The Irish standard. [volume], January 01, 1887, Image 1

About The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
5.)
I
A LETTER FROM IRELAND.
"Olareman" Makes a Pew Remarks Con
cerning the Condition of the
Irish Tenant Farmer.
THE SNEAKING CONTRIVANCES
By Which the British Government Hope
to Create Uprisings to Furnish an
Excuse for Coercion.
Special Correspondence of The Irish Standard.
Sir,—My friend, Mr. J. J. Kinnane,
having dropped me a line requesting a
brief accouiit of the state of this coun
try, I beg to forward the annexed, re
gretting at the same time that he has
not selected some abler friend and one
better versed in politics than I am.
However, the task is not an over diffi
cult one, and may be shortly told in re
ply to the query, "What is the position
of the tenant farmer V" For centuries
the benevolent rulers of Ireland have
spared no effort to crush out her
manufactures, and it must be con
fessed with regret, they have only too
well succeeded. True, vigorous efforts,
are being made for the past few years
to revive manufactures in this country,
in places where an abundant supply of
water may be availed of to work the
machinery, and the busy hum of labor
may now be heard in stores long de
serted and where the drowsy owl was
the only occupant but as each begin
ning must be weak and as these facto
ries have to be started in a country im
poverished by misrule, and its life
blood drained out by a clan of aristo
cratic sots, neither useful nor orna
mental, and having at the same time to
face the tierce competition of countries
where such manufactories have been
fostered and petted, it is little surprise
that the progress made is not so satis
factory as could be wished for. and that
the effect on the working classes of the
country, except in a few and far be
tween districts, is scarcely perceptible.
Still there is no reason to be despond
ent for the future, as the country is now
alive to the importance of encouraging
home pro ucts, thanks to the exertions
of the Iiish Parliamentary Party, and
to the host of ardent patriots who have
awakened the people to a sense of duty
in this matter. Bat, at the present, as
I have already remarked, it is to the
condition of the farmer we must look
when considering the state of the coun
try. Now what is the condition of the
farmer It is acknowledged by all
parties that 'be year just closed was
one of the worst, both as regards pro
duce and prices, for many years. Po
tatoes, the staple food of the cottier and
poor tenant, returned not more than
one-half the crop of the previous year.
Oats, the principal, and I may
add
the
only cereal raised, was fully thirty per
cent, behind last year both in produce
and price. Wheat need not be taken
into account as owing to the wet sea
sons and low prices no sane person at
tempts to grow it. Butter jielded a
fair return, but was
3oid
at a figure that
scarcely realized the working expenses.
Farmers dependent on the sale of fat
cattle in the early part of the season se
cured moderate prices, but towards the
close, beef was sold at the low figure of
35s. per cwt.
You will now ask how can farmers
pay. reut this year'? The answer is
that in most estates it is quite impos
sible. Pitiable, indeed, would be tbeir
position had not a deliverer in the per
son of Mr. John Dillon, M. P,, come to
the rescue with his "Plan of Cam
paign." Of the many devices adopted
by the National League to conquer the
power of the landlords, backed as tliey
are by au aristocratic Tory coercion
government, there is none to compete,
both for effectiveness and simplicity,
with the "Plan of Campaign." Mr.
Dillon and tue United Ireland news
paper are truly the salvation of the
tenant farmers this winter. Instead of
the tenants, as heretofore, going to the
a_.ent of the landlord requesting a re
duction of rent, they quietly meet,
agree as to what rent they can pay,
offer this sum to the "lord of the soil,"
and' should he refuse to accept it, the
rent is immediately handed over to a
treasurer, and should proceedings be
taken against any one of the tenants,
this money is used as a defence fund,
and every penuy expended is so much
from the landlord's income. This plan
has the advantage of keeping from the
landlord the money with which he used
formerly to harass the tenants. It is
also an effective preventative to back
sliding. This system is now adopted
by the most loyal and true Orangemen
•of the law-abiding north, as well as by
the most advanced Nationalist inV'rebel
Cork The landlords, deprived of the
"sinews of was*" find their only remedy
is* to make the best of a bad matter,
and accept the terms offered by, the
^-tenants, Tue law-advisers of the
rafess themselves unable to in-
terfere, as even the most stringent Act
of Parliament is not infringed on.
