LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
AN IRISH COMMONWEALTH.
[To THE Maxon or Tee Spacr.03."1
SIR,—While admiring the philosophic tone of the article on the future of an Irish Commonwealth, I cannot but think the writer hopelessly ignorant of the real Ireland of to-day. These political storms, which to some eyes seem to threaten utter social wreck, scarcely disturb the surface of life of 90 per cent, of the population. Take an ordinary Catholic family,—small tradesmen or farmers, if you will. Their life is not guided or governed by law in any appreciable degree, nor is it necessary that it should be. They are honest, quiet, decent folk, friends of their priests, with relatives in convents, with whom they are in constant rapport, influenced by their little social gatherings, entertaining no fears of burglary or ill.usage, even if every constable in the parish were withdrawn. Of course, they tell each other seditious stories, sing seditious songs, and get up semi-seditious assemblies. That is the charm of their otherwise humdrum life. But as to warring against property, that is nonsense. They give enormous prices for tenant-right, and dread trenching on the tenant's privileges in the smallest particular. As to the landlord's property, that is not much reverenced, and I cannot see why it should be. Reverence for it means irreverence for the tiller's rights. One may be pardoned if one prefers the latter when a conflict arises. There is no morality in exacting or allowing others to exact an unfair rent. What is a fair or unfair rent is a question which an English periodical, without some special information in every particular instance, is not, I submit, in a position to pronounce upon, let alone decide.* The idea that the Catholic families of Ireland are Jacobinal .could only be advanced in an English journal. Surely it is time the people in this country dropped judging Ireland from the purely political point of view. When they do, they will learn that Catholic Ireland has a social system that perfectly suits its moderate means, and is not in the slightest danger of being over- turned by Jecobinism.—I am, Sir, &c., 19 Connaught Square, Hyde Park. H. A. S.
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