New-York tribune., 1878-10-02
A CELTIC ADDRESS.


Since Congressman and Minister Welsh have
seen fit to ask for their release. and the
British Government has seen fit to grant it,
there is nothing to be said against the LIBERIA
ton of Condor and Melody; and If they
stick to their intention of not playing lion
for a living, if they go honestly to work,
there will probably be nothing to say
against them. 1t is to be regretted,
however, that their return should be
made the occasion of that indefinite sort OF
eloquence which experience has shown Is not
in the least likely to resuscitate the fortunes
of lreland-We may say the experience OF
over a century. II beautiful words and pOeti-
cal figures and sentimental rhapsodies could
have done the business, and established Ire
lands nationality. the work would long ago
have been effected. The Society for the Pres
crvatiOn of the Irlsh Language sent down to
Condor and Melody an address written
in that tongue. 1t must have been tre-
mendous, if the original las usually hap
pens) was more effective than the trans
lation. 1t began Tortured, true and tried
" brothers, we tender You hundred thousand
"wecomcs TO the glorious land OF Washing
ton" There is no objection to this. 1t is
cheerful and friendly. and mild as milk IN com
parison with what follows: "When the day of
"retribution shall dawn, the arms of your
"countrymen will be tenfOld strengthened
to deal death and dire desolation to the
"tyrannous Monsters" We may be mistaken,
but it is our decided opinion that whenever
Ireland shall be d" liberated " it will not be by
even the most profuse resort TO " alIteratlon's
"artful aid" We doubt if any permanent
political institutions will ever be set up by
men who talk Of dealing death and dire
"desolation.r No serious wounds will ever be
inflicted upon the Saxon lion by calling him
"a tyrannous monster" High-fown rhetoric
never established republic yet. If it could
effect anything Ireland would have had the
rest of Great Britain under her feet long
ago.
The whole plan of political revolution in
ireland through the force of speech making
having been a failure the other plan of re-
sorting 70 physical force having been also a
failure; the third plan of effecting the same
object by writing poetry and singing it having
accomplished nothing; the expedient OF talk
ing loudly and of drinking deeply in bar
rooms having turned out badly; professions
and bands of music having proved ineiiica-
cious the latest expedent of invading Can
ada not having struck one nvet from the
chains of Ireland, we may well ask if a little
common sense attention to the we'll being and
prosperity and production of Ireland rs an
integral part of the British Empire would be
altogether absurd
We would not in the least extenuate the
savage and irrational way in which Ireland in
times past has been governed by her con-
querors Nobody can read the shameful story
without Indignation. But our business is with
the present and so far as the British Govern
ment is concerned, cruelty and oppression are
things of the past. The problem OF Ire
land is a difficult one, but modern British
statesmen have honestly tried, we DelieVe'
TO solve it fairly aud squarely. At any rate,
tbev have not been hard nor oppressive, nor
cruel-they have done nothing for which
"deatb and dire desoation" should be dealt
out to them, even by what the address calls
the most " uncompromlsing and unterri-
.'iied Irlshman.n We see no prospect of even
so much as dissolution of the Union; we
anticipate no war of liberation; but we do
see how much may be effected through wise
Legislation met in fair and liberal spirit by
Ireland herself.
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