IRELAND.
The manoeuvres of the extreme parties in Ireland against National education have been met in the north by the publication of a declaration from Members of the Established Church. The document is signed by the Earls of Antrim and Desert, Viscount Monck, the Bishop of Down and Connor, Lord Clermont, the Deans of Elphin and Dromore Major- General Chesney, four ex-Fellows of Trinity College, several ifluential clergymen, and a long list of Deputy-Lieutenants and Magistrates. The following is a copy of the declaration :—
" We, the undersigned patrons, managers, and catechists of National schools in Ireland, members of the Established Church, having had our at- tention frequently directed to the misrepresentations which have been made concerning the National system of education, that children frequenting Na- tional schools are precluded from receiving religious instruction' and being aware of the misapprehensions which consequently prevail on the subject, come forward to state that in National schools under our charge careful religious instruction is given to Church children in the Holy Scriptures, and that ample opportunities are afforded by the National Board for the same.
"It is true that we do not use these schools as instruments of proselytism, that we do not force our religious instruction on any children who enter- tain conscientious objections to reciving it ; but we are glad to be able to state that our Church children have availed themselves of the Scriptural in- struction which we give, and that with the best results. "We make this statement because the present appears to be a time of, crisis, attempts being made by two opposite and influential parties.to over' throw the National system on the alleged ground of its being deficient in facilities for religious instruction, and to introduce in its stead a system of denominational grants, which, in our opinion, would be attended with the most lamentable consequences to this country."
Dr. Paul Cullen issued an enormous pastoral on- Sunday in Dublin. There is nothing new in it ; and the following are fair specimens of Dr. Cullen's mode of treating cotemporary politics. "The first and principal ground of complaint against the Pope appears to be that he is not willing to extend to his dominions- that liberal form of Government which, under English influence and with the applause of the British press, has been introduced into the kingdom of Sardinia by its Ministers, Cavour and Ratazzi. But is there anything in the fruits ob- tained in that kingdom by the liberalized form of Government In induce the Pope to adopt it ? What has been the efteet of the reforms of those applauded Ministers? Under their auspices the property of convents and monasteries has been confiscated, nuns and friars dispersed, priests and
bishops exiled or persecuted, the rights of the Church invaded, heresy and error patronized, and the fountains of knowledge poisoned by anti-Catholic
and infidel teaching. All this has been done under the name of progress
and liberality ; but, to show how hypocritical is such a pretence, we may add that the boasted liberty of the press has been assailed, every Catholic newspaper suppressed, and intolerable and most oppressive burdens _placed, upon the people, so that under the care of the friends of progress, and those who are put forward as models of good statesmen a country which twelve years ago was happy and flourishing is now almost reduced to a state of utter destitution and bankruptcy, and groaning under a fearful despotism.
"Another ground of complaint which is continually repeated is, that the people of the Pope's States are dissatisfied, that foreign troops are employed to keep them in obedience and that misery, poverty, and crime abound in them. In answering fhb; objection it is necessary to recollect that no human institution is free from defects, and that no Government can render
all its subjects rich, happy, and contented. Political economists and en- thusiastic statesmen sometimes promise to bring back the golden age, and to banish misery from this world ; but their schemes are mere delusions-
This earth is only a place of exile and banishment, where man's lot is to suffer and to earn his bread with the sweat of his brow.. . . Even the Bri- tish empire is not exempt from such evils, and very lately it has been con- sidered expedient to repress them in India by fire and sword, by destroying and pillaging great cities, and even by blowing unfortunate soldier° to pieces from the mouth of the cannon. The Pope has never found A ne- cessary to have recourse to such violent measures, and his paternal heart never would sanction them. . . . Unhappily there in some discontent in a part of the Papal territory-; but it is not general, and does not extend to any considerable portion of the inhabitants ; and what is more, it owes its origin to foreign influence, and to the intrigues and emissaries of secret and Bible soeietiere and frequently to English money." The Carton; Sentinel stateathat the Cullen policy has been carried out at Carlow.
"The schoolmaster acting hitherto under the-authorities at Marlborough Street has been dismissed, and the school is now under the management of the Christian- Brothers. The national school-books are laid aside' and all mementoes.of the Board obliterated by this new order of religiousinstrun- tors. On Monday large crowds of children of both sexes visited the private residence of the Christian Brothers, where they were registered and classified, after which books and catechisms, of course permissu sapeaiorum, were distributed at a smart price to the poor, thus blotting out the National Board from the map of Carlow."
The Earl of Carlisle accompanied by several members of the ex-Royal family of France, paid a visit on Tuesday to. the model schools of the National Board, in Marlborough Street, and were received there by a large concourse of ladies and gentlemen. Among the members of the Board present was the Roman Catholic Dean Meyler.
The Irish have, by strikes, repeatedly driven trade from particular towns. Now the priests scorn striking against cattle fairs. They have effectually prevented any fair front being held at Navan. These are the friends of the Irish people !
Much excitement has been occasioned in Ballinrobe in consequence of a quarrel between the Reverend Richard Goodisson, Protestant, and Father Lavellea frantic Roman Catholic, who exercises great influence in that quarter. It seems that Lavelle and Goodisson met on the road, that high words ensued, and that Goodisson talked of shooting the priest. The Father summoned a mob, but the clergyman escaped. Lavelle is described as a firebrand and Goodisson as a proselytiser. There are to be actions and cross actions in consequence of the alleged assaults.
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