secure the Catholic youth from the danger of all and
every species of interference with the tenets of their faith.

How far the demands of the bishops were just or extravagant, is not a
fit subject of inquiry here. But the fact of making the demands stamps
the principle of the bill with their incontrovertible approval. The
argument which denies it involves an accusation against those Most
Reverend and Right Reverend divines, of evasion, treachery and untruth.
Any defence which implies that they avoided the direct condemnation of
the principle because they knew their memorial would be disregarded,
which would enable them to interdict the whole Bill, principle and
details, on the ground of the immorality of the latter, involves an
implication that moral and Christian turpitude is synonymous with
Catholic zeal. Such an implication, inevitable from the premises assumed
by the opponents of the mixed system, would be foulest calumny. The
Catholic prelates were eminently sincere; and had they been warmly
seconded they might have obtained such ameliorations in the details of
the system as would be satisfactory to every rational, liberal and
honest man. But the old jealousy, division and calumny which had grown
out of the Bequests Act, obtruded themselves on every attempt at calm
consideration, and scattered the elements indispensable to successful
moral combination. The principle and details of the academic project
became confused and confounded, and while some clamorously opposed,
others unthinkingly supported, the entire. Thus the minister was enabled
to balance the voice of public opinion as he found it arrayed for and
against his measure, and under pretence of indifference to despise both
parties. For a long while, the action of the Association was paralysed.
There were deeper questions at issue there than even those which
appeared on the face of the bill. The educational party insisted that
any measure which did not embrace the University was scanty and
illiberal. They claimed its honours, advantages and emoluments for all
the youth of Ireland alike; and they sought to make the academic
subordinate to and parcel of the collegiate system. The Dublin
University and Trinity College are separate and distinct foundations and
establishments. They proposed that Maynooth and Trinity College should
be both sufficiently endowed for all purposes of ecclesiastical
education, without any interference, direct or indirect, from each other