Protestants in Eire Sto,—Mr..Rawle Knox's article hardly does justice to
one all-important fact ; since 1922 the Dublin Governments have given Protestants a very fair chance, and sometimes even more, to increase and prosper. The discrimination against Protestants has never been encouraged or sanc- tioned by any Minister of State in this country. The educational policies of the successive Governments have been notably generous. Protestants have been appointed to some of the highest public offices, including the Presidency. Governments have gone out of their way to honour dis- tinguished Protestants of the past. For the last century and a half every national proclamation of Irish rights has emphatically repudiated religious discrimination. Since 1922, wherever the Governments have had power to prevent sectarian jobbery, they have done so firmly, except in one long-past incident.
This is not to deny Mr. Knox's contention that there is strong and sometimes bitter pressure against Protestants in social, economic and religious affairs here. But in almost every country in the world there is this jungle warfare of jobbery, faction and sectarianism ; and Ireland (North and South) is not the only place where some would like to sanctify the struggle for power and wealth into a crusade. What I wish to emphasise is that Protestants in the Republic of Ireland have as good protection from the Government and the laws as any minority that I know. (In parenthesis I must mention the only instances of clear ecclesiastical influence: the censorship, and the prohibition of divorce and contracep- tives. And a few judgements in matrimonial cases have been disquieting.) It will do these Protestants—of whom I am one—no good to be told that we haven't a fair chance, that we are helpless victims of tyranny, that we have much to whine about ; or to be carefully sharpened as a thorn in the side of our own country.
Mr. Knox asks, but does not answer, a vital question for many Irish- men: "What is the Church of Ireland to do ? " It has, of course, been enigmatically answered long ago: "Render Caesar's things to Caesar, and God's to God." Speaking only for the twenty-six counties, I would say from a long study of the problem that as long as our Caesar continues to rule justly he will have the full and undivided loyalty of almost all the young and most of the older Protestants in the country. If he begins to rule unjustly—there is no sign of it—we will do our own proteiting. As for the underground war of sectarianism and jobbery, Mr. Knox is right when he says that we have to fight hard to keep our faith and our jobs. Fifty years ago it was all too easy. Spiritually and morally the
change need not be for the worse.—Yours truly, W. B. STANFORD. Seanad Eireann, Dublin. t
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