Irish New Brunswickers and French New Brunswickers

Year
1901
Month
10
Day
5
Article Title
Irish New Brunswickers and French New Brunswickers
Author
----
Page Number
4
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
IRISH NEW BRUNSWICKERS AND FRENCH NEW BRUNSWICKERS The Moncton Times takes the trouble to deprecate the spirit in which a correspondent signing himself "Observer" alludes to the FREEMAN’S STATEMENT of last week that Judge Landry owes his appointment to the Supreme Court of New Brunswick to the Irish of this province. That fact is so well known as not to brook denial; yet we had not so much in mind at the time of penning our editorial of last week the part, which Messers Costigan, McInerney and other lay Irish Catholics took in securing Judge Landry's elevation as the undoubted assistance which the late Bishop of St. John gave on that occasion. We have the best grounds for belief that Judge Landry owes his present position—a part of course from his own personal worthiness, which nobody can question—to the late Bishop Sweeney. Certainly the successful result of the judges application for the place was due primarily to the loyal support which he received from the Irish Catholic politicians of this province, backed by the endorsement of Bishop Sweeny. As to "Observer's" sarcastic remark that we are now supporting the judge for the governorship because we despair of securing it for the Hon. John Costigan, we beg to say that this anonymous writer is mistaken. The FREEMAN never put the Hon. Mr. Costigan forward as a candidate for the governorship of this province. Both Irish and French Catholics of New Brunswick have too instant need of Mr. Costigan's services as a cabinet minister, for the FREEMAN to wish to see him shelved in the governorship. Our course is selfish, no doubt, but the Catholics of this province, French and Irish alike, have at present in public life no man who has so won and deserved their confidence as the Hon, John Costigan. We question "observers'' broadness of information when he insinuates that the Irish Catholics of this province have not always treated their French Canadian Confreres generously. There is not an Acadian among them that has risen to any prominence who does not owe his attainment of public position to the unselfish generous and loyal support of bishop Catholic friends. The French race cry in this province is a new thing; in the olden times and those times are not remote there was no such bewildering distinctions of aims and policies amongst Catholics as later generations are producing. The older men of both races were united, and it will be wise for their sons to follow in the footsteps of their fathers in this matter of Catholic interests.