Lord Roden and his fellow Magistrates of Castlewellan, the two
brothers named Beers, have been removed from the commis- sion of the peace, for their participation in the late outrage against the Queen's peace in Downshire, and its sequels. The conduct of the Irish Government in this respect meets with very general approval, except from heated partisans, in whose view the Orange Association is infallible—incapable of wrong. Lord Roden cannot admit that his sentence is just; not because he is blinded by habitual want' of candour, by criminal passions, or dishonest motives, but because he has been bred in the indigenous bigotry of Irish Protestantism. It is a fault not of heart but in- tellect. In his view, " Orange " and " Catholic " are convertible terms for "right" and "wrong": from the tone of his letter to the Lord Chancellor, be is evidently most earnest in the wish to do "right," and accordingly he does " Protestant" without com- promise or qualification. Nevertheless, his dismissal, even with theAmperfect sense of justice in Ireland, can.hard,ly fail to do good. It may be morbidly hailed as a " victory " or a "defeat," according to party sympathies; but it is strong administration, and it will fortify the Government.
