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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",