Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-12-10
THE RULE or IRELAND.

sive policy ever enforced upon the
Irish people II has been an ohense
to every enlightened and liberal civil
zation and rcproach upon the En-
glish government that i'll befits the
great constitutional monarchy of the
world. 70; 3 period Of nearl y seven
centuries, there has been ceascless
strife between ruling England and
RULED ireland, save when The harsh
Judgments of might have smothered
resistance. The history OF Ireland is
but succession of rebelions and pun.
ishments. When there has been peace,
it was the peace Of death the sullen
submission of haplcss people TO mer-
ciless power. Nearly seven hundred
years ago, the Irish people were first
wholly subdued and English laws
forced upon them; and alter four CEN
turies OF vain instructions, five mill.
ion acres OF the lands Of the people
were forfeited TO the Crown as the
penalty of rebellion, and the English
and Scottish Protestants given the
Irish homes. 1t was not until Ameri-
can Independence was about to be
achieved that liberal laws were grant
ed to dssenters from the Established
Church il is just half century since
Catholic Emancipation, and the United
States had chosen the third President
before there was legislative union be-
tween Great Britain and ireland.
The English rule Of Ireland has been
as Improbable as il is disgraceful TO
the English nation. 1t has made the
Emerald Isle waste OF poverty and
its people worse than slaves. The
chief monuments OF English authority
are in its list OF treason trials, running
through more than third of tho
Christian era in its conlicatons in
its denials OF civil and religious free.
dom; in its enforced contributions OF
tens OF millions to avert starvation,
and in the hatred OF the present gov.
ernmcnt that rankles IN every genuine
Irish soul. When O'Connell bequeath-
ed his heart to the ruler Of bis faith to
escape resting-place in an oppressed
land, he voiced the profound sense of
public wrongs that centuries had
taught his people and when McManus
and Meagher landed in the United
States as fugitive convicts, the con.
trast between freedom and tyranny
was impressed upon every civilization
of the earth. The emancipated Irish
serf comforted the English soldier on
the battle-fields Of the revolution, and
each year during a century OF tree
government in the New World, has
drawn from the productive industry
of ireland its vigor and its courage.
Only the poor and the helpless remain
to fight the unequal battle against the
despotic rule OF England, and they
struggle and starve and starve and
struggle, repeating in nearly every de-
cade the history of the lawlessness
that despair has bred for nearly a
thousand years.
The fame Of rebellion that is now
seen in Ireland is simply the periodical
outbreak of the smotbered fire that
has broken ont hundreds OF times in
the past. Soldiers can quench it again
as soldiers have quencbed it time and
again, and the leaders Of rebellion can
be convicted and punished as has been
done throughout score Of genera
tions; bnt when Parnell, Davitt and
their associates shall have been made
convicts there will be no peace. The
Irish people will be rebellious as ever
before they will hate the government
with increased hatred, if possible, and
they will be even more dangerous 10
the future, positive element of weak.
nessin the English Government There
will be peace in Ireland only when
English craftsmanship accepts justice |
as one Of its chief attributes in the
government of the Irish people and |
the time has come when the enlight-
ened civilization Ct the world has
right to demand that the exceptional
despotism displayed TO ireland, in con.
trast with the government Of all other
English dependencies, shall be modfi.
ed by humane and just recognition
of some of the inherent rights OF man.
If England shall fail to do this, the
day cannot be far distant when Ire.
land will iearfully avenge herself, and
the God of nations can have no attr-
butte that would take side with En-
gland in such stritc.-Phiiadelphia
Times.