New-York tribune., 1880-04-11

assassination. Between the civil tyrant and t the
peasant there has mtervened one power ou,s -
priest and his hand has always PEI. ..,n,,t t
sacred circle of our Mother Church. aitnougn T n ,s
often been powerless to make 1t respec.eu. =
strong or feeble IL has ALMOST always been WILLY
hand and hence the great influence that the prisso
as man exercises among his people; Inc one , Sua
Gated in these lonely ahe bar berdsbps the
priest is the natural leader OF the peasant. ne =,
consulted BY hfm in every domestic emergency as
worldly counsellor as well as at 1h n his his
births and IN the solemn nouh VA uO"s~' -
prestlv character. ....xxsr+
Now, thus relying for generations, the einieIans
will not stray beyond che priests steady guluanco
especially when he leaves bis own county or coun.
trv The lesson of selrelance 10 not learnGu III ve
day. aud seldom in one generation; 6e keePst AZ h
cities where be can consult his old leaders IL JUG
Irish emigrants who are going TO america arts als -
build up homes in the country the Catholic priests
must lead the way for them lney muIe 1 se's% r at
colonies and the priests must found them, q ~
least accompany them. These peasants need tnelr
to stand alone.
THE NATIONAL SENTIMENT STRONG.
Again these peasants are Irishmen. The crop OF
LOYALTY to the Queen in Ireland, is greater failure
than ths potato crop ever was In its worst years.
Among the Catholics there is none Of 1t visible-at
least to the naked eye. The peasants love OF their
birthplace has never been tempered by larger love
of empire The Yorker is proud OF his State. Dut
prouder of his country Even the South Caroiniano OF
the old times would admit, when pressed, that
he was not only South Carolinian but South-
erner But tho Irlshman only knows the british
Empire to haze 1t and to reloee IN every uiSSss ~ a
that comes to it. The peasant IS even more OF an
Irishman than q Catholic; for recently Wnen
one OF two priests denounced Mr.. Parnell and the
anti-andlord movement their parishioner5 with
held their dues. This intense spirit of nationality
has been engendered by centuries OF peIso-
oution, during which, the Scotch preacher p1t IL
they had not hung together" The emigTanb joins
his countrymen IN the large cites OF America, ana
If he goes into the country ne ;a mnGS sana and With
modes of life entirely at variance with MS ezper-
ence.
To keep proftably these skilled laborers-used to
farm worl-from becoming Improbable unskiiled
laborers 1t is necessary that scheme OF organized
Catholic Irish emigration, under the auspices OF the
priesthood should be inaugurated in America.
Bishop Ireland has plan on this basis for an Irish
Catholic colony in Minnesota. 1t is certain to sue
ceed But surely there Is scope enough for other
and larger similar schemes Is there any practical
statesmanship left in Virginia and North CaroliDa
and the other middle States Of the Southf Now is
their chance. What are called " the worn,-out
lands Of Virginia" would be regarded as excellent
soil In the West of Ireland: These hardy and tn
dustrious peasants, who have converted shaking
bogs wet and undraned, and stony hillsdes, bleak
and barron into arabic lands beneath an inciement
sky, under conditions that seem to have been de-
exile. I'm Virginia would soon cause her !" Wilder
nessn and deserted places to rival in fertility the
rich valleys of New-York, Ohio. and Pennsylvan;as;
But the owners of these now worthless wastes would
be Obliged to sell them in small lots on easy terms,
on long time; the Irish have had enough OF land
lords at home and could not be induced to become
tenants in America. These emigrants, by their ma
tionality or traditions and by adhering to their
present methods of cultivation-nOt ploughing but
spading the soil-and by owning small farms wonld
solve the existing problem OF colonization IL tne
South; for they. would, not be Yankees" in the
obnoxious sense in which those Northern men who
went on "A FOOLS Errand to Virginia and North
Carolina were Yankees; they would not introduce
any disturbing element into Southern politics."
for they would vote the "straght Democratic
ticket.p and at the same time they would inaugu-
rate by their industry the restoration ofthe agricul
ural prosperity of the old seaboard slave States.
They could be carried so cheaply by sea that the
chief obstacle to far-Western emigration would be
removed.
But the large landowners of Virginia and North
Carolina will be obliged to act honestly. The
trickery and dishonesty that characterized the en-
iration of Canadians into North Carolina and sent
them home In disgust. would only react on them.
and they would be rather more dangerous il organ.
lied Irish peasants we're their victims instead OF
isolated British North American farmers:
JAMES REDPATH.