Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-17
WOful ireland.

WOful Ireland.
1t will be surprising IL, between the upper
and neither millstones of starvation and vio-
lent civil connections, what there is left
Of Ireland is not ground to powder. The
facts in relation to the present condition Of
things in that most unfortunate island are
briefly these. Landlords who hold posses
sion of large portion Of the lands Of Ire
land live out Of the country, spending their
time and income in idle pleasures, knowing
little, and apparently caring to know less, Of
the actual condition Of the tenantry on their
estates. Their affairs are managed by
agents, who collect their revenues and remit
them TO their masters. The tenantry are
thus largely left prey to q class Of ire
sponsible agents, often cruel, extortionate
, nd mercenary, and the country is drained
Of its life blood to support in idleness in
foreign capitals its absent landlords. The
annual rents of holdings is also maintained
in many cases at the highest possible sum
that can be squeezed cut of the farmer,
racking him in body and soul as well as pro-
ducts to meet it. But greater than the evils,
rack-rent and absenteeism, in the list of
Ireland's misfortunes is the curse, eviction.
The Irish landlord rents only the soil. The
buildings are erected, and all improvements
made, by the tenant and at his expense.
These become part of the landlords estate
which the tenant may enjoy but cannot
possess frequently these buildings and
in an estate its principal value. 1t is claimed,
and it is no doubt fact, that in hundreds
Of cases where the tenant has invested all
his savings in these Improvements the rent
has been doubled or trebled because of the
Improvements, when the time for reletting
came round. In default of his ability to
pay extortionate rent, or his resistance to
the gross injustice inflicted upon him, the
tenant has been summarily evicted, dispos-
sessed by legal process, of all his possessions,
and turned out by the roadside, himself,
wife and children, tramps and beggars. In
the interest Of the tenants there has been
organized an association called the Land
League. The aim of this league is explained
to be, briefly, to secure to the tenant farmer
on reasonable terms the ownership of the
soil he tills, by temperate and unrevolu.
tionary means Among the leaders in this
movement is Charles Henry Parnell, who
visited this country last winter and who, in
the parliamentary elections that followed
the dissolution of the Bsaconsfeld govern
ment in the spring, was elected TO the house
of commons from Ireland. Measures look
ing to the relief of Ireland were passed at
the subsequent session of parliament, but
though exceedingly moderate in their char
acter, they naturally failed to receive the
sanction of the house of lords, body of
men which rarely yields its grip on the old
feudal privileges of the aristocracy except in
the presence of red handed revolution. 1t
is by no means true that all Irish landlords
are absentees or rack-rent their estates, or
rob their tenants under cover of law but
these practices prevail to such au extent
that three times within century Ireland
has been reduced to pauperism by this
wretched system of landlordism and the
charity of the world has been levied on to
save them from starvation. The legitimate
fruit of such system is seen in the poverty
and suffering and discomfort that has long
prevailed in Ireland and which is now SWELL
| ing into ominous notes Of riot and blood.
shed in that unhappy land. Several resi-
dent landlords and agents have been shot.
Many more are under the constant protec-
ton of armed police. Mr.. Boycott, an Eng
fish gentleman living not far from Balm
robe, in the west Of Ireland, became I'M
popular. An armed force went into his
fields one day and ordered his men to
stop work, on pain of death. Every servant
was ordered to leave his employment. This
was in the midst of harvest. The corn
was ripe and Mr. Boycott himself cut it,
and his wife undertook to bind the sheaves.
No one was allowed to come to his assist
ance. His potatoes, beets, turnps etc.,
were rotting in the ground. A large force
Of gentlemen from Dublin and vicinity
volunteered to go to his relief. The gov
eminent feared hostile meeting, and
forbade the expedition, but military force
has been sent to the locality. This single
instance but illustrates the general discon-
tent. Meetings nnder the auspices of the
land league are being held all over Ireland.
Incendiary addresses are made by the agi-
tators. Parnell and several OF his co-agita.
tors are under arrest for melting civil
disturbances. Their trial has been post.
poned till January. although they insisted
on immediate action by the government.
The disturbances have assumed such q
threatening aspect that the military power
of the nation has been called upon. These
excuses are deplorable, but they are not
entirely inexcusable. Starving men with
starving wives and children can hardly be
held to a strict accountability for all their
actions. Elements of disorder similar to
those which produced the French revolu
ton exist in Ireland. That they exist in
the nineteenth century, and under grea,
free government, is disgrace to the civil
cation of the age and a deep and inefface
able blot upon the history of England. The
same agencies which maintained quiet in
Warsaw may be invoked to preserve a sem
blance of peace in Ireland, but no lasting
peace can be had till England removes the
deeprooted causes for these violent agita
tions--the only argument that will pene
trate the alligator armor Of that combination
of imbecility and aristocracy, the British
house of lords. America has frequently
shown her sympathy for the Irish in a sub
stantial manner. We are sure she feel
no abatement in her kindly feelings in Ire
lands present troubles.
The MoREY PERJURy.-The full comics
sion of s. S. Morey is published. Besides
duplicating Hart Of the Truth and the Dem
ocratic managers generally, in subornatioI
OF perjury to support dastardly forgery, tn,
confession contains the following item o
special interest in this state al went di
rect from the Truth office to the Demo