thing would occur again, under similar
circumstances. Religion would be the test. If a general state of
lawlessness should at any time arise, the Protestants in lonely
districts would not be safe from murder. Yes, I _do_ say it, and I
stick to it. A very large number of outrages have been committed which
would not have taken place but for the religion of the offending
party. It is a virtue to lie to a heretic, to cheat him, to damage
him, to keep him out of heaven if possible. Anybody who knows Catholic
Ireland would agree with this most heartily. They believe that
whosoever killeth heretics doeth God service.

"Irish folks are better than the people of other nations, and also
much worse. When they are good they are very good, and when they are
bad they are very bad. They run to extremes in a way which cool-headed
Britons do not understand. They are impulsive, and they jump to
conclusions. Their great disadvantage is a crushing clerical
influence. What's the use of thinking about anything when Father Pat
does it for them? What's the use of listening to argument when you
must in the end vote as Father Pat orders?

"Englishmen have no idea what a splendid fellow the Irish peasant
really is when his mind is not poisoned and his unfortunate ignorance
exploited. I could give you instances of fidelity, affectionate
self-sacrifice and devotion which would astonish you. Not isolated or
sporadic cases, but arising from the average level of the Irish
character. After considerable travel, and a painstaking study of the
characteristics of various nations, I have come to the conclusion
that, taking one consideration with another, I prefer Paddy, ignorant
as he is. For after all his ignorance is not his own fault. He sees no
newspapers except an occasional local sheet, which is almost certain
to be a wretched, lying, priest-inspired rag. If he were seen looking
at any other it would be bad for him. But newspapers are practically
unknown in the agricultural districts. And men do not meet in crowds
as in England. They have not the attrition which wears away the
angularities. They live solitary among the mountains, or away in the
fields, and they never hear lectures, have no Institutes, get no
chance of improvement. The priest is their Clan Chieftain, their
spiritual adviser, their temporal adviser, their newspaper, their only
channel of superior information." At this point a tall, red-bearded
man who was passing touched his hat to t