IRELAND.
Cardinal Wiseman has continued his progress about Ireland during the week. He has been at Carlow and Waterford among other places, and has been everywhere received with great enthusiasm. At Water- ford, his half-native city, he was entertained at a banquet. The Mayor, -dwelling on the sacrifices Irishmen have made to remain in close rela- tions with Rome, and the spiritual allegiance due to the Pope, proposed his health as the first toast. Cardinal Wiseman, in the course of the evening, referred to the "Papal Aggression" an answer to an allusion from the Mayor. " Your excellent Mayor has been kind enough to allude to the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England. (" Hear, hear ! " and loud cheers.) Now, I must disclaim any merit in that great undertaking, which was the pure and spontaneous work of the present Pontiff. It occupied his attention for years; he meditated on it again and again, and made it the subject of fervent and frequent prayer. He then confided to me the details of the measure, and spoke of my returning to England with the title of Archbishop of Westminster. You must give to that illustrious Pontiff the glory of this great work, which is the highest act in one of the brightest Pontificates. When charged with that solemn duty, with that work which could not be attended with the slightest personal feeling, and which was only a simple duty to be discharged, it would have been folly for me for one moment to waver or express any anxiety about it. I must acknowledge that I felt no fear in undertaking the task confided to me, and therefore I have no claim whatever to the possession of courage. When it pleased the Holy Father to raise me to the office I now hold, and to commit to me, as I have said, the details of that great work, I fixed the day on which I should arrive in London and take charge of my cathedral church, which was then St. George's. I announced the 6th of December as the day. When I left Rome for England I was requested by several to alter my plan of proceeding, as I intended to officiate publicly in the church in my new capacity. Even up to the day fixed for that occasion I received letters warning me against the steps I was taking, and assuring me that as soon as I should ascend.the pulpit to preach a pistol bullet should be lodged in my come. I was told by Catholics that I was to be attacked in the church, and that those who would take part in the scuffle were intended to make away with me. Now, what was the consequence ? The church was never more crowded than on that occasion, and never were the sacred functions per- formed with greater peace and tranquillity." (Cheers.) The Dublin journals show that Lord Eglinton and his official col- leagues are not the only persona who have sinned unpardonably in de- clining to dine with Cardinal Wiseman at the Dublin Mansionhouse. On Monday, at a special meeting of the Dublin Town Council, Alder- span Reynolds gave notice that immediately after the orders of the day were read he would move the following resolution- " That Alderman Lambert having openly expressed in this council, on the 2d ultimo, the day of his nomination to the office of Lord Mayor for the year 1859, that when he returned to his place as a citizen no man would be able to tell what were his political principles during the year, has by re- fusing to accept the invitation of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor to dine at the Mansionhouse, on the fat instant, on the ground, as is now publicly known in the city, that his Eminence Cardinal Wiseman was to have been present at the banquet, grossly violated his promise—that such refusal sent to the Lord Mayor at half-past aix o'clock on the day of the banquet, and signed James Lambert, Lord Mayor elect, is an insult to the whole Catholic body, and more particularly to the Catholic members of this coun- cil, and believing as we do that political or religious prejudices ought not to prevent or obstruct social intercourse, we are of opinion that Alderman Lambert is not a fit and discreet person to be elected to the office of Lord Mayor, and therefore that the nomination to that office be cancelled." The Alderman Reynolds was unable to bring his motion on that day with any chance of a long discussion, but gave notice that he would cer- tainly do so in October.
Faction fights are not at an end in Ireland. At one of these disgraceful scenes in Limerick county. Hayes, a farmer, has been beaten to death. The Clonmel Chronicle calla for the exemplary punishment of the participel erimines.
Previous page
