"THE IRISHMEN OF GORE" AND LORD RANFURLY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 7, 17 June 1898, Page 19

"THE IRISHMEN OF GORE" AND LORD RANFURLY.

THE PLAIN FACTS OF THE MATTER.

The South ren Standard of June 7 contains three columns of matter referring to the recent visit of his Excellency the Governor to Gore. Two addresses were presented and replied to — the first from the Mayor and Councillors, the second from '• the Irishmen of Gore." The last-mentioned address was signed by several Catholics, and has given needless anxiety to some of our friends who do not know the circumstances under which the address was got up, signed, and presented. Those who — like vs — have the pleasure of knowing the Catholic Irishmen of Gore and district need never fear that they will ever fall behind their fellow-countrymen in any part o!.' New Zealand in anything and everything that relates to love of the Old Land and of the old Faith.

The facts relating to the address and its presentation are briefly told, and we may as well state at the outset that our statements regarding this subject are authoritative and received at first hand. Our Otago and Southland readers will remember that his Excellency the Governor had arranged to visit Milton, Gore, and other places during the third week in March, and — this being his first visit in each case — elaborate preparations were made to welcome him. There is, perhaps, no man for whom Irish Catholics entertain a higher respect than for a liberal - minde>l Irish Protestant. Under the impression that Lord Ranfurly was one of this class, the Irish Catholics of Gore cordially joined with their Protest.int tellcw-countryinen in the district in preparing to accord him a right hearty c< ad mile /mite. An address was drawn up. beautifully executed by the Sisters of Mercy, bordered with pearls, surmounted by a harp in green and and surrounded by wreaths of: .shamrocks. The address, when ready, was signed by tho members of tlu> mixed committee of Catholics and Protestants who had united in getting it up. It was then placed in the keeping ot one of the Protestant members of the committee.

Soon afterwards, Lord Ranfurly postponed his visit to Gore. He proceeded to Dunedin, and there gave utterance to what the Melbourne Aye termed the ill-timed and injudicious Orange speech, and the attack on the "errors" of Rome, which -were v contrary to reason and common sense." Everyone is aware of the pain and the sense of wrong which those ill-timed speeches caused. Irishmen keenly resent insults to their country or their creed, and none felt the slights cast upon both more than the Catholics of Gore. On June 3, Lord Ranf urly's postponed visit to Gore took place. The handsome address was taken out of its wrappings to be presented to him. The local Catholic clergy were invited by the Mayor to be present at the reception to his Excellency. They declined to come. The Catholic body — including the signatories — conspicuously absented themselves. They declined to take part in the procee lings, as a protest against the Governor's extraordinary speech in Dunedin. For the same reason the convent school had to bo struck off the list of places to be visited by his Excellency.

There are two features in connection with Lord Ranfuiiy's visit to Gore to which we refer with pleasure and a sense of hopefulness. The first is this : that the Protestant gentlemen who presented the address declined to allow an orange ribbon to appear amidst the green. The second pleasant feature of the incident is this : that his Excellency made a speech on the occasion \\ Inch

might have been delivered by an out-and-out Nationalist. He went, indeed, to the greatest lengths to show that, in effect, the growth and safety of the British Empire rest upon Irishmen. We welcome this as an indication that his Excellency has vast y improved in knowledge of bis true position as Governor since the days when he spoke his all too famous speeches in Dunedin. It is well.