"THE IRISH DAMES OF YPRES."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOE."]
SIR,—In the Spectator of the 12th inst. Dom Nolan says that the Orange ascendency party in Ireland direct the policy of England towards Ireland. Mr. Redmond, addressing an Irish audience at New York in September last, said : "The government of Ireland is now practically conducted in the office of the National League in Dublin." Which state- ment is the more correct P It may be admitted that the Orange Society has considerable influence in the north-east corner,—that is, in Belfast and the neighbourhood. On the other hand, throughout the whole of Munster and Connaught, which possess a better climate, a richer soil, and more natural advantages, the Roman Catholic Church is omnipo- tent; it rules the country more absolutely than it has ruled any other country in Western Europe since the French Revolution. Which part of the country is more prosperous ? And if Belfast is, how can it be true that the Orange party strive to obstruct and, wreck every measure for the good of the country ? Dom Nolan waters down his statements for the benefit of the readers of the Spectator. But his co- religionists, addressing other audiences, are not so cautious. "We shall not rest until we have broken the last link that binds Ireland to England;" "We must drive every English- man into the sea ; " "We have to make the country hotter than hell to the enemies of the people,"—those are amongst the expressions used by Roman Catholic clerics.—I am,
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