to get the Envoy-Extra-ordinary for tbe affairs of Malta accepted as an Envoy-Extraordinary for the arldirs of Ire. aud by the liish representatives at Rame. We wished to see the attempt defeated. Archbishop X rby ha-, however, accomplished our desne without going the length of meeting discoartesy with discourtesy. He mvi ed tbe English Envoy as an ordinary guest, but he made i> plan that neither ht Rome nor at home is the party which sent Sir John Simmons to Rome likely to be accepted as the fiiends and exponents of Irish Cathol'c feeling. The veracious conespondent of the Daily Chronicle was, of course, equal to tbe occasion. He telegraphed hime his own version of what happened ou the occasion. Ihe u^uquet was described as one given io houour.of the Ergiish Euvoy, ani Monsi^nor Kirby was represented as having made a fulsome sptech of a lmira' ion lor English authority. We diU not need our Roman correspondent's contradiction of this ktuS. to correctly estimate its truth. In order to effectively dispose oi the story and to allay all the needless apprehensions to which it gave rise, he forwards us today the lull repoit of Aicabishop X rby's speech. It was delivered in presence not only of the English Euvoy, but if the Cardinal- vicar also ; and it made clear that the courtesy extended to tl c Envoy was of the most purely formal chaiacter. He pointed out that if tbe sons of ihe (Jhurch. established by fir. Patrick bad Leen ietaintd in al egiance by the laws of conscience and morality preached by that (Jourch, England has special reasou to be grateful. Besides that »illegian<.e for conscience sake, declared Dr. Kirby, there was sometimes another which arose from the love and

gratitude of a people who have the good fortune to be under a Government whose laws and administration are animated by a spirit of justice, equity, and of impartiality, and of paterDal solicitude. " Whether the Catholics of Ireland ought to feel themselves bound by these latter motives of submission to their Government is a point which it is not expedient for me to discuss, and much less to affirm on this festive occasion, devoted to the joyous memory of St. Patrick." Unpalatable truths were not made for festive occasions. But Dr Kirby indicated pretty clearly big own view by expressing ihe hope that " He, in whose hands are the hearts of kings and tbe lights of nations,*' may yet " effect that the political power which England exerci'es in Ireland shall be based, through the justice and wisdom of her statesmen, not on the terror of material force, but in the hearts and affections of a grateful and generous people." Our correspondent speaks ot the excellent effect produced by those words. It is the aim of the enemies of Ireland at Rome to spread tbe belief that everything that need be done has been d ne for Ireland, and that it is Irish unreasonabless and turbulence that cause all the present troubles. The venerable Rector of the Irish College has made it clear that such is not his be ief , and that such is not the belief of the episcopate whose agent he is in bis present position. If the British Bnvoy knew that his presence at the Irish College would have elicited these declarations be would probably have found himself engaged elsewhere on the occasion. Whatever himself and bin attendant, Captain Boss, of Bladensburg, the author of the blood-curdling article on Irish secret societies which appeared in Macmillan a couple of years ago, and represented Ireland as honeycombed with secret organisationswhatever they may be engaged in plotting one thing tbeir plots cannot accomplish and thac is the misrepresentation of Irish Catholic opinion. It repudiates them. It looks upon their work with suspicion. They hold no warrant from any authority in Ireland. They aretimply, as far as Ireland is concerned, the agents of the political party which attempts to maintain English power here on the basis of material force. What the moral standing of that party ia Archbishop Kirby has dtfined with sufficient clearness, and his definition is the definition that would ba given by the Bishops of Ireland. The aged prelate has rendered his country a signal service by his timely words, and their effect will not be lost at Rome.