[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.']
SIR, —I earnestly trust that Mr. Orby Shipley will mark, learn, and inwardly digest (to use words with which he must be familiar) your remarks on his views on Ireland, which appear in your issue of February 9th. Meanwhile, there can be no greater mistake than to suppose that any number of English Catholics will be led away by Mr. Shipley, of course, he has with him the Irish Catholics who abound in England, and also a few sentimental English Catholics, who are, absurdly enough, strong Ultramontanes (as. I am myself) in Italy, and Socialists or Communists (as I am not) in Ireland. I see it noticed in our Catholic papers that Mr. Shipley and a few others of his s3hool have recently resigned their places as members of the Catholic Union, of which the Duke of Norfolk is president. It is no -secret that, for some time past, attempts have been made to move this Catholic Society in a Home-rule or Nationalist 'direction ; and the gentlemen who desired this have, some .of them at least, perceived the futility of their efforts, and have, accordingly, departed in peace. As to our gratitude _for Catholic Emancipation, I can only say that, if that measure is to result in our being represented by such men as the Catholic followers of Mr. Parnell, then our feelings of gratitude will not be over-abundant, although we are thankful for such men as Mr. Bellingham, or Colonel Colthurst, or the late Sir George Bowyer. But between English and Scotch Catholics .on the one side, and Irish Parnellite Catholics on the other, there is a great gulf fixed ; and I, for one, earnestly pray that that gulf may remain, until such time as the Irish Catholics mend their manners and their morals.—I am, Sir, &c.,
A TORY CATHOLIC.
Previous page
