ARCHBISHOP MANNIX ON IRELAND

New Zealand Tablet, 30 May 1918, Page 29

ARCHBISHOP MANNIX ON IRELAND

Speaking at the Victorian Irish Convention this month in Melbourne Archbishop Mannix said: He did not know if it was possible, as a result of the Convention, to effect a union of the various Irish national societies in Melbourne. But the main object of the present Convention could be fully attained, even though they had to stop short of uniting the various societies, which were divided here just as they were divided in Ireland. He did not know if the Convention would go beyond the two questions of conscription and national autonomy. If the question of uniting the different associations were raised, he hoped it would be at the end of the meeting, and that there would be no heat or recriminations, and nothing bitt calm and sober discussion. (Applause.) What they wanted was an united front against the new British aggression. (Applause.) It was hoped that the Convention would be able to discuss the Home Rule scheme to be submitted by the British Government, but they did not know yet if any or what sort of Home Rule Bill would be introduced. They could not. discuss a Bill that had not yet been introduced—probably had not yet been drafted. They must be satisfied to re-assert their determination to help the Irish people by every means in their power to secure the largest measure of autonomy they could wrest from England. (Applause.) To most people things might look dark in Ireland at present, but he

was never more hopeful than he was now. (Applause.) He was convinced that, if the Iriah people stood shoulder to shoulder, remained calm, moderate, determined ; if they used their present and future opportunities, they could defy the whole British Empire, if that were. necessary, to enforce conscription on Ireland. (Applause). Ireland was feeling her way; Ireland was getting upon her feet; there was a new spirit- in her men and women that was capable of defeating Britishmade conscription. (Applause.) He was further assured, in his own mind, that that same spirit and the same methods which would defeat conscription would succeed, in the near future, in winning national selfgovernment. (Applause.) Practically the whole British Empire was in favor of giving autonomy to Ireland. Ail that was needed was to force the British Government to face once and for all the small knot of unruly and disloyal people in the north-east corner of Ireland. (Applause.) For himself, he was satisfied that things were shaping well in Ireland at the moment, and he trusted that Irishmen would profit by the valuable lesson that the present crisis had taught them. (Applause.) If the deliberations of the Convention did not advance very far the cause of autonomy for Ireland, at all events he hoped and felt assured that nothing would be said, or done that night that would accentuate division or would retard the consummation of Ireland’s long-deferred hope. (Loud applause.)