The condition of the laborer is in
many places truly serious—willing to
work, but none to be had—starvation
fairly stares him in the face. The
price of provisions was never lower,
but where can he procure the smallest
trifle to Bupply the wants of his family.
The farmer verging on bankruptcy
cannot afford to employ him, even on
the most productive works. Houses
are being erected in several of the Poor
Law Unions with half-acre plots at
tached, but the proportion of laborers
now in possession of these is not more
than five per cent, of those needing
them.
The country is free from outrages,
but it is not the fault of the Govern
ment. An organized system is being
worked by the police force to get up se
cret societies for the perpetration of
outrages, paying the heads well for
their devilish work. The system, how
ever, thank God, is not taking root. A
solitarv
instance will explain how this
business is being worked. A police
sergeant named O'Halloran, stationed
in Eunis, in this county, met an evicted
tenant named Lourie walking through
the streets, and after sympathizing
with him, invited him to a drink. Dur
ing the conversation he says: "You
must want money uow I can let you
have plenty. Go to a certain district
organize a society there, which you can
easily do commit a few outrages not
a soul shall know a word of it you are
quite safe," and in proof of his earnest
ness handed him a note for £10. Lourie,
finding
that he was really in earnest,
resented the -insult by prostrating this
myrmidon of the law with the bottle
from which be was drinking. Similar
statements are heard from different
quarters. The reason of this evidently
is, the Government wants to introduce
coercion measures at the sitting of
Parliament in January, but as the
country is exceptionally peaceable
there is no grounds for them, hence the
necessity for outrages a,nd secret so
cieties. But the measure won't suc
ceed, the spirit of manly independence
and nationality is being so instilled
into
the manhood of Ireland, that the
treachery with which English states
men ruled this country in the past will
not now avail, and I trust that at the
close of the year 1S87, when I shall
have the pleasure of again addressing
you, my letter will be as full of joy and
and hope as this is of gloom and sor
row, and that I shall 'be able to an
nounce a very happy New Year for old
Ireland. I remain, dear Mr. Editor,
Very sincerely yours,
Clareman.
County Clare, Dec. 12, 3886.
General Buller in Kerry.
An old acquaintance of" General Sir
lie elvers Bullcr has told some droll
stories of the General's experiences in
Kerry. You will remember, perhaps,
says he, that when Lord Aberdeen, who
was Gladstone's Home Pule viceroy,
made his tour to Killarney, the league
organized serenades along the route,
The Nationalist branch at Killarney
itself decided to welcome the lord lieu
tenant with a tune which should show
that the Irish were as loyal as any other
subjects if only they were used decent
ly, and selected "God Save the Queen."
Then it was discovered that no member
of the amateur Nationalist band knew
this tune, and as they play by ear this
complicated matters. However, a gen
tleman was found who knew the tune
and, moreover, consented to teach it to
them and the members of the band sat
up all the night prior to the viceroy's
arrival waking the echoes of Muckross
and Magillicuddy's Beeks with the ex
perimental discords. Geneial Buller
himself told this to my friend, and then
added: There was something funnier
still when I first went to Tralee to ar
range the suppression of the moonlight
ers, After dinner the Nationalist
band, accompanied by a big, good-na
tured crowd of "the boys," gathered in
front of my hotel and played "Meet
me by moonlight alone." The thing
was so comical that no one could help
laughing, inside the hotel or outside,
and I think the incident did more tban
almost anything else to make our rela
tions in that part of Kerry amible
—Bpston Republic.
John Kelley Dead.
With profound regret do we cronicle
the death of John Kelley, an Irish vo.
Calist of widespread fame. He died in
Victoria, Texas, On the 3d ult. He
was born in Ireland in 1812, but spent
the last fifty-two years of his life in
America. During the early days of
gold discovery in California lie achieved
a name that willjbe lasting as long as
one of the old forty-niners lives. In
every mining camp on the Pacific slope
his name was, and is, a household word
and even in '64 we heard of him in Ida
ho camps spoken of as a violinist and
singer whose equal was never known.
