148 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK II. 



the Protestant clergy is gorged, belongs to these 

 children, that he proposes to form establishments 

 for their reception, but upon the condition of their 

 being brought up as Protestants. 



Of all the species of persecution attempted by 

 the Protestants upon the Catholics in Ireland, this 

 is the most ingenious, but has not been the most 

 successful. The faith and charity of the Catholics 

 have a strength, which neither Protestant arch- 

 bishop or sovereign can corrupt*. Here then is an 

 entire people, having only a half of the necessary 

 means of subsistence to support them in their toils, 

 willing to take upon themselves the maintenance 

 of these children, and doing so, without being 

 able, as they simply express it, " to boil a potatoe 

 the more." 



* [The author has imputed a religious motive to the Archbishop of 

 Dublin, when his object was simply one of benevolence and charity. 

 Of course a Protestant Archbishop could only sanction the education 

 of children in his own creed. It requires a very jaundiced eye to see 

 anything of a spirit of persecution in the Archbishop's recommendation. 

 ENGLISH EDITOR.] 



