by those who profess most in our day tas patiens est, benigna est, charitas non and generation. I am, sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS MCCLURE, Hon. Sec. THE REV. H. B. CHAPMAN, B.A. Letters Sustaining Rev. Mr. Chapman. TO THE EDITOR OF The Tablet: Sir, I am an Anglican, and having been a regular communicant of the Church of England for more than fifty years, I trust I may have imbibed something of her spirit. I cannot find words sufficiently strong to express the grief and humiliation I feel that any one professing to be long to any sect bearing the name of Christ could have written such a letter as that of Mr. Thomas McClure to the Rev. H. B. Chapman. I enclose you the small sum of ten shillings for Father Damien's fund,-first as an act of reparation for the gross and outrageous manner in which the Rev. Father was attacked in that letter; and, secondly, as an act of thankfulness to the Almighty for having shown in the person of that eminent servant of God that His power and grace, as exhibited in the life and sufferings of the early confessors and martyrs of the church, is not less now in the nineteenth than in the first six centuries of the Christian era. I think we have tried ill-will, hatred, and all uncharitableness long enough; let us now try what a little Christian charity will do to heal or mitigate our grievances, and I pray that such men as the unhappy writer of that epistle, if there be any more such, would rather learn from St. Paul: " Chari æmulatur, non agit perperam non infla- I am, sir, your obedient servant, Feast of All Saints, 1886. Sir,-Will you allow me to express the I believe all Anglican Churchmen, read disgust and contempt with which I, and the uncharitable effusion that you published in the Tablet last Saturday? Many allowances must necessarily be made for church is a reputable way of forcing hima person who considers that brawling in be pardoned for concluding that before self into notoriety; but one might surely such a noble and saintly heroism as that of Father Damen, every feeling but admiration would be silent. The discovery that this idea was mistaken, brings us to the recognition of this mournful fact, that there exists at least one mind that is incapable of appreciating the exercise of different creed. But the inability of a the highest Christian virtues in one of a narrow mind to realize the splendor of such a sacrifice, must be but a tribute to its magnitude. I trust that Mr. Chapman will not be deterred from his work of love by the dread of the inference "that Mr. McClure and antichrist are brethren." I am, sir, your obedient servant, Constitutional Club, Nov. 2, 1886. £700 ($3,500) were collected in London through the efforts of Rev. Mr. Chapman. God bless him! CHARLES E. TAYLOR. The Home of Orangeism. AN official return is published of the religious denominations and the salaries of the officers employed by the Belfast Corporation. The return has been compiled by order of the Riots Commission. There are seven officers in the town clerk's office, including himself, and not one of them is a Catholic. Total paid in salaries, £2,775. In the accounts' office there are five officers, not one being a Catholic. Total paid in salaries, £815. In the cashier's there are two, both Protestants. Total paid in salaries, £220. There are five rate-collectors, Protestants, the commission for collection being 1 per cent. In the surveyor's office and department there are twenty-two, four of these being Roman Catholics. Total paid in salaries, £2,701, of which sum the four Catholics receive £280 among them. The sanitary staff consists of eight officers, all Protestants except one, who disclaims connection with any denomination. Among them they draw from the rates £964 10s. annually. The officials in the gasworks are all Protestants except the engineer and manager, who is a free lance, not being connected with any denomination. They are six in all, and lift annually £1,695 out of the rates. The gas offices employ twenty-four men, all Protestants, and drawing in salaries £3,380 annually. Of the three market officials, one is a Catholic. Their total salaries are £542, of which the Catholic takes £117. The car inspectors are both Protestants, and take £190 between them. There are four street inspectors, all Protestants, and taking annually in salaries £413. There are three functionaries, all Protestants, in connection with the cemetery and parks, and they draw paid on commission, we find that the amount paid annually to its annually in salaries £345. Dropping out the rate collectors, who are officials by the Belfast Corporation amounts to £14,040 10s., and that cf this grand total the sum that falls to the lot of Roman Catholics is £397! Comment is needless. The Casualties at the Riots. The parliamentary returns moved for by Mr. Sexton, on the 9th of September, giving a list of the officers and men of the military and constabulary forces killed and wounded in disturbances at Belfast, during the months of June and July and August, has been issued. Its contents are horrifying. They form, perhaps, the most disgraceful record of Orange