He was always a consistent and de
vout Catholic.
REV. FATHER M'COLRICK
Delivers one of His Excellent Christmas
Sermons on the Anniversary of the
Birth of Our Saviour.
WHATTHE HOLY FEAST SIGNIFIES
And the Beason Why the Oatholic Ohnrch
Has Unusual Services on
Christmas Day.
The Church of the Immaculate Con
ception was filled to hear Rev. Father
McGolrick's Christmas sermon. In this
issue we give a brief synopsis of the
discourse, regretting that we are un
able to give it verbatim. He took his
text from Epistle to Titus ii., 11-15, and
Lukeii., 1-14.
a
YGL. Ill: NO. 9. MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 1887. $1.50 PER YEAR.
THE SERMOW. ,r
The feast of our Divine Lord, which
we celebrate to-day, has more tban or
dinary significance. It proves the es
tablishment in the hearts of the chil
dren of the Church the reign of Jesus
Christ. Everywhere Christian hearts
are warm in the expression of their
love for Him who came from the
heights of heaven down to this earth of
ours, in order that He might become
one with us. He who was infinitely
good came down to those who had wan
dered away from Him in order that He
might gather them together that He
might preach to them the law of love,
whereby the hearts of all peoples should
be drawn towards Him whereby all
His creatures would be raised up glori
fied with Him both in soul and body.
And it is for this reason that the
Church has unusual ceremonies on this
Holy Feast of Christmas. She clothes
her altars gathers into her sanctuary
her priesthood speaks to her people
the lesson of God's love calls upon
them to unite with her in the expres
sion of their joy and happiness in the
commemoration of the day which the
Lord has made a day of good tidings to
all poor sinners a day in which, more
than any other day, God comes before
us represented in our fallen. humanity
as a little child. And we are asked to
unite with the Church in offering to Him
our highest acts of praise.. With no.
small need of glory on our lips,we preach
the word that had been sen fc from heaven
on high we announce to man, as the
angels of old: "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to men of
good will." This is the lesson that the
Church would have us take to heart
and in order, my brethren, that you
may more fully realize these good tid
ings it will be well for us to recall the
first words of the gospel of the Mass
read early this morning, in which it
was said that all the peoples of the
world were ordered by the Emperor of
Rome, Caesar Augustus, to go up each
to his own city, and there to be en
rolled. This brings to our considera
tion the most important truth: How
it is that the human race had become
united under one vast power what the
nature of this power was against which
Christ, a poor babe, born upon this
night in December, carrie to battle.
This power which He came to destroy
totally efface—was the power of the
highest reason of man. God had given
a message to all fallen people when He
declared to them that a Redeemer
should come, and that the serpent's
head should be crushed. He announced
to them that in time to come all should
be redeemed—should be brought back
to the love and service of God. He
bade them not to fear, but with hope to
act in obedience to His command
ments. But soon the commands of God
were forgotten in the minds of meu
and we find in the 750th year of the es
tablishment of the City of Rome, that
all the nations of the earth had become
subservient to Roman power. The
great endeavor of Augustus was to
gather all the peoples to unite them
under one. The representatives of the
Roman power were to be scattered in
every part of the world, but all were to
announce their fealty to this power in
Rome and, my brethren, we can well
understand what this power meant if
we consider briefly what the historians
give us to understand in reference to it.
A hundred millions of people were sub
servient to the bidding of their master
in that city. The armies had gone
forth to the ends of the earth, and the
Roman eagle had been seen in every
land, civilized or uncivilized, in the
world. There power was such that all
the nations were willing to join with
them for their own protection and for
the advantages of the high civilization
to which they had attained. But with
this there was the purpose of establish
ing one form of religion that is, idola
try was to reign supreme over all the
nations, and while Koine took all of
them into partnership, yet she" deter
mined that alF should have a central
place in the city to which they should'
look, to wHich they should bow down,
to which the heart and soul—the whole
4k
mind of man should be given this was
the, purpose of the Roman power. Let
us,see, again, my brethren, what it
meant to unite all these peoples in one
form of idolatry. Each nation^ fallen
away from God, and having forgotten
His holy law, by fears of the human
race, began to recognize various forms
of divinities in all the things that were
around about them. Along the banks
of the Nile man worshipped the air,
the sun, the moon, the stars they wor
shipped animals and creeping things.
