, 1874-05-24
THE CONDITION OF IRELAND.

There is trouble in ireland. The extremists,
dlsgustei at tho firm front which Disraei op-
poses to their schemes, are attacking England
and English rule through press, and pulpit, and
Parliament. A Fenian periodical, the Flag OF
ireland, has been foremost in the attack. It
spoke Of Victoria as ia foreign woman who
held possession Of the country against the will
OF the people, It declared that "tho desperate
hopelcssness OF obtaining Home Rule by peace
ful means" 1as evident It 1auded tho Fenian
rebellion. It gloried in tho British Losses in
Aahantee. It's whole tone has been seditious to
the last degree. Allowing it to pursue such u
course would have been, go Englishmen
thought. Like leaving fre-brand in d
barrel OF powder. D1sraeli found an e1tin-
guisher ready to bis hand. Tho Glad
ercion act WHICH allows the Government to seize
any paper which disregards warning given it BY
the Lord Justiceg OF Ireland. So the Flag Of
ireland has been warned and will probably be
over.
It is not alone in the uso Of violent language.
Mr Isaac Butt, H. P, has openly said that it will
be impossible to maintain peace in the rural dis
tricts Of Ireland; there is too much bad blood.
His colleague Mr. Ronyane, has declared that
Ireland is "seditious and disaffected," and that
"concessions are only granted when scdition
threatens civil war." These statements have
been made On the floor Of Parliament.
Similar ones have been made, With more in
mediate effect, from the pulpit. An attempted
murder of a landlord in Queens County is
charged to have been urged from the ssepa Of
the altar. 1t will be remembered that the testi-
mony taken in the recent Galway contested
election case showed that the peasantGy had
been melted to arson, riot and murder By un-
worthy priests.
The Home-Ru1ers in Parliament have been
defeated by the Government, aud have paid the
latter back in its own coin. Tho first question
ut issue was the purchase Of the Irish railways.
They have been grossly mismanaged. Jobbery
has ruined them. Their charges are exorbitant
and their trains are few. The full Irish inca
pacity for united action shows itself hero.
There are multitude OF little roads,
each burdened with the support Of vast
number Of ornamental and useless Off
cials, and each managed independently OF all
tho rest. Their shares arc, Of course, down,
down. The Home-Rulers demanded that the
British Government should buy the lot at about
Is per cent above their value, should put them
in order, and should then r1n them ut q loss in
order to benefit Ireland. The Governments re-
fusal was backed By 235 votes against 50. The
next question VAS the Irish fisheries. English,
Scotch, and french fishermen throng the Irish
coast and make much money by the pursuit Of
their trade. It is not quite clear why the un-
happy sons Of Erin could net do the same thing
themselves 1t appears, however, that loan Of
f20 900 to Hibcrnian 6ah-catche1s is an absolute
necessity. The Home-Ru1ers said so, at least,
and got it. Disraeli's opposition WAS in vain.
Many II. P.'s wero away, and the job had = ma-
jcrity Of two rotes.
These facts, and the many Himilar ones that
might be- cited, are probably colored more OF
less by English prejudice. After al allowance
has been made for this, the picture is still
dark one. Ireland hates English rule, and yet
gives daily proof OF her utter incapacity to rule
herself.