THE REV. J. A. REEVE AND HOME-RULE.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "BrzoTATon."] Sin,—May I, as one resident in Ireland, make an attempt to answer the above letter, which appeared in the Spectator of August 5th ? It would seem that this worthy clergyman, living in the safe seclusion of his home at Croydon, far- removed from the dangers which attend those who reside in this country, presumes to lecture his co-religionists of all denominations over here, for what he would call their religious bigotry, when after all their sole demand is to be left alone to enjoy the immense advantages which accrue to every one who is a citizen of the United Kingdom. And, Sir, may I further say that it does surprise me to find in the pages of so excellent a journal as yours, a letter so utterly illogical as that of this rev, gentleman's, in that the gist of his argu- ment seems to be that, because an Irish tramp (who with his native acuteness probably knew perfectly well the politics of his clerical benefactor, and thereby made sure of getting his shilling) expressed the devout wish that his questioner and Mr. Gladstone might " go to Heaven together," therefore, or shall I say ergo, all the. fears of the entire Protestant community over here were groundless, and merely expressive of feelings of bigotry which ought long since to have been eradicated under the angelic rule of the revered Premier ! Really, Mr. Editor, the subject is one of far too vast and far-reaching consequences to be treated in this childlike way ; and with you allow me in conclusion to suggest to the Rev. Mr. Reeve,, that by coming to spend his summer vacation in Ireland, and trying there to learn some of the facts of the case, rather than by taking his opinions from a tramp whom he chances to meet in the country roads round Croydon, and then writing his experiences to your columns, he would be benefiting your readers more than by his present line of action P—I am, Sir, &a.
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