Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-31

PEOPLE rEounEN UNDER FOOT BY CHURCH
md srArE-oUlEIEs BEaDLUCH'S VIEWS.
We copy from the New York papers a
~ketch 0l Charles Bradlaugh's recent lee
turc % large audience at Steinwav Hall.
The lecture was on The Irish Question as
viewed by an Eugiishman. and was listened
to with earnest attention such as only the
most Interesting facts, accompanied with the
most eloquent appeals. could command The
speaker began by quoting from John Stuart
Mill thatouce in every generation thequcstions
arises 20 trouble and Uerplex the mind and
conscience of the British nation, "What Is
10 De done with lreland2" He believed that
it would have been far better if the ques-
ton had ALWAYS been. "What can Irishmen
do for ireland ?" and had always been fairly
and honestly answered Charles James Fox
had said once, "lf England cannot hold her
by love she has no fright to hold her by force
90 agree fully with the great statesman.
said the lecturer. .- There should be no diff
ference between Poland and lreland-nO diff
ference between oppressed Hungary and the
down-trolden Isle of Erin That ireland
has been Oppressed the history of England
for hundred of years abundauuy proves.
Even now the coercion law. rs oucr0us as
the curicW law of the Norman c9nQueror-.
Is IN iorce in Ireland.
THE FNUuEs or TUE Igi-H
say they are dissatisfied. OF course they
are and So would any other people BE who
ve-e treated as the British government las
treated them. Perhaps We have not done
enough for them. and then again, perhaps
we have done too much. ' Laughter.
Mr.. BndlauEh next considered the Land
Measure, pronounciug it both incomplete
and inefficient, and referred ieeingly 10 the
passage of acts preventing lrishmcn from
following trades requiring skill and calture.
The statutes have been repealed, 1t is true,
said he. bat You cannot change the liie-habit
ol a people by repeating an act Of Parlia-
mcut When the lrishwent into the business
of raising cattle and sending them 70 En-
gland. our stock breeders complained, and
the importation from across the channel was
stopped Then they killed their beef at
home and sent the meat 10 markets. We
were still dissatisfied and raised such an ont
cry that the duties were raised and made So
prohibitiyc as to ruin the trade. When
they sent us their leather wearain complain
ell, and the government once more stood he
tween us and the competition Of the indus
trious Irish. When they took to raising
and exporting sheep We put q stop to that
industry. and 50 with the manufacture OF
silks, Of cotton, and of everything else save
linen. When an oppressive statute was rc-
pcalcl WAS
JUSTICE 10 IRELAND
the motiyc3 By no means? England was
ready to make concessions when she was
weak and Ireland strong-when the cry had
gone forth and Go goo Irish volunteers were
under arms. Did Ireland wreak upon her
oppressor then. the vengeance which her
wrongs Sd loudly called for? Her revenge
was wrcaked in defending Us where We were
exposed and when We would have been un-
able 10 defend ourselves. George Ill. con-
celed the rights demanded by the people TO
60 600 layonets, and not to a suffering
people. and when we had maleus of them,
and our trouble was over, We broke the
havouei~ with which we had entrusted
them.
Mr.. Bradlaugh discussed the Catholic
Disability Act at some length. and laid
great stress upon the fact that although
the act Lad been repealed, its spirit still
lives. and in an eloquent manner portrayed
the miseries caused by the $50, 900 eyictions
executed during the last twenty years. He
claimed that Gladstone'S bill had not killed
the land grievance. for although it gives the
laborer the right to buy and own the land
he tillS. it does not ollige the landlord tosell,
bat leaves him. a. before, the master Of the
tenant. The old religious bitterness has
been annihilated only in words The Ca
tholic Disabling Act had been passed under
pressure The conservatives were moved by
q oil Z 70,
mass and to prove that Catholics had still
no chance for Justice he quoted from the
Edinburgh Reriqr, a government organ lie
thought that ireland should he as free as
England. why" said lie, Il print what
please in my paper in London but let an
edito- in Dublin Try it. and see what will
happen to him.
IRELAND 5 INDEPENDENCE.
rs to a separation between England and
Ireland he was strongly opposed to it. Eng
/ land was not strong enough without ireland,
/ and know that ireland Is weak without
England. Besides, the tendency of modern
| politics is tc make big states, not to cut
| them up into small ones. We speak the
| same language, our literature is the same,
we have married and intermarried the one
with the other until we are the same in
blood. Why should we be foemen? Irish
men. let the shame of the past be ours let
the honor of forgiveness be yours Let the
glory Of the two countries in the future he
our common glory. If yon succeed in ei-
iecting separation it must be by force but
| if YOU war war openly.
in closing the speaker asked that if any
Englishman in the audience thought that he
had gone too far, or any lrishman that he
had not gone far enough, he should rise and
express his disapprobation. lie was greeted
with loud applause as he took his seat. Sev-
eral persons attempted to reply TO him, but
they all retired in discontinue with the ex-
ception of n Mr.. Blissert, a young Irish
tailor, who spoke with great good sense and
feeling. and was highly complimented by