New-York tribune., 1879-11-22
THE IRISH AGITAIION,

There Is no feature OF recent lr1sh history
more striking than the decline of talent
shown In the conduct and speeches of the
political leaders. Where once were giants,
now are dwaris-blind leaders of the blind,
with tendencies ditchward. When Henry
Flood placed himself at the head of reform
movement, the borough system had become so
rotten that twO-thirds of the membership of
the Irish Parliament were elected 10y hun
dred landed propretors peerages were offered
as bribes to borOugh-Owners, and ecclesiastical
appointments were the cOmmOncst mcrchan-
disc of politics. The regeneration of IRISH
politics was the grand object for which he
abored. Then Grattan rose mp TO band together
in the volunteer movement Protestants and
Romanists alike In demanding the abolition
of commercial restrictions and the indepen-
dence of Irish legislation. Last of all, when
the National Parliament had been broken up
and the CALLING yoke of union forced upon
sensitive people. O'Connell came to offer the
dread menace of revolution and thus to wrest
from the British Government the taTdy jus
uce of Catholic emancipatlonj and when that
great end was accomplished he devoted the re-
naming energies of his life to magnificent
struggle for Repeal. Beside these mighty
men. with their patriotic impulses and COM
manding genius for educating the people as
well as for directing party movements. how
small seems Master Parne, the noisy obstruc-
tionist how utterly insignificant are the
Davltts, the Killens and the Days, whose
arrest for stdiiious baIaneucs has caused
such intense excitement this week
At the same time there has been n shrink
age of public sentiment The issues of the
past have been Whitfield down and pared
close. The sympathies OF the educated and
middle classes have been aicnatcd, and a
popular movement in Ireland has come to be
a spasm OF turbulent rostcsSncss rather than
or outburst of national enthusiasm. The pres
ent ant-rent agitation has reached this low
level. Not but that all the great aentatOrs
have taken part in agrarIan movements
They have uniformly done so, for land-tenure
has been an element in every great contro-
versy in the Island for two centuries but
they had remedial legislation aud equitable
adjustments to propose. Grattan advocated
the cOmmutatiOn of unjust tithes, and O'Con-
nell prepared the way for "a redistribution OF
church revenues and substitution Of a land
tax for an iniquitous system whereby Catho-
lie peasants were compelled TO support re-
ligious establishment which they abhorred.
These were agrarIans who pursued no ilusory
objects, but kept IN view comprehensive and
equitable policy, and the Disestablshment
Act though separated from them by MANY
removes, was on line with their work.
Parnel is agrarian who cOunsels resist
ance without having any measures of a re-
medal nature to propose as the ground and
justification of agitation. Whether in or out
of Parliament, he is simply an obstructiOnIst.
He tells the tenant-farners, who are pinched
by the hard times, to offer their landlords n
fraction of the rent, and if their bills are not
receipted in full, not to pay anything but to
resist eviction; ana when the crowd cry ont.
" Shoot 'em if they WORT lower the rcnt.r
he smiles significantly and calls upon them IN
snstain their leaders IN determined policy Of
obstruction. The complicated problem of land
tenure IN Ireland is dismissed with the arro-
pay only such rents as they themselves con- |
slider /" fair and right" and the ignorance and
discomfort of the peasantry are seized upon
as means of justifymg the foolish tactics
which have brought Irish members of Parlia.
ment into disrepute.
Every student of history knows that under |
Elizabeth, the Stuarts and the Georges. Brit |
ish rule in Ireland, in its commercial and
political aspects was selfish and tyrannical |
1t was a curse and blight, and every English
statesman with a conscience Is impressed with |
the necessity of making atonement for wrongs
done to Ireland. The century has witnessed
one reform Act after another, the franchise
has been freely extended religious disabilities
have been removed educational facilities
have been enlarged disestablishment has been
worked out, and the best brains and largest
hearts In England have dealt with the eco