THE IRISH WORLD AND THE " PATRIOT BISHOP OF DUNEDIN."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 1, 3 May 1895, Page 18

THE IRISH WORLD AND THE " PATRIOT BISHOP OF DUNEDIN."

All the way from New Zealand we (Irish World, March 9) have an illustration of the evil which the dissensions in Iceland are doing to the Irish cause. In ihat distant land there are patriotic Irishmen who aie willing and eager to help tbe country of their fathers as they have often helped it before. There is a patriotic Irish bishop there, toe — Most Eev Dr Moran, Bishop of Dunedin— and there is a good newspaper, the Tablet, whose editor is a man of the right sort. This gentleman— Mr Perrin — being desirous to have formed in New Zealand some branches of (be iriEh National Federation, very properly thought it well to have the advice and co-operation cf the Bishop. He therefore wrote to Dr Moran on the matter, and he received a reply which we think well worth placing in full before our readers. It is as follows : — "My dear Mr Perrin,— ln reference to your letter regarding the establishment of branches of the Irish Confederation League, I beg t,o say tha', though an earnest and strenuous advocate now as hitherto of a domestic legislature in Ireland as essential to the peace and prosperity of that country, I regret I cannot recommend the establishment of the branches you speak cf till the dissensions of Home Rulers in Ireland are healed and one Btrong party is formed in the Home country. lam sick and ashamed of the dissensions and recriminations of Home Rulers in Ireland, and would not recommend our people to take fides or actively engage in the agitation till our friends at Home drop their dissensions, which make us all here lower our headß and blush for shame. — I am, etc, P. MOBAN." In this letter Bishop Moran well and truthfully expresses tbe feeling which, we are convinced, is universal amongst good Irishmen everywhere. They are all " sick and ashamed of Ihe dissensions,"

and those of them who live out of Ireland have all to " lower their beads and blush for shame " whenever in their converse with people not Irish there is talk about tha Home Rule movement. Last week we had occasion to notice the admirable letter of Archbishop Cleary of Kingston, C<mnd>., on the same painful Bubjact. He, too, had to tell of the grid: and shame of Inshmsn over the spectacle of wrangling leaders at Home. " The dissensions," he said, " are used with great force of argument against us, and wring our hearts wi'h grief, while they bring joy to Bworn toes of freedom." Commenting on the Archbishop's words we obsrved that " men of the Irish ra",<3 who a few years Bgo were proud of the grand union of their people at home and of the consequent splendid marching forward of the national cause, are to-day obliged to hold down their heads 11 shame whenever the subject of Home Rule is mentioned in their prese cc by nonIrish American well-wishers." And now this wetk we have the same reported to ua from a patriot Irish prelate on the other aide of the globe. All the world over, from Canada to New Zealand, there is but one sentiment among the friends of the cauee of Ireland — grief aod shame at the doings of men who are high up in the leadership of the Irish national movement. Is it not high time for those men to take steps to put an end to this pad and disgraceful state of things I They ought at least to say something in explanation, if they have anything to say. Within the p^st few weeks they have been in a sense directly appealed to by some of the best men of the Irish race, including three Archbishops, and now there is a cry of shaiie upon them from the patriot Bishop of Dumdin. Ilive they anything to say for thernselvep ? If they have, they ou_jht to speak out. But very much better it would bo if they would speak at a private meeting of the party, and there, if ntc 'ssary, fijht it out aad end the wrangle forever.