Some of the leaders of the Roman Catholic clergy, at
a preliminary meeting, pledged themselves to every opposition to Conscription that might be " consistent with -the law of God." But the official manifesto of the Hierarchy pledges the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland to resist Conscription -by " the most effective means at our disposal." The phraseology does not strike one as particularly brave in form, and it probably leaves the loophole, which the Hierarchy always reserves to itself, of escape at the last moment. As we have often remarked, the Hierarchy leads the popular move- ment for Home Rule and all anti-British movements until they look dangerously like succeeding, but in the end it mistrusts the estab lishment in Ireland of a rival power to itself, which a limited .Dublin Parliament undoubtedly would be. The only sort of Parliament the Hierarchy would really like would be one quite free of British control, and therefore quite subservient to Roman Catholic control. In all this there is a good deal of encourage. ment for those who believe that the expression of a real -will to govern in Ireland would always succeed. At all events, such a will has always succeeded in the past in accordance with the degree in which it has been exercised. The modification after reflection of the terms in which the Hierarchy expresses itself reminds one of the auctioneer's announcement : ".The sale will be held on Tuesday (D.V.), and on Wednesday whether or no."
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