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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 37, 19 June 1891, Page 29

(London Tablet, April 25.) Three years have passed away since the Holy See solemnly condemned the Plan of Campaign, and for four years the Plan of Campaign has been persisted in, and defiantly supported by the leaders of the Nationalist party in Ireland. They received the decree of the Holy Office with laughter, and have scouted it till to-day. Even six months ago Mr Parnell and bis Catholic lieutenants, M r Dillon and Mr^^rien, may have wondered of what the Old Man in the Vatican wa^areaming when he made his vain decree, or on what strength he counted for its enforcement. Did the Uncrowned King smile in the day of his power as he recalled tbat there were no frosta in Ireland to make the weapons drop from the hands of bis followers f With the Liberal Party in England tied to his chariot-wheels, and Mr Gladstone led captive at last into the camp of Home Rule, the sentence of Pope Leo most have seemed a little thing to the Nationalist leader, as he looked upon his legions and reckoned v pan the faithfulness of a people. But what the snows of Russia did for a greater than he, (he whisperings of a woman have done for Mr Parnell. Not even the retreat from Moscow was more dramatically disastrous than has been, in its scale, Mr ParneU's ruin and fall. Mr Parnell has this week had to see the immoral method which he sanctioned, and the Pope condemned, definitely abandoned. As far as Mr ParneU's followers are concerned, the Plan of Campaign ie as truly thrown away aa were the muskets which fell from the froien fingers of the soldiers of Napoleon. As far, therefore, as Mr Parnell and hi* party are concerned, this immoral conspiracy is at an end. It now remains to see what will be the attitude of the party which throughout th is quarrel has invariably invoked the name of religion, and so often claims to have the support of the clei gy. But when as Catholic journalists we are asked to accept them as representing in some sort a Catholic party, we must demur until we see a frank acceptance of the decision of the Holy See and an unqualified renunciation of the Plan of Campaign. However, we are not so much concerned with Mr Redmond or Mr Parnell, as with the newspaper which represents Mr McCarthy, and enjoys so large a tnaasure of clerical support. What we have to note is that a Catholic journal, which is never tirei of boasting of ecclesiastical patronage, and of denouncing the private immoraliiiea of Mr Parnell, is setting itself to publicly bolster up thi failing fortunes of the Plan of Campaign, and to encourage unfortunate tenants to persist ia a course which has been condemned by Home, and must inevitably end in their ruin,