Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1919 — NEW CATHOLIC BOOK STRIKES AT SINN FEIN [ARTICLE]

NEW CATHOLIC BOOK STRIKES AT SINN FEIN

Dr. Walter MacDonald Says Ireland “Never Was Nation.” Chicago, Oct. 24.—1 n a special cabled coyprlgfated article by WillHam H. Brayden, the Chicago Daily News, under a Dublin, Ireland, date line, Wednesday exploded a bomb on the friends of Irish freedom here, telling the story of a hook that appeared In Dublin yesterday, perhaps the biggest political event in Ireland In months. As the story proceeds, previous to this publication, the opponents of the Sinn Felners of the most parts accepted their assumptions and admitted their fundamental principles, while differing as to methods and having no faith in the possibility of the attainment of all their aims. Now the whole basis of their case is attacked by an author of the highest eminence, who pours a flood of corrosive criticism on the assumption that Ireland Is or ever was an Independent nation. The author is ■ Dr. Walter Macdonald, prefect of the Dunboyne

establishment at St. Patrick’s cob lege, Maynooth; that is to say, he is the head of the graduate side of the largest Catholic ecclesiastical college in the world. The fact that among tlhe targets of his criticism are fellow professors in his own college and. even the resolutions of the whole Irish hierarchy gives his book a piquancy which will attract attention and probably make it a source of controversy for months. Dr. Macdonald had the book published in London with, the imprimatur of the diocese of Westminster, but he contends that neither he nor any of his forbears ever took service with or received favors from the Emiglish. Whatever pay they received was the price of farm produce which came ultimately to them, as to their neighbors then as now, from Great Britain. Says Ireland Never Was “Nation” The chief point of his argument is that Ireland never had that unity of government which is one of the essential characteristics of nationhood. It was a number of small independent states. His own native county of Ossory was an in-

Independent kingdom for 1,500 years. Even if Ireland ever had nationhood it was, he contends, surrendered to the English kings by its own native authorities, who were content to take back such rights as the English crown conceded. If the power of the Irish kings to surrender Ireland’s claim be denied he points to the confederation of Kilkenny,' acknowledged by all patriotic authorities to be representative of the Celtic nation, which fmiade war against Cromwell and proclaimed its loyalty to Charles I. In the Irish parliament during the relgm of James 11. the submission was repeated. Dr. Macdonald contends that the taking of the oath of allegiance after the union by O’Connell and later on by all the parliamentary leaders, with the assent of their people, was an admission that English authority had legitimate rights in Ireland. The condemnation of Fenianlsm by the church was not merely because ,it was a secret society but because it was an attack on lawful authority. Dr. Macdonald asks pointedly what his colleague, Dr. Coffer, vice-president of Maynooth, who now denies British authority, would say if a member of the Fenian brotheifaood pleaded to him as against a decree that" to office in that English government in Ireland was not legitimate. He declares that England bad the same' right to conscript Ireland that she had to tax it and boldly challenges the opposition of the episcopacy and the Irish parliamentary members to conscription as unsound.

Home Rule Not Independence Dr. Macdonald admits that the claim to hotme rule is reasonable, but holds that it is a very different thing from independence and in essence mejins the rule of a minority within a larger unit- If Ireland has a just claim to home rule, he says, so has the corner, Ulster. His idea of a home rule settlement is two parliaments in Ireland with a federal parliament uniting them, and all joined in a union with Great Britain. He mocks at the “new Irish soul" for "going hat ih hand to President Wilson” instead of making with England. “There are circumstances,” he says, "wherein a man of spirit may

beg, but not if he can work. Were we in Ireland not in a position to help ourselves this appeal to President Wilson might not argue a lack of spirit, but if, as I maintain, what we complain of is nearly altogether due to • lack of energy, skill or grit, on odr part, the appeal to President Wilson does not argue the kind of Independence I want to see developed in my people. Self-help! But let it be ourselves as much as possible.’’ The book is certain to provoke retorts both in Ireland and America. The author is all through and is well known in Atnerica, where he has lectured. The book pours a great deal of ice water on themes of much picturesque peroration.