brutality ever published. Private Hughes is the only soldier returned in the list of killed, while of the police the name of Head-Constable Gardiner figures alone in the column recording the deaths. The list of wounded police covers six large pages, the number being 301. One hundred and ninety of these were cases in which the injured men were incapacitated from duty for periods ranging from four to sixty days, while a considerable number are still on the noneffective list or in hospital. I give at random some extracts from the columns detailing the nature of the injuries sustained by the police: "Severe wound on the head from blow of a stone" (Mr. Stritch, D. I.); "contusions on chest caused by a kick;" 66 severe cuts on forehead from blow of a stone" (Mr. Carr); "bullet wound in face;" " 'gunshot wound on shoulder;" "shot through hip with revolver;" "contusions on right temple and left thigh;" "severe blow on head with a piece of iron;"" "scalp wound;" "severe wound on nostril;" "wound on hip, and loosened teeth;" "scalp wound and contused eyebrow," etc., etc. Ninety-nine members of the police force were wounded in the June riots, including District-Inspectors Greene, Stritch (not yet fit for duty), Taylor, Supple, and Town-Inspector Carr. One hundred and six officers and men were wounded in July, forty-four of these cases being on the thirty-first of that month. They included District-Inspectors Townsend (still non-effective), Greene, and Bull. Ninety-six cases occurred in the month of August, including that of Inspector Greene, who was this time incapacitated for forty-six days, and District-Inspector Bull. The Truth About the Riots. The Dublin Nation has the following remarks on the doings of the Government Commission appointed to investigate the origin and cause of the late riots : "At last the truth about the origin of the Belfast riots is known. The conspiracy is laid bare; and now we have it clearly proved that the passions of the unfortunate people who were shot down by the police were deliberately excited by their 'well-to-do' leaders, in order to demonstrate up to the level of Lord Randolph Churchill's desires. There was no attack made on a Protestant by Catholics, because of his Protestantism. There was no threat made against any Protestant of persecution in the event of the Home Rule Bill passing. But the Belfast Evening Telegraph-the Orange War-Cry—said there was, and the Belfast braves immediately took to the field. Robert Blakely's evidence makes all this clear. Robert Blakely was the Orangeman whose reported sufferings stirred his brethren to riot and plunder. According to his sworn evidence there was not a single statement made about him by the Evening Telegraph true. The opponent with whom he had the squabble was not an overseer, but a common laborer earning fifteen shillings a week. The gaffer in charge of the works was an Englishman and a Protestant. All the quarrel arose over the making of a drain, and it was when the fighting was over that Murphy made the remark "that neither Blakely nor any of his sort should get leave to work there or earn a livelihood there or any other place.' There was not a single mention of religion or politics, or any reference to a 'time coming' when the threat would take effect. The whole row was about the making of a drain; and it was only the firebrand journalists, clergymen, and chaplains of the forces, who loosed the devil in Belfast. Blakely told no one but the policemen about the attack that was made upon him. But the reporters of the Evening Telegraph got hold of the story and noted their opportunity. They were equal to the occasion, and the intelligent constituency they write for was soon in arms against the Belfast Papists. "That the action of the Evening Telegraph was only part of a larger plan, is amply shown by the Rev. Dr. Hanna's own evidence. The doctor's 'jokes' had the very same moral as the lies of the newspaper, and were calculated to lead to the same results. According to the veracious peacemaker of the Shankhill-road, Mr. Perry, manager of the Queen's Island ship-building, was to be deposed and a Catholic manager substituted, in the event of home rule. The same amiable gentleman circulated among his intelligent auditory-'for what it was worth' the outrageous concoction about Catholics applying for Protestant farms. The care with which the eloquent divine edited his fierce diatribes against the police for the benefit of the readers of the Telegraph, was one other evidence of his participation in the plot. The whole proceedings were worthy of Titus Oates; and we have no doubt that it is not for want of a will that the plot was not developed to greater proportions. Were it not for the sturdiness of the resident magistrates and the police, a bloody massacre would have been the result of this unloosing of the Orange dogs of war. "The country knows now what unhesitating scoundrelism the managers of the Orange Society can be guilty of. For the gaining of a political object they are ready by deliberate lying to excite to murderous outrage the ignorant hordes that in their pitiable blindness are duped by the