The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-23
Mr.. Parnell and the Irish Agitation
i'm America.

1
| tions. 1t is our opinion, indeed, and we
have already given some intimation on this
point, that Mr. Parn ell is not merely at sea on
the Scythia between Queenstown and New
York, but is eat sea- in several other re-
spects also ''at sea" as to his conceptions
of the true remedy for Irish troubles (; at
sea as to the true point and purpose OF the
political agitation of grievances utterly at
sea in his theory that an oratorical
noise made here and there in Irish
towns can force British Legislature
to loosen the grip Of landholders on
Irish property, and yet more hopelessly at
sea, we trust, in his fancy that new
| appeal to the purses of the Irish servant
girls and the thrifty Irish laborers and
mechanics in this country can tap again
valuable stream of money support for new
Irish agitation. How great and widespread
is the faith entertained in the credulity and
lavish spirit of the Irish in this country!
At one time bishop fails, and five or six
million dollars are lost to those who had
put it in his hands. Send around the hat
and make it up for for him is the cry; and
the hat is sent around that the Irish poor
who had at first lost the money may sub
scribe it again to repay thcmselves-less
the costs Of collection. At another time
a handful Of Irish scalawags pre-
tend not to be satisfied that the
Fenian attempt to disestablish Great Brit
ain has really failed. In fact, they are,
perhaps, as sure OF that as the world gen.
orally; but they are not satisfied to step
down from the position Of personal inn
portance and the receipt of an easy income,
all OF which they enjoyed in their position
of professional agitators and ''ieaders of
the people" So the cry is spread to the
Irish in America, give US your pennies for
''skirmishing fund.-" and the pennies
come in some degree and now once more
an enthusiastic Irishman believes that he
sees his way through the milestone of Irish
troubles, and he also raises this same old
perennial parrot cry Of cheap patriotism,
give us your coppers, good people, that we
may make England howl and Ireland free.
Apparently there are people in Ireland as
well as here who do not regard this trip of
the agitator to our side of the sea with par
ticular favor Mr.. Doran, of Queenstown,
who appears to have spoken publicly upon
the occasion of Mr. Parnells departure,
expressed himself as very much opposed
to anything in the nature of begging from
America" These were plain words. and
they provoked, it is said, ''a slight scene"
Some persons present, doubtless as ardent,
as enthusiastic and as visionary as Mr.. Par
nell, did not want any cold water thrown
on this grand project of striking at British
resistance by way Of the United States,
and, with the clear capacity to reason,
and the heroic spirit which distin-
euish men at such moments, they
probably hooted this plain Mr.. Doran
of common sense. For if Mr.. Parnell's trip
10 America is not at bottom mission of
beggary what is it He sis sure that Ameri-
cans will now accord to Ireland the SYM
pathy they have ever shown" Well, he
need not go very far to be sure of that.
Neither need he cross the sea to stir up this
kindly emotion or carry cargoes of Ameri-
can sympathy home with him. America
sympathizes with all distressed peoples and
with all discontinued peoples; and her
mood is so generous in this particular that
she does not even enter into the consider
alton whether there is any valid ground for
discomfort, or whether the distress is
such rs ought not to affiict an energetic self
helpingipeople Sympathy is psychological
in it's relations and does not reason; it is
poured out most freely in the hour when
there is least rational ground for it, and it
| is most valued when it soothes the chagrin
of those who have failed through their own
fault. Thus, though Ireland should pre-
sent herself to us in the person of Mr.. Par
nell, and as the very Micawber of nations,
she may be sure that the sympathy of
| America will never leave her. But how will
this sympathy help her in troubles that are
| due to an oppressive condition of laws
| framed in London and that can be changed
| only there? We have no influence with
that administration. Can American SYM
| pathy for Ireland change the British views
OF the supremacy of the rights of property
! over all other conceivable and imagi-
nary rights? The sound of the
| trumpet of Gabriel will find every
Englishman on the earth or under it reach-
ing out to grasp more firmly the ounce Of
| silver or the pound of cheese that is his prop
eriy, lest these should melt in the general
| confagration--an wo certainly cannot
change that point of his nature. Can our
sympathy help Ireland to endure her sor-
rows with more patience? She has no need
| oil help like that. She is over-endowed with
the gift OF that sort OF patience.
How, then, can American sympathy be of
value in this crisis, even in the views Of the
agitators, unless it is that it may take the
substantial form of money contributions
to assist them to cultivate the discontcnts