New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-25
THE IRISH QUESTION.


to grant the release of the Fenian prisoners
we see no assurance of the promise OF Lore
Clarendon that Irish land wrongs Shall be
righted-no confirmation of the dlctum OF Mr.
Gladstone that the land of Ireland belongs by
nature to its natives, and that Ireland should
be governed, if not by, at least Tor, the lrlSh
The English Premier proposed to himself WORK
of tardy justice, after century OF heart
breaking agitation. HestOps, however, at the pro-
loque. and now returns the old fear that the
English people, so far from rendering to
her oppressed sister Christian justice, VIII
again stop mt worse than halfway measures
The Disestablishment of the Anglican IRISH
Church was a great advance in the light OF
the promise which such q measure gave that
greater evils would be swept away; but with
out such a promise is a delusion and snare.
The boon of the release of the Fenians, dear
to the Irish heart and asked time and again
as great and conciliatory favor, was easy
enough to grant, and hard, it seems to us, even
in political point of view, to refuse. 1t was
to give away trinket or bauble to men
sadly famished for the want of concessions, and to
whom the English people have every reason IN
the world to make eXpiatOry amends for most
notorious wrongs. What the Irish are likely
to think, if Justice is now withheld, may be in
ferred from the exclamation of Mr.. George Moore,
NJ. p, that "the scepter of England has been the
"sword, her dadcm the black cap, and her
"throne the gallOws, for the last seven hundred
"years. Father Lavelle demands a long score
"Of arrears, not one or two years OF rent, but
the rent of seven centuries, in the name of
"the five hundred thousand tenant families
"who may be sold as slaves are sold body and
.'soul, to the purchasers of estates" Such
strong language as this, though natural enough
to the passionate extreme of feeling which takes
start from the chronic suffering of Ireland, ex
cites the old master-sprit Of severity and fear
on the other side of the channel. The ODOn-
oghue uttered wise and calm words to show
that the English Government and the Irish
people were mutually well disposed; but once
again it happens that neither will believe the
other.
The 0'DonOghue has afforded us what is
probably the best reason for the present course
of the English Government In his letter to
the Amnesty Committee of Dublin he says
that the Government collectively and indivd-
ually, cOmmiserate the unfortunate condition
" of the prisoners, and are most anxious to
liberate them, if they can do 50 consist
"ently with what they consider their duty
"to the State;' but he is equally
convinced " that they will not, as
they cannot, without degrading the func-
" tions of Government or betraying the trust
"reposed in them, yield anything to the
faintest scmblance of unconstitutional pres
"suren e" How, my dear countrymen" he
adds " in their cells must curse the vanity of
1.-THE hcartless spoutcrs who would per-
"suade the world that, while powerless
''to save the captive from being dragged
within the prison walls, they can,
nevertheless cxtort his release. 1t Is this
"loathsome fustian that keeps the door locked,
"and not the unappeascd wrath OF vindictiye-
"ness of either the Government or British
people" Undoubtedly the British people are
more leniently and generously inspired in all
their Irish judgments than at any former pc
riod of their history; but they can scarcely
have a durable magnanimity if their patience
grows faint in hearing of these lrshmen who
spout what all the rest of the Irish leaders
repudiate. Even The O'DonOghue, sensible as
he is must be surprised at the contrary action
of the Government, unless he enjoys the con-
viction that on another appeal made with less
demonstration the Government will yield.