The New York herald., 1879-12-17

with our people ne is as Welcome 40
are all other European gentlemen who
come hither with similar purpose. III
as a political refugee who flies from
home lest, like somH of his associates
he should be arrested and indicted for sedi-
ton, he is still welcome. We have never
refused asylum TO men OF that class; out
if that could be supposed any part OF Mr..
Parnelrs motive we could not commend his
courage under the circumstances. Having
led his conductors into the meshes OF the
law we should not expect him to abandon
them in their trouble and find safety
for himself in a foreign land, even
under color Of mission to raise
money for their cause. The most be-
coming place for a chief is Mt the
post of danger. 1t is certain that Mr.. Par
nell will be safe in this country so long as
he chooses to stay, since an English writ
cannot be served on him within our juris-
diction. He will be safe while his associates
are in peril he can watch at distance the
proceedings against them, and judge by
the severity of their sentences what would
be likely to happen to himself if he should
return and fall into the clutches of the gov
ernment. 1t will require no nerve for him
to make speeches here, and no violence
of infammatory language will expose him
to prosecution. We commend his pru-
dence, but hold our Judgment in suspense
as to his courage until it is seen what
amount of danger he will have to face when
he selects the time for his return. Consid-
ering the time he has chosen for his depar-
ture and absence he is not giving proof OF
intrepidity.
1t is given out that Mr.. Parnell comes on
a mission. If when he arrives on our shores
he announces that the purpose of his
mission is an appeal to the American peo-
pie to supply food for the famishing our
whole press and whole public will give him
their warmest moral support. His meetings
for this purpose will be largely attended by
our best citizens, and there will be no
difficulty in cruising means to send
cargo after cargo of -four and meal and
pork to be distributed among the suffering
Irish poor. If he should wish to create an
emigration fund he will find sympathetic
listeners for that also, after the supply of
food is.made adequate for the relief of i'm
mediate distress. Anything which he pro-
poses for the real welfare of Ireland, which
it is proper for the American people to do,
will be judged with generous candor.
But suppose he wants to raise sedition
fund in America? If that is the object of.
his mission we cannot encourage him to
expect any success. How would the
money be expended? If for arms, our
government would interfere and prevent
the shipment of arms to be used against
government with which it is at peace Iffor
supporting orators and spouters, our people
would refuse to give money to be expended
in getting the speakers into Jail with those
of Mr.. Parnell's associates who are awaiting
trial. Such contributions would bring
good to nobody and would get great many
speakers into trouble. Besides, there
would be manifest indecency in sending
money into a foreign country for assisting
people in violating its laws.
If the American people are to be asked
for contributions to an Irish sedition fund
they will either turn deaf ear to pro-
or they will inquire into the merits and
grounds of the application. What is this
agitation for? The answer may as we'll be
stated in the nakedness of simple truth-it
is an agitation to uphold the Irish tenant
farmers in violating their contracts. To
be sure, there are ulterior objects,
but the road to those further objects lies
through bold and menacing violation
of contracts into which the tenants volun-
tarily entered. Whether as q means or an
end, the violation Of contracts does not
commend itself to moral approval. Cases
indeed sometimes arise in the course of
human affairs when the violation of q con-
tract is excusable; but the only excuse
which the moral sense of mankind has ever
admitted rs valid is inability to perform
the contract. If a tenant has engaged to
pay certain rent, and, owing to the vicis-
STUDIES of the season, has nothing to pay
with, no blame attaches to the default
thus forced upon him by a hard necessity.
This is the unfortunate, the pitiable state
of many OF the poorer Irish tenants. But
there is no need Of agitation and sedition
to prevent such people from paying rents.
As no coercion on the part of the landlords
can extort from them what they do not
possess, so, on the other hand, it is super
fuous and preposterous to bull-doze them
into withholding what they have not. The
agitation which is inspired and led
by Mr.. Parnell is intended to pre-
vent the payment of rents by tenants
who have the ability, and is therefore
bold aud bald encouragement to the re-
pudiation of legal debts. Encouragement
is not, however, the proper word for de-
scribng this widespread system of coercive
violence. Irish tenants who have the means
ments are assailed with threats and put in
peril of assassi nation and this is the good