The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-11-29
ireland In Arms-The Commencing Disinte
grafton Of the British Empire.

ireland In Arns-The Commencing Disinte-
grafton Of the British Empire.
British troops are being hurried from Eng
land to Ireland with the greatest urgency, ,
British gunboats, all Immediately available,
are ordered to Irish ports, and detacbments Of
marines are drawn from the ships that cannot
leave to swell the amount of force that
Ireland in order to sustain her authority over
the Irish people. 1t is evidently not doubted
in London that Ireland is actually in arms
against her English rulers and that fight has
already taken place. The Atlantic telegraph,
which tells US so much, does not give us any
particulars of the event, though it affords us
scope to imagine its proportions by showing
the alarm it has excited in London. The
capital Of the British empire. taking the
utterances of its various journals for an indi-
cation Is in a state Of frenzy over an event
that could hardly have taken it by surprise
The London Times illustrates its humanity by
comparing her Majesty's Irish subjects to
diseased cattle, who are to be butchered
by Wholesale, without thought that
they are human creatures. II shows ua
anew the English instinct for brutal cruelty by
bounding on to outragcs that will revive the
memory OF Jamaica and the Indian mutiny.
The cry is taken up by the other journals, and
the general chorus is that there must be no
mercy. 1t is well that London has given the
Irish such early notice Of the terms on which
they fght-victory or the scaffold.
Without specializing as to how the fight may
go-and, In fact, whatever the result may be as
between English and Irlsh-the obvious effect
Of this event must be to weaken still more that
clustering cripple among nations, the British
empire. If Ireland should compel England to
some modified recognition Of her nationality,
or II it should 60 further, and Ireland-more
remarkable things have taken place-should
obtain her independence, that dismemberment
Of the empirewould paralyze British power
everywhere. To carry out the figure involved
in the word Acknowledgement, 1t would literally
have upon the nation such an effect ~ II would
have upon human body to violently tear
away limb. But, on the other hand, If Ireland
should be put down, II the attempt should
Of Fenianism be ground out Of the Irish people
by liberal use Of that horrible cruelty that Is
such favorable instrument Of English rulers
what then That also would fearfully weaken
the British empire. Every fight won against
the desperate, determined Irish, would be the
abstraction Of so much power from tho aggre-
gate mass. Every town ared, every Geld de-.
vastated, every Englishman, nay, every Irish.
man slain, would deprive Britain Of an actual
unit Of kind Of strength she needs, while,
VQgss ihap al, It would carry English sccuri.
Ties out Of she range Of quotation.
Such l. the unhsppy condition Of a govern.
msns that has gone . certain length y : career
Of tyrannloal misrule whatever Il does makes
pasters worse. THsfs isSS Eqsf indication
that nation 10 on the downward road-t6as
an actual disln'ssranoa Il II vitailsr .