New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-21
THE rEUrH ABOUr IREL4ND.

II is difficult to get at the truth about Ire
land As to the fact that there Is great and
actual distress existing, there Is unhapplly
httle hope of mistake about that. The appeal
of the Dublin Committee proves it. The fact
that sixty able-bodied men with their families
were admitted last week into the wOrk-house
at Cork. is significant of'ujtcr restitution. A
Corkonian must have reached his last resource
when nc voluntarily goes into the Union" The
Irish papers probably cxaggerate the amount
of suffering Gt is unfortunately national
characteristic to exaggerate need oil help, and
il is certain that the English papers equally I'M
derlale 1t. No dorection on the part OF Che
Irish as subjects OF tenants, no deficiency on
their part Of patriotism OF rent, can suffice 10
excuse TIE cold Indifference with which their
hunger is regarded in the sister island.
Putting Fenianism and Pdncli,m aside,
if Is fact thar the available means
of the famine-strickcn country have been
drained for years past into the peck
cts of English landlords and Irish absen-
tees living in England; and whatever be
Rory's faults of laziness, boastfulness or
drunkenness. it is also fact that he is now
cold and hungry, and that the help Is first due
to him from England. " II is" says The PdH
Mall Gazette, "humiiating to us that private
charity should be called upon to relieve the
distress of Ireland while the millions
"of pounds of the Irish Church Surplus
" Fund intended for this very purpose
"remain idle IN the Treasury. Not a penny
- should be begged elsewhere until that is
apnxpraedn There was, ~ we noticed at
thc time. rumor fortnight ago that the
f....I tnI
fund for the establishment of public works,
but it has not been confirmed. Recent
dispatches state that Sir Stafford Northcotc
had announced at a banquet that the Govern
ment would shortly issue loans IN Ireland.
This would he lcsurcy relief at best, but the
Government means 10 move slowly III the mat
ter; some of BeacOnsie!d's organs state that
4" tits Judged preferable that Irlsh distress should
abe relieved if possible by private charity
rather than by Government aid, as il Is mex
"pedent to establish the precedent owing TO
81 the defects in national character That is
that AS Rory is noted beggar, 1t is expcdi-
ent he should beg now and In the future from
private Engiishmen aud Americans rather than
from his own Government! There is some
thing in the stold, phcgmatic selfshness of
this refresbingly Characteristic of the typical
John Bull of the books
Meanwhile the private contributions come in
slowly from England, sin marked contrast" it
is stated to the generous freedom with
(which money was poured out to relieve the
suffering poor of Paris" The Queen sends
paltry $500 to head the list. There are
three funds open at present in Ireland-the
Duchess of MarIborough's the Lord Mayor of
a. thnli ArcI Il.
Macabe's. Mr.. Parnell also forwards the
money given him especially for that
purpose to the agents OF the Land
League for distribution, which lis much
"resisted in Ireland" we learn, " those persons
"beino unnnueniial and strictly political par
"tisans." However, Mr. Parnell, when the
money is given to him. is certainly at liberty
70 choose his own agents IN. the matter.
Whether he will appropriate half oil his door
money-which has constituted almost the
whole of his receipts so far-tO the suffering
roor remains 10 be seen. The last statement
was 10 the effect that he was Indifferent
about raising money in America for political
purposes, rs he could 20 on without it. So it
seems we were mistaken after all. lie only
came to explain matters clearly to his Amer-
can cousins. and did not come a-begging at
all.
Whether Mr.. Parnell gives the money he re-
ceives to the hungry Irish, or whether the Eng
lsh Government helps them or not, will affect
| Americans but little, if their brother across
the sea is in real want. We know our duty.
We may laugh at Rory, but there are few of
us TO whom he is not a kinsman 10y blood, and
if he needs our help undoubtedly it will be
| given as freely as water. II American help is
called upon this Winter to any extent how
ever we would suggest that it be given
| through American agents, who will see that it
goes directly to those who need 1t.