New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-05
4 TOUCHJNG STORY.

A curious story, and one i'll which Irish
landlord and tenant play IA hitherto unique
part, reaches IT'S from Galway. A certain Capt.
Nolan, coming many years ago into possession
OF large estates willie still very young man,
made some effort to improve them, and for
this purpose evicted three Irish families from
the land they had held for one or two genera
tons, in order to hand their farms over to a
man named Murphy, already the tenant of
holding amounting to a gross area of four
thousand acres. Capt Nolan, of course, had
the unquestionable legal right to do what he
pleased with his own, and was amenable to
10 earthly tribunal for his course of action.
Murphy succeeded with the land, and the
former tenants scattered.
As Nolan grew older, however, he began to
be conscious that humanity had higher and
broader rights than are given by the sharp
edged rules of the law, and to feel that he
had wrOnged them. Most men broaden into
more liberal justice as they advance in years,
but few are minded to 90 back and atone for
their early errors. the Captain, however, 1t
appears, after great labor and expense, brought
together the three families he had evicted,
sixty-six i'll number all in great poverty, and
placed their case and his own in the hands of
three arbitratOrs, to decide what compensation
it was just he should make them for their
losses He selected three gentlemen as judges
in the case chief among whom Is Sir John
Gray, NJ. p, all of them well known sympa-
thizers with the Irish tenant-farmers. The
Judgment was to be made a future rule of
Court The arbitrator sat, therefore, at
Oughtcrard, after receiving power TO examine
witnesses under oath. The testimony of the
evicted tenants, given in Irish, was full of
significant facts and terrible pathos. The
Judgment was a remarkable one, when we
consider that the party on one side was man
of vast wealth and political weight and the
personal friend of the arbitratOrs and that on
the other a body of helpless, unprotected pau
pers, and proves how entirely Capt Nolan's
motives were appreciated in their integrity of
honor by the Judges. lie was required not to
coniine his remuneration to money but to re-
instate his tenants IN their former holdings.
"No mere payment in money" read the de-
cisiOn, can adequately compensate q man
for being driven from his home and land"
We doubt if many Americans would consider
this point of sentiment rs Wcighty enough TO
give its place to q precedent in law, but it
will be kcenly appreciated by the Irish people.
The English are becoming hopeless Of effect
ing any radical cure Of Ilish disaflccton.
They complain that justice mcted out in his
own measure viii not satisfy this growing
Cerbeuus at their gate. The abolition of the
Irish Establishment, the passage of the Irish
Land bill, were petty sops tia. Quoted him
only for 4 moment. Mr.. Gladstone, who, we
believe, has a conscience tender enough 10
wish for right for the Fenan for rights sake,
begins 10 give signs OF impotence. The Ques-
tion is raised, based Oh every fresh murder,
whether full, UTescrved acknowledgment
of all his claims would make turbulent Pat
one whit more content; whether, if Ire
land were left To become an mdepend-
ent kingdom, liberty would not result
in a second anarchy like that of Paris.
How this ultimate question would settle
as long as England maintains her hold on her,
a few such actions as that of Capt. Nolan
would do more To calm and soothe the irr-
tated tenantry than any effective and legal
Land bill. If Pat is turbulent he is also affec-
tomato he does not TeasOn-he feels, and
invariably prefers generosity to justice.
Nothing, however, can be more unjust than
the discomfort of Parliament at finding their
concessions Intellectual in restoring peace.
They grudgingly redress an ancient wrong,
and expect the wolf-dog which they have
dreaded for centuries suddenly to become
sheep bleating in its fold Freedom and Just
laws do not, unfortunately affect human
nature, Witness our own Government. and.