The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-11-25
rnE m1su AerrAr1oN.

The recent arrest Of several promi-
nent Irish politicians by the English
government will probably intensity the
present discomfort II 1t does not precip-
itate actual hostilities. The leaders of
she movement ave apparently adopted
the policy of O'Connell, who first or
ganized IN ireland resistance to the
government on a somewhat peculiar
plan Headyised the people to assem-
blsat different points throughout the
country in Immense numbers and iy
mere force of public example overawe
the opposition and evince In an unmis-
taxable manner the sentiment of nine
tenths Of the population in regard to
certain political measures then pending
In the British parliament. O'Connell
himself addressed monster mass meet
ingB op the subject O. 1.-THE repeal OF the
uhfon with Great Britain, and Catho-
lie emancipation, the two great politi-
car questions OF his public life. Al
though partially unsuccessful in his
efforts, the great Irish agitator still
lives and his works do follow him.
The immense gathering Of men In every
part Of Ireland animated with a firm
determination to resist the exactions
imposed upon their labor, Is simply a
contin uation OF O'Connell's grand
project, which was to break the yoke
Of oppression, not by violence nor arm
ed resistance, but by the force of pull
lie sentiment. He wished to appeal TO
the reason, to the Justice Of the English
people to manifest TO them that all Ire
land was opposed to the measures OF
their government. But. us during our
colonial troubles that led to the
luton, the spirit Of justice inherent in
the English character, was not repre-
sented by the tory party which was in
power, and the illustrious Irishman
failed for the time and died without
beholding the fruits of his labors. The
revival of O'Connell's policy may at
thIs age prove more successful. A GEN.
tury ago men would have been tried
for treason and executed, who for the
same offence to-day would simply be
Appreciated for a misdemeanor and
suffer a fine and slight imprisonment.
During the troubles of '98 the talents
Of Cnrrhu, one Of the ablest advocates
of all time and tile most brilliant of
Irish lawyers, were exerted ia vain b.
fore a Dublin jury, nearly every man
indicted for treason was hung. Cur
ranstried In vain to break down the
evidence Of informers, who bribed by
the government, testified as 1t desired.
and although other characters in many
instances were infamous in the ex-
treme, the victim of malace or cupidity
suffered the extreme penalty of the law.
The different rules of evidence In the
two countries made an lrishman's life
worth only one half rs much as an
Englishman's. As in tile latter's
country two witnesses were necessary to
establish the crime of treason. In Ire
land there was no positive enactment
on the subject as in England, but the
Judge SO construed the common law
that only one witness was necessary to
convict.
In 0'Connell's time, one generation
later, political offenders in Ireland were
SO vigorously treated. O'Connell
himself was tried but received q com.
paratively mild sentence.
In the present day the agitations in
Ireland have caused hardly an arrest.
The few who have been apprehended
Will probably suffer no more than a
punishment, but the agitation
may not be Sc easily quelled as in the
past. At the present time we are una
Die 10 predict the result, but the efforts
OF who persisted on the scaffold in
'oS and OF those who followed under
the leadership Of O'Connell, may come
to fruitionEin this, our day and ere the
agitation he quelled the name IRELAND
appear as-an. independent nation ON
the map Of Europe. trr