In the city of Ro.ne a Roman dies, and
they represent their gods—the lands
and the fields—by a great rock, and
this was the first image of Jupiter, the
god of gods. Also, they raised on the
altars the very passions of men: there
was not an act of man during his whole
life which could not be consecrated to
some form of heathen divinity. The
temples in Athens and in Rome,
throughout Greece, with all its civiliza
tion, were raised to the representatives
of man's passions. They had a god
representing theft a god representing
impurity a god representing every
foriirST "evil and crime to which man
in the fulfillment of the satisfaction of
his passions could bow down and offer
up his services. The theatres repre
sented to the people every foul form of
iniquity, and they pretended to put be
fore the world in a state of civilization
what was done in the temples. Each
man had his own household god. The
Emperor had his agents in the gods
that, ruled above him, and it was a
crime against his country and against
the community for any man not to bow
down to the agents of the Emperor.
This idolatry pervaded the whole sys
tem of the people then living. Every
form, or token, or sign that was in the
heavens above or in the earth beneath,
or in the waters under the earth, would
have its form of divinity. They wor
shipped all these and made it a part of
tlieiv duty towards their country, to
wards their Emperor, towards their
family, to uphold these various forms
of divinities. When the theatres rep
resented to us the people coming into
the temples in order that they might
worship their god, thev represented to
us the foulest crimes—crimes that men
usually hide in the darkest walks of
life ^were brought before the people.
Imagine then, my brethren, what must
be the sad state of the minds of the
people of old how low must they have
stooped when gods were the very repre
sentatives of crime, and when it be
came the part of man's life to yield to
it, so that their wise men, their philoso
phers, their rulers, their great men in
battle, those who had built temples
were all guilty of the same evil
and yet, my brethren, there was a unity
in all this, and this unity was the pre
existence of the one being in all the
various gods and goddesses and a man
was doubtful when he wished to ask
for any gift whether he would address
himself to one god or to another.
This then, my brethren, was their state,
but there was the unity in all the
various forms, and this unity was the
worship of him who exists in ail the
various false forms of worship that
ever were in the world. To him St.
Paul alludes when he speaks to the
people of Athens and stands before
them to announce the God who came
into the world and was crucified and
he says to the high mien of Athens: "I
behold you in all things most supersti
tious." And these were superstitious
men in the particular manner of offer
ing themselves to demons. And St.
Paul again speaks about it, that the
battle of the Christian world was not
against the Prince of Darkness in the
upper air. The ancient historians tell
us that the pagans having passed away
from the knowledge of the true God,
began to worship things that ere not
made by God. They began to worship
their own imagination, their own pas
sions and then again they allowed ex
terior forms where the devil came, as
is well known from the ancient writers
to take possession of them. Jesus
Christ had come for the destruction of
this power to destroy the power of the
devil existing in them for frequently
in the gospel it is meutioned that he
excercised his authority and drove out
the demon from amongst men. Here
then was the state of the then civilized
world.
Suspected Murder.
On Dec. 3 great excitement was
caused in Belfast by two policemen
seizing a coffin, which contained the
body of a man named James Chambers,'
on the arrival of the Fleetwood steam
er. Deceased, who was a native of
county Down, went to London about a
week before for the purpose of obtain
ing his B. L. degree. He took sudden
ly ill in the English metropolis, and
having neither relative nor friend near
him, decided to enter an hospital,
where he died a short time after admis
sion. The body was held for post-mor
tem examination.
The legal firm of Jordan & Forest has
been dissolved by mutual consent.
ft, if
,i it
i- i-
ii
A*
hd* Si
A THANKSGIVING AT KNOCK.
The
Irish Lourdes Visited by
D. A. O'Sullivan, of the Oity
of Toronto, Canada,
Knock is Commonplace. Without
Natural or Artificial
Beauty.
Mr,
HOW TO REACH THIS PLACE.