landlords and the bigots. As long as these men find that the legislature can be cowed, or English public opinion influenced by such villanies, they will not desist from their work. But the meaning of Belfast loyalty and Belfast outrage is now plain. The people who are supposed to be the monopolizers of all the wealth and intelligence of the country are now shown to be divided into a miserable, prejudiced, ignorant mob, and a set of debased bigots and tricksters, who use the fury of the mob to preserve a wretched religious ascendancy, and give the semblance of truth to the lies by which they bolster up their political claims. No more need be said of the pretensions and professions of the leaders of the Belfast Tories. Like the firebrand that found in them congenial and convenient instruments to raise himself into office, they prostitute their dignities and callings, outrage truth and decency, and even barter human life, for purposes that are as mean as Lord Randolph Churchill's ambitions, and as despicable as the perquisites of his little office." Not Father Talton. The First Colored Priest was Ordained by Bishop England. WHILE Dr. England, bishop of Charleston, S. C., was on a visit to his native city, Cork, he became acquainted with an intelligent negro, an Irishman by birth. After a few interviews with the young man, he conceived the idea of educating him for the priesthood, believing that he would be serviceable in that capacity among the negroes in South Carolina, many of whom were Catholics. Consequently he sent him to France to prepare for holy orders. After spending several years in the seminaries, having completed his studies, the young man came to Charleston, and the bishop ordained him, gave him faculties, and sent him on the mission among his brethren,- so that Father Talton is really not the first colored priest. Strange to say, his people received him very coldly, and in fact gave him to understand that they did not want him that they preferred white shepherds. This greatly discouraged him, but he labored earnestly for a time, till, finding he could do no good, he resolved to leave them and go to Europe, where he could be better received. Accordingly he started to New York, to take passage to France. Arriving early on a Sunday morning, he concluded to say Mass as usual. St. Peter's being the nearest church, he directed his steps thither. The pastor, Dr. P, was a native of Cork, like our friend. Having come to the pastoral residence, our friend ascended the steps, rang the bell and inquired for the pastor. The servant informed him that the Doctor was at breakfast, and, pointing to the basement, said: "If you wish to see the Doctor, go down there." Having closed the hall door, the servant ran down to the Doctor, and told him that a "very conceity-looking black man" was coming down to see him on important business. "Tell him to come in here," said the Doctor. When our friend entered the room, the Doctor, without rising from the table, bowed politely to the man and said, with a rich Cork accent, "Good morning, sir.' "Good morning kindly," replied our friend, with just as rich a brogue The Doctor, surprised at the accent, looked carefully at the man, and said to him very inquiringly, "What countryman are you, sir?" "I'm an Irishman, sir." "An Irishman!" said the Doctor, still more surprised. "Yes, sir, an Irishman." "Then what part of Ireland are you from?" "I'm from Cork, sir." "Were you born there?" said the Doctor, perfectly astonished. "I was, sir," replied our friend. "What is your occupation?" said the Doctor. "I have the honor of being a clergyman "Yes, sir," was the answer. a priest." "Who in the name of God, tell me, ordained you?" This was too much for the Doctor, so he called the servant to show the man the door. A black priest was, in his opinion, bad enough; but he thought it was carrying the joke too far for the man to try to pass for a Cork man and a priest, ordained by Bishop England, so he motioned towards the door, and said, "Clear off; you are a base impostor!" "Allow me to show you my credentials," replied our friend, proceeding to unlock his valise. So, having produced the documents, together with some letters of recommendation and his exeat from Bishop England, he was permitted to sit down and explain matters. Even then the Doctor was not altogether convinced till he had questioned him in Latin and on certain theological points. Having received correct answers, in classical Latin, to his questions, he excused himself for his incredulity; "but," said he, "I'm afraid to allow you to say Mass in the church; these New Yorkers are very unruly people, and I'm afraid they would do some damage to you, as they are not at all friendly to the black men. However, I have no objections to allow you to say Mass privately in the basement of the church, or in the house here, whichever you choose." Our friend, seeing the great prejudice that existed, and having had experience among men of his own color, thought his best policy would be to keep "dark"; so he thanked the Doctor for the privilege, and proceeded very quietly to the chapel in the basement, the Doctor |