We insert another letter ...
WVe insert anothler letter from the Rev. Mfr. EVANSONZ, in support of thc scheme for circulating Bibles in the Irish language arneng the peasantry of Ireland ; not, we persist in declaring, from the slightest change having becn wrouglit in the substance of our own opinion, but fromn the import- anice that we attaclh to every experiment conniected with the interests of true religion, as well as from Justice to the revereiid gentleman. Since it might seem ungracious to reiterate our absolute dissent from a statemeent which we are unable to question without some appearance of personal disparagemenit to- wardls those whom we are desirous to treat with courtesy, we will give our reverend friend, for the skke of argument, his ten thousanld "' literate" Afilesians; anid for every one ot his ten thousand, we do affirm, without fear of contra- diction from any candid person who kniows the soutlh of Ireland, that there are one hunlldred wlho call read the Bible in the English tongie. WVe pledgc ourselves to this from an acquaintance, not of yesterday, witli the poor tlrough- out the south and central parts of Ireland. WVc know, from Auttlority in(disputable, that anl immense proportiou of the rucde, awkward, " broguenieering" clowns of Munster can read the English language, and write it too-a proportion of not less than ten for onie of the peasantry of Englanrl who can rcad or write their own language, and, as we have before said, of one hundred to one of those Irish who can read their niative tougue, eveln assuming their numbers to be as calculatet by our reverenid corresponident. In what language, then, ought it to be the object of a religious soeiety to print and circulate their Bibles-for the 10,000 realers or the millioni ? Is it to be supposedi that the smaller body will be precluded from reading the sacred book, I nless it be in Irishl? Is it so mueh as hinte(d by our cerrcspondent, or his associates, that they who can r6ad the Irish clharaeter, ate ot the nttmber of those who cannot read English ? Is such a thing dreanmedl of by aily rational being ? If niot, there is an enda of the dispute; for be it renemnbered, ouir mglin positioni was, that all those who are qualificl to r eatd the Irish, are able to read English still better. As fbr the notion that by teaching to rea(l Erse those Irishmien wlho have already learncd to readl English, you interest tlhcir feelinigs in favour of the study which you recointiend, it really appears, to our conception, an effemi- nate view of a grave subject,-a tandUing andtl lullaby course ot religious education, uniworthy to be niamed among thie mnore powerlul engines for actinig cxtensively uponl the hum3an anin(l. I-lere we beg leave to drop the question finally. 'Thl e Ilev. Gentleman may, if he pleases, claim the victoly in thle controversy ; but he inust allow us to say, that we still hold to our first-expressed opinion.