Any
FromtDonahoe's Magazine,
The circumstances which led the
writer to feel it a duty on himself to
visit Knock may be of little interest to
the reader of this Magazine. The latter
can imagine for himself an invalid go
ing up and down through various cities
of this continent in quest of relief or of
cure submitting to new remedies, and
experiencing new failures consulting
the chief medical men and submitting
to their operations—some humane and
some brutal and, finally, after being
prayed for in the churches, and reported
dead in the newspapers, coming to the
conclusion that human skill had done
its best and its worst, and that his was
the common lot of mortals, and at the
moot only a question of weeks. Hav
ing made the most of human skill, I
cast about me to see it Heaven would
come to my assistance. I don't think
there was any disrespect in this course,
and I believe that the extraordinary is
not to be resorted to while the ordi
nary and natural remains untried. I
made a feeble attempt—a resolution—
to visit Knock, which was then first
known (uow about six years ago) but
a kind friend dissuaded me from the
step, knowing, no doubt, that I was
unable
to travel half ways to the sea
side. He said if I had faith relief
would come to me as well through the
plaster of Knock as by a visit to the
church. He gave me a little plaster or
cement. I applied it in the way he
suggested, and in a few weeks I was
well the relief was, I may say, imme
diate I have not been a day ill since.
I ascribe my recovery as so many oth
ers have theirs, not to human skill, nor
to the recuperative powers of nature,
but to a merciful staying of the course
of nature, neither assisted nor impeded
by human skill.
The commendation that was so gra
ciously accorded to the sick man in the
gospel who went, and returned thanks,
does not fall to my lot, I am afraid. I
comfort myself, however, by thinking
that mine was the longer journey. The
venerable clergyman whom I met at
Knock told me of the Bishop of Tas
mania who came some fifteen thousand
miles to return thanks for his recovery,
and he mentioned other persons who
traveled very long distances. 1 felt
somewhat ashamed of my own four
thousand milts, and especially having
waited so many years Defore coming at
all.
The traveler who wants to do Kil
larney in the morning and get to Knock
by night, must be up betimes. Knock
is an inconvenient place to reach, and.
when you get to the nearest railway
station, you have still five or six miles
to go by car. I arrived at Ballyhaunis
at one o'clock in the morning, and if the
hotel wasn't the worst one in Ireland,
it was certainly the worst I had en
countered there. So, as to get to Mass
if possible, I ordered a car for six
o'clock, but not a soul was stirring at
that hour. By dint of language not
easily misunderstood, we got under way
in half au hour, and climbed up the
narrow, crooked street towards Knock
—a mass of rugs and umbrellas against
the impending rain. "Whenever you
make all kinds
of preparations for rain,"
said the driver, "then you have your
fine day." And so indeed we had.
The first three miles were all up hill
but the driver said that would be ail
the easier driving when we were com
ing back. I fancy he didn't set me
down for a very austere pilgrim after
what passed about being ready on time
he kept to secular subjects—the crops,
the landlords, the rent, and the home
rule question and it was not until he
pointed out the little spire of the
church, that any information could be
got about what is the most interesting
in that part of Ireland. Indeed, the
county of Mayo is poor and bleak, and
the farms very different from those I
saw the day before at Mallow or Cashel.
There is no rent on the land there
there is barely subsistence.
An apparition at a place like Knock
reminds one of those heavenly visions
that lit up t4e £e£ert ftlacQ!i,oiplJ. .ft
is commonp&cfej $&{li5j»t. anV*"i£itVr|d
or artificial beauty*-»a &&!•£ '"hihside'
wjtl)jttt\ jJfe Jshfubfte# ntfttjibg,
Ue'fiacW^rp 4
#pjftvep£/.
unfinished, cheerless look, standing
out against the sky.j Besides the
church and the schoolhouse there are
only a few houses. Knock is the small
est of hamlets. On the outside the
church has the appearance of beinfc
plastered over but the historic plaster
of Knock is no longeron the church it
has been entirely removed by those
who went thither, to be cured. The
gable end, where the holy vision was
seen, presents a curious appearance.
