I feel sure that even in Ireland there is a stratum of men, above the working peasants, who would understand, and make those below them understand, the position of the country, if they could only be got to give up fighting about religion.

Even now Home Rule is regarded by the multitude as a weapon to be used against Protestantism on behalf of the Pope." "I suppose the Pope is the great sinner ?" "They got over the Pope in France,--even in early days, before religion had become a farce in the country.

They have done so in Italy." "Yes;--they've got over the Pope in Italy, certainly." "And yet," said Phineas, "the bulk of the people are staunch Catholics.

Of course the same attempt to maintain a temporal influence, with the hope of recovering temporal power, is made in other countries.

But while we see the attempt failing elsewhere,--so that we know that the power of the Church is going to the wall,--yet in Ireland it is infinitely stronger now than it was fifty, or even twenty years ago." "Because we have been removing restraints on Papal aggression, while other nations have been imposing restraints.