AN ENGLISH CATHOLIC ON IRELAND.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE " BPECTATOR.1
SIR,—Your correspondent, "A Tory Catholic," is mistaken in supposing I "have recently resigned" my place in the Catholic Union. I never even had the intention of leaving it. He is still more mistaken: in his assigned cause for my resignation. He says, "it is no secret that attempts have been made to move the society in a Home-rule or Nationalist direction ;" and that seeing "the futility of their efforts," others and myself have "departed in peace." Some misapprehension appears to exist here. I prefer to say it is "no fact ;" but if it be a fact, it has been kept so secret that others and myself first learn the attempt from an anonymous correspondent in the pages of a. Protestant paper. The fact, again, that there are any "senti- mental English Catholics," who are at once Ultramontane and Communistic, is also new to me ; there was no word of Socialism in my letter to the Weekly Register. That there are English Catho- lics who are in favour of Home-rule is true. Has "A Tory Catho- lic" confused the two ? Perhaps he had forgotten when he wrote that in 1782 England granted Home-rule to Ireland. Was England thereby committed to Communism? If not, neither am I, because of my advocacy of Home-rule. One more point may be noted. "A Tory Catholic" specially commends three excellent litE.P.'s, who shall be nameless. Does he reniember that two, if not all three of these gentlemen, were elected (according to " Vacher ") on Home-ride pledges ? And are they therefore Socialists ? "A Tory Catholic" depreciates Emanci- pation, because certain Catholic Members, at a given date, fail to meet with his approval. This may show him to be a good "Tory," but will, I fear, be looked upon as evidence of his being a bad "Catholic." On one point I can congratulate him. "A Tory Catholic" has so far risen above his prejudices and traditions that he can study the other side of the question, and reads so sound a Liberal paper (in spite of its temporary anti. Irish sympathies) as the Spectator.—I am, Sir, Sic., Athenceum Club, February 20th. ORBY SMPLEY.
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