The Irish Roman Catholic prelates have issued this week a
oharaeteristio pronouncement, filling a column and a-half of small type in the Irish papers. It is a violent denunciation of " atrocities " and the " reign of frightfulness " which, they say, is only to be paralleled in Turkey or Russia. But the innocent reader lel° does not know the ways of Irish Roman Catholic Bishops will he astonished to find that these reproaches are addressed solely to the Government. It might be possible for a casuist to detect a stray indirect rebuke of the Simi Fein assassins, whose deliberate campaign of murder compelled the Government to suspend the ordinary law. But the Irish people will naturally regard the document as giving the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church to the foul terrorism of the Repub- lican murder gangs. As we have never expected the hierarchy to do anything to restrain these ruffians, we are not disappointed. But the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland will not profit by associating itself with crime.
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