aware of the ruin and misery brought upon his faithful children in these kingdoms by the one besotting vice, he would be horror-struck. Fifteen millions of money expended in Ireland alone every year in the gratification of this diabolical passion. But what are the temporal calamities which have been the dire consequences of excess in intoxicating drinks, compared to the eternal? Thousands every year hurried in a state of drunkenness, unprepared, into the hands of the living God! From the interest which his Eminence, Cardinal Acton, takes in the welfare of Ireland, I feel confident that he would afford you his powerful aid in obtaining from the Holy Father the vitally important document I supplicate. We are all justly proud of his Eminence, and consider him an ornament to the Sacred College and an honour to his country. My lowliness in the ministry deters me from soliciting by letter the protection of the great and good Cardinal Acton, but I rely with confidence on your mediation. Do not be displeased with me for enclosing a bill for five pounds to cover the expense of postage. I have not yet heard of Dr. Cullen. Pardon, Revd and dear Friend, the liberty I take in thus soliciting your agency, and believe me with high respect, Yours affectionately, THEOBALD MATHEW. FATHER MAthew to Dr. Cullen. CORK, May 10th, 1847. VERY REVD DEAR DR. CULLEN :-Your great kindness on a former occasion, when I laboured under difficulties, encourages me to again solicit your protection. A prelate who was my warmest patron, has from an infirmity of temper become prejudiced against me. His letter to you, when you obtained for (me) from his late Holiness the title of Commissary Apostolic, proves the high opinion he then entertained of me and my labours. Before the selection, last week, of three names to be forwarded to Rome, he expressed his determination to oppose me. What the charges are I do not well know, but it is surmised that they are connected with the Temperance movement. If the result of the Right Revd Dr. Kennedy's hostility was only to prevent me from being nominated for the See of Cork, I would not suffer myself to be solicitous for the result. But it is a case of life and death for me and for the Temperance cause in Ireland. After being honoured with the unsolicited suffrages of my Very Revd and Revd brethren, the pastors of this Diocess, it would degrade me in the eyes of the whole world if I were set aside. This is my sole motive for sending the Revd Denis F. McLeod to Rome, and for giving him this introduction to you. He is perfectly well acquainted with everything respecting my public and private conduct. I hope you will be able to obtain a copy of the document forwarded to Rome by, the Archbishop and his Suffragans, that you may ascertain what complaints have been made against The information you will receive from the Revd Mr. McLeod will enable you to vindicate me and the Temperance me. movement. Relying on the deep interest you have ever taken in me I place my reputation with unbounded confidence in your hands. Praying that the Lord may confer on you every spiritual and temporal blessing, I have the honor to be with profound respect, Very Revd dear Friend, Your devoted and affectionate, THEOBALD MATHEW. FATHER MATHEW TO DR. KIRBY. CORK, May 10th, 1847. VERY REVD DR. KIRBY:-This letter will be handed to you by my dear Revd brother, D. F. McLeod. I send him to Rome on a subject of vital importance to myself and the Temperance cause. Revd Mr. McLeod possesses my entire confidence, and will communicate to you the object of his journey to Rome. I feel certain that you will aid him to the utmost of your power in the vindication of my character from charges made against me. The friendship I have unvaryingly experienced from you encourages me to expect your protection on the present important occasion. With fervent prayers for your happiness, I am, with high respect. Very Revd Dr. Kirby, Yours affectionately, THEOBALD MATHEW. (Page 201). BISHOP CLANCY TO DR. CULLEN. LYONS, March 3d, 1838. MY DEAR DR. CULLEN:-I arrived here on yesterday, having passed at the risk of my life the Alps and Apennines between Genoa and Chambery. I was so sick on board the steamer that I was determined to encounter a land passage at any risk. Avalanches were falling around us through this truly terrific region, and eight horses unable on several occasions to move sleighs containing only three persons. You may imagine all our other comforts during six days and nights. To add to my annoyances, I found on my arrival that the lock of my small trunk was broken, and (I presume) several letters and articles of more or less value are possessed by the peasants of Piedmont or Savoy. If I have seen the president of the society to whom I delivered Cardinal Fransoni's letter. He gives me some reason to hope that the society will allocate something to this mission. French and Dutch Guiana were assigned to me, there would be an active co-operation on the part of the French and Belgians. They told me so during my first interview with the priests here. But in fact they cannot feel so intense an interest for our British possessions. I have just been informed by the V. G. at the Archbishop's palace that there is no "Prefet Apostolique" for the administration of Cayenne, or French Guiana. If so, the Pope may unite it to mine, as I could manage tolerably well to preach in French, and visit it from Demarara. This would give me an irresistible claim upon France for the support of the establishments which I contemplate; and in truth would release the Propaganda from the burden of my support, which his Holiness with so much kindness said in your presence they would be bound to, in the event of no provision for a Bishop in British Guiana. Have the kindness to read this part for Cardinal Fransoni, and if you have an opportunity of saying so to the Holy Father, you would, I think, serve Religion, and would most certainly oblige me very much. Present my grateful and respectful regards to him. WM. CLANCY. I will write to you from Liverpool or London in the course of a few weeks. The central council for the Propagation of the Faith will make no allocation for two or three months, and then only for the forthcoming year; so that I must become a sturdy beggar in the beginning of my mission. The weather is still cold here, and the whole region from Genoa to Lyons is covered with snow. Between cold and want of sleep for six nights I never suffered so much in my life. At one time I absolutely, almost, lost the power of locomotion; but am pretty well this morning, thank God. Drop me a few lines directed to Revd John Clancy, Cork, Ireland, for me; and tell me candidly whether you think I may succeed if I should formally apply for French and Dutch Guiana; as they seem so unreasonable (in my opinion) as to the West Indies. Frenchmen naturally prefer affording aid to their own colonies. The president said to me he thought Ireland should contribute largely, and yet they have done nothing for this society of foreign missions. In fact, I am in bad spirits on the whole; but God is good, and will no doubt effect his own purposes. His divine will be done. (Page 202.) BISHOP CLANCY TO DR. Cullen. GEORGETOWN, Demarara, S. America, 24th December, 1838. MY DEAR DR. Cullen :-You will be glad to learn that I, three priests and three ecclesiastical students, arrived here on the second Sunday in Advent. On the following Sunday I read the Pope's briefs in Latin and English; and preached upon the authority of the Church as transmitted thro' the successors of St. Peter. We have been received by the small and scattered and poor congregations with the greatest joy and hospitality. Yellow fever is raging here with great fury. We have had an average of four sick-calls per diem since our arrival. * * * There is a mere competency for the support of five or six priests in British Guiana. No provision whatsoever for a Bishop. Grenada and Barbadoes should be added to the Vicariate. There is a steamboat running twice a week from Demarara to Barbadoes. She makes the voyage in two days. There is no priest nor chapel there; though there are hundreds of Roman Catholics on the island. I have four students in the College of Carlow whose pensions I am paying for the Vicariate. I intend to ordain two of those who accompanied me at the Quatuor Temps. If his Holiness attaches Grenada and Barbadoes, the material of a respectable and permanent mission may be found in the entire. But every one asks what necessity could there be to appoint a Bishop for so thinly inhabited a forest as British Guiana, and leave neighbouring Catholic islands comparatively neglected. Be pleased to communicate the entire of this letter to the Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda and to his Holiness. I am |