Up against the side of the wall, and en
closed by a railing, are 'hundreds of
crutches and other supports, besides
bandage- boots, straps, and other such
articles. There are also a great num
ber of medicine bottles and articles
from the drug shop and conspicuous
among the miscellaneous collection is a
biretta of an American priest. A statue
of the Blessed irgin is within this
enclosure, which is shut out from visi-'
tors. After Mass those who visited
the church came out and prayed there,
and generally deposited within some
article suggestive of their visit. Imme
diately behind this fence is a .large rack
full of canes and stout walking sticks,
and I was fcold that numbers of these
had been taken away. It seemed as if
thousands of them still remained.
When I alighted from the car find en
tered the church I was a good deal sur
prised at the interior, which is that of a
really handsome church. Large massiye
columns support the roof, and there are
many beautiful statues and other orna
ments. There were no pews, but some
few chairs scattered in various parts of
the eh urch. A dozen or so people,
chiefly women, were waiting for Mass
to besrin, and in one of the confessionals
there was a priest hearing confessions.
After nearly every one in the church
had been heard, the clergyman came
out and a Low Mass with very excellent
singing commenced. It was the 5th of
August, and the atmiyeisar., of an ap
parition. Benediction followed, and
afterwards a man who lived around the
church, accosted rue at the door, and
said he would say some prayers for my
intentions. Those who remained in the
church joined in the litanies and other
prayers which he recitad afterwards
nearly all repaired to the end of the
church where the apparitions had been
seen.
I had a few minutes conversation
with Archdeacon Kavanagh, the vener
able clergyman, who invited me to his
house and listened to whatl had to say.
He was a singularly impressive man and
his conversation was grave and scriptur
al but from him, as natural as if he
addressed one from the pulpit. Of the
many parish priests I met with in Ire
land, all of whom carried the dignity of
their calling in their manner and lan
guage, no one is so vividly impressed
on my mind as this gentleman. Wheth
er it was from the association of the
place in which he moved or whether
the place being new to me was exhibit
ed in its best human side by this man,
I know not, but he seemed the worthy
guardian of a Shrine such as I believe
Knock to be. Poor as is the country
and its pious people, and forbidding as
everything except the church looked on
that drear, bleak morning, there must
be an unseen radiance hovering oyer the
spot where the Holy Virgin appeared.
My stay was too short, but 1 was due
at Dublin that evening, and reached
it. The place where I put up at Bally
haunis exerted itself in an effort at
breakfast, which was all the more ac
ceptable for being unexpectedly good.
It was not at all in keeping with lodg
ing and posting facilities: but I for
gave the incongruity. One reason that
fewer people visit Knock, is the diffi
culty of getting there and the want of
accommodation afterwards. it does
not indicate a proper spirit in a pil
grim to be too nice in his material com
forts but it may be otherwise with the
usual tourist. Thousands of foreign
ers would go to Knock with a worthier
motive than they go to Killarney or the
Giant's Causeway, if their con veieuces
were looked after more carefullv. I
confess it seeded to me that the Ir ish,
priest as well as laymen, knew less of
Knock than an American would have
had expected. In an Island of Saints,
one Shrine more, may be of less account
than in our land of Sinners, but if
Knock were in America I think Amer
icans would visit it. It is a place where
one can put aside his worldhness for
a half-hour and feel like the Lawgiver
of old that he stands upon holy ground.
Toronto. Can. D. A. O'Sullivan.
A Thoughtful Editor.
The editor of a paper in the far West.
has decided nos to exchange with auy
paper which uses the word "relegate"
and other words of that character. He
savs: This durn foolishness is got to
stop. When a busy editor is about to
clip out an article from an exchange to
use as a leader, he discovers that it is
chock full of these hifalutiu words.
*&nd he knows if he prints it his sub
scribers will cuss and swear, and some
bf jthttdiwyi^&o gunning for the editor.
£hf la$*t moment he has to write
up a thrilling local, or shove in a patent
medicine "ad," that has been dead six
months. Hereafter we shall not ex
change with such papers. When we
want big words we can find plenty of
them in our old speller and definer.,, '3
4V-
%'i-
J«Sl
V. -s
'I'M
ty
?U{
ISsfi
'"f. I#1",