Mr. Balfour's speech winding nia the debate was an admir-
able piece of work. His main contention, as before, was in effect that it is better to have an imperfect University to which Irish Roman Catholics are willing to send their sons than no University at all. Mr. Balfour also showed that it would be very undesirable from the Protestant point of view if Trinity College were swamped by Roman Catholics, Colonel Saunderson said he would welcome Trinity College being flooded by Roman Catholic students from all parts of Ireland. "I confess," said Mr. Balfour, "my Protestantism does not go that length." As our readers know, we heartily agree with Mr. Balfour. We greatly prefer the Protestant atmosphere, and believe it to be vastly freer and better than the Roman Catholic atmosphere but we can understand the point of view of the Roman Catholic who holds a different opinion. For example, nothing would induce the present writer to send a son to a University with a Roman Catholic atmosphere, but the intensity with which he holds that opinion enables him to realise the way in which Roman Catholics regard the matter. Considering that the bulk of the Irish people are Roman Catholics, they ought to have a University with a Roman Catholic atmosphere. Whether it will be an efficient or an inefficient seat of learning is beside the mark. The need is not to create an ideal seat of .learning, but to satisfy an Irish demand not malum in se and not inconsistent with the existence of the Union.
Previous page
