New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-10

and Scotland, while the districts Ieit uesei-"
in course of occupation by Immigrants from Eng
land. Scotland and Ulster, brings an approXiihd-
tion If the Protestant and Roman Catholic poPu-
lation in point of numbers, and they are more
interblended as in Ulster, there must be riValry
in education, intellectual progress, ana socia'
resectabilitv. as well as in the race for wealth.
The Society for Missions IN Ireland boasts o,
numbers of congregations and chuFches' anu
schools all ever Connaught and Munster ne
Catholic Defense Association is enaoilns the
Roman Cathslic clergy to cover these same as
tricts with schools, converts, and relgions
teachers under their priests Both cohoihe
Agricultural instruction and Industrial training
with the Education Of letters, and the Bible on
the one hand, and the Catechism on the other
There is some colision-not little noise some
occupation for the police 10 keep the peace, ana
the magistrates to do justice when Il is broken
And hot tempers rush to the newspapers, on both
sides and there are sad complaints OF "or'o-
ery" on the one hand, and "persecutlon' on
the other. But the stagnancy of mind IS stirred
inquiry is busy many are scattering the seeds
OF knowledge in many souls and state oil So
ciety in which there will be more intelligence,
more energy, more selfdependence, more OF the
"go-a.head" spirit, will preponderate.
Sill. however, while the Roman Catholic
clergy-now united closely with their English
brethren, by cultivating more intimate rela-
tionship with Rome and the Continental Hierar-
civ in general--alarm the Government and the
Protestant Establishment, especially for the
safety of that of Ireland-and the English and
Irish Protes.ants combine to assail the Irish Ro-
man Catholic, and avow their determination, II
it may be, to Protestanize lreland-while the
warfare is thus avowed, earnest, interneclne, 1t
IS impossible that the good neghborhood and
kindly feelings of many districts should not sui
fer.
For tie greater part of century there has ex-
listed secret federation-formerly, underline
title of Defenders, latterly under that OF klboon'
men-caIled into existence by the wrongs and
oppression arising out of the very unsatisfactory
state of the law in regard to The relation OF the
landlord and the tenant-the owner of the land
in fee and the occupying tenant who paid HIM
rent for ii. No one now denies that the power
given by the law to the landlords-they being
the law -makers-was excessive, that 1t rendered
them irresponsible, that many Of them were ty
ranical-thoueh in the eXceptlye few, their bet
ter nature preponderated over the temptations
which bad laws held out to them-and that null
titudes of the tenants suffered grlevous oppres-
sion and wrong. Even good landlords would
cay to tenants, at the expiry Of lease-when
the tenant had improved his land by capital,
skill and labor-you must pay ten pounds an
acre, as q fine, on getting new lease, or go.
But all good men regretted that ignorant, mis-
guided men should have formed an association
whose members bind themselves by oath to re-
venge such wrongs by numbering landlords,
agents, baiifs, or new tenants who might take
the lands from which others had been driven,
however unrighteousy The punishment did
not always light upon the guilty, and those who
took the revenge, and those on whose behalf it
was inflicted were generally the very worst and
most worthless of their class.
These associations prevailed chiefly IN the
South. Latterly the scene OF their murderous
operations has been mountainous districtwhere
the counties of Monaghan, Louth, and Armagh
meet-where there have been some half-dozen
savage murders within a short time, while the
rest of these counties are peaceful and lmproy-
ing. OCOnnell, the Clergy, the Government,
all have tried to put down this Ribbon system :;
but hitherto without success The members
present that neutrality-suspicious. witnessed
among the oppressed in all countrles-ofmen
regardless of religious obligations, reckless of
human life, yet faithful to one another In the
prosecution oftheir unhallowed designs
The great bulk OF the tenant farmers, while
discouraging these lawless associations, as
sisted by few ofthe landlords. have struggled
for righteous settlement OF landlord and tenant
relationship But their efforts did not assume
an organized and systematic shape till the form
alton of the Tenant League. This body is now
in session for the purpose Of preparing for the
meeting of parliament which is at hand. II has
hitherto done little for the practical settlement of
this question-partly from the principles on
which it started being too sided as all former
laws had been one. sided in the direction of the
landlords-paitly from the introduction to the
public mind Of exciting and dividing subjects ;
the Aggression Bill" for instance. But while
these agraran murders and the universal out
CRY Of the ,enantry of Ireland must convince the
Government and Parliament that settlement
cannot be longer safely deferred there is a much
greater appIcximation-as the result OF the
platform and press discussions of the subject
of the soberthinking Of all classes, as to the
terms OF the settlement. And hopes are higher
than at any former period that the bill which
Sherman Crawford will bring in, with the sane
tion OF the League, will either pass, or one sub
stan,lally the same in its provisions-whereby
the landlord will no longer be Irresponsible nor
the tenant the victim Of his tyrannIcal caprice /;
ard the latter shall enjoy the fruits Of his indus
Try and the former have all his righ,s-and no
nofe.
TNe Council Of this body has resolved on q