The New York herald., 1871-09-06
The Agitation In IRELAND.

pasSiou TOT some Time Enyll5u StaJeSiuen
and publicists have been busily engaged con-
vincing the world that all the expressions and
grievances of which Irshmen complained in
the past had been removed. But in spite Of
the assurances of English officials the temper
of the Irish people towards England seems
daily to become more hostile and the desire
for separation more pronounced. Whatever
the cause or the effect of the late COLL
sions with the Dublin police, there can be no
mistakng the determined spirit of resistance
to English power which they evince. That
the struggle in the streets of Dublin did not
take greater proportions nor end with any
known loss Of life is due to the extraordinary
forbearance of the authorities in not calling
out the military, and to the want of arms On
the part of the people. No doubt the
slowness of the authorities in Dublin
Castle to employ the soldiery was
dictated by prudential reasons, as massacre
In the streets of an unarmed crowd would only
serve to further embitter the Irish mind and
perhaps lead to deplorable conflicts all over
the country.
Accustomed to Judge the depth and reality
of the sentiment of Irish nationality by the
conduct Of certain Fenian leaders in this coun-
try, the American people have not fully recog-
nized the intensity of the desire in Ireland for
self-government Misrepresented by the all
powerful English press, the real sentiments of
the Irish people were unknown until the Irish
republican movement, which eliminated in the
abortive attempt at insurrection in 1867, re-
vealed the true state of popular feeling.
Feeble and badly organized as was the insur-
rection on the 7th of March, 1867, it proved
the readiness with which thousands of men in
all parts of the country were ready to risk
their lives for the overthrow of English power.
Want of arms and the absence Of competent
leaders prevented the insurrection Of 1867
from taking dangerous proportions; but the
English government, in spite of its assurances
to the contrary, were frightened at the danger
they had escaped
Though the results of the last Irish move
ment, in military point of view, were unim-
portant, its political effects were very great.
The fall of the alien Church establishment and
changes in the land laws, that had been per-
sistently and scornfully refused to the peaceful
demands of the Irish people, were hastily
granted to the men who had burned powder
and sullenly announced their intention to burn
more unless their demands were acceded to-
Even the concessions offered by the English
Parliament were rejected as insufficient, and
the demand was then publicly made that Eng
land should prove the reality of her desire to
conciliate Ireland by releasing the political
prisoners. 1t had been admitted by Mr. Glad
| stone, in the House of Commons, that had it not
been for the action Of the Irish national party
and the anxiety Of the English people to avoid
civil war the passage Of the Church and
Land bills would have been impossible. Dis
raer, IN MS place IN the house, had de-
clared that the expressions suffered by
the Irish people more than justified rebel
lion. In presence of this testimony
the people demanded that the political prison
ers who had only done their duty in endeavor-
ing to redress the wrongs of their country,
should be released, as pledge that hence
forth Ireland should be governed according to
the will of her people.
The answer was refusal, and threatening
howl from the English press, which elicited
prompt defiance from the Irish masses. The
secret revolutionary organization known as
the l. r. B. was supposed to have been COM
pletely crushed by the failure Of the 1867
movement, and the announcement was more
than once triumphantly made by Her Britain
mic Majesty's Ministers that "Fenianism' by
which foreign term was meant the organized
Irish national movement-was dead. 1t was,
therefore, with considerable surprise and un-
easiness that the government saw the amnesty
movement organized, and hundreds of thou
sands of stalwart men assembled at the
bidding of few leaders without name or
position. Evidences of general organization
proved that the revolutionary body was not by
any means dead, aud that it was controlled
by a power which kept itself carefully from
the public view. As, however, the language of
all these vast assemblages was respectful,
though firm, they afforded no ground for
complaint, and the government took the oppor-
tunity in short time after to release a large
number of the political prisoners. Unfor-
tunately, the resolution to continue the punish
ment of part of the prisoners, while the ac-
knowledged chiefs of the conspiracy were set
at liberty, destroyed all sense of gratitude in
the popular mind, and the present troubles
have grown out of the resolution of the people
to insist on the release of the remaining
prisoners.
II is evident, from the temper shown by the
people, that England must make up her mind
to grant such large and liberal concessions as
shall satisfy the Irish people. Things cannot
remain as they are, with a nation in state of
chronic rebellion, without eventually leading
to formidable civil war. We do not see what
England has to gain in struggle with Ire