The National tribune., 1880-11-01
The Condition Of Ireland.


The Green Isle of the Ocean which has fur
nshed America since the days of her independence
from the British yoke with millions ofpeople fa
nous for their industry, enterprise aud vaor as
well their devotion to the land of their adoption
must ever be an object of interest to our country
men. America owes large debt of gratitude to
the sons of Erin. During the war Of the revolution
thousands of Irishmen deserted the standard of
King George and enlisted Under that of Washing
ton and their loyalty aud love Tor the of free
dom was in no single instance called in question
When the Union was threatened with dissolution
Trishmen numbering one hundred and forty-one
thousand two hundred and twenty-one enlisted un-
der the banner of the Stars and Stripes, each man
ready to die for the preservation of our institutions
The Irish Brgades who fought at Lexington, An
tietam, Malvern, Fair Oaks and on many other fields
were unsurpassed in yalor.
The soil of America has drank the precious blood
of thousands of brave Irishmen We are doing
ourselves injustice if we cease to remember the
riices of these heroes and we must feel deep in
terest in the land which gave them birth The
present condition Of Ireland calls for our deepest
sympathy and liveliest apprehension. She is now
in the throes of great political convulsion There
appears to be general uprising of the people,
growing out of the oppression of the landlord sys
tem In what a melancholy situation is this un-
happy land Teening with fertility, abundantly
able to support an enormous population, we behold
her people abandoning the country they love so
we'll and seeking homes in foreign lands, to avoid
the pangs of hunger and speedy death, or see them
as now, preparing for the conflict with a yiewof rid
ding Ireland of the curse of landlordism Nearly
the whole island is owned by few noblemen, who
expend the rental of their acres in sumptuous living
in England aud on the continent. This money is
extorted through what is known as middle men, =
who oft take the sum total Of all the earthly posses
sions of the tenant and drive him and his wife and
children from the door 1t is said that these noble
men oacn the lands inhabited by this poor tenantry
The letter OF the law may give them such property,
but how was it obtained? Why by robbery-by
conquest, and after conquest dividing among GER
tain Chiefs the progentors of the present landlords
all the lands of the Island. These lands belonged
to the ancestors of those who live in poverty aye,
oft on the borders of starvationon this very SOIL
We cannot write on the subject without experienc-
ing feelings of deep indignation Now from pres
ent indications, two alternatives presented to
the British government to it's policy toward Ire
land 1t must be prepared to enter upon bloody
and expensive with that country on its SOIL OF
be willing to do justice to its inhabitants and make
Ireland in feeling, as she is in law, part of the
British Empire. The latter course Queen Victoria
will find far less expensive and far less dshonorable
And how shall Ireland be pacfed? BY the pur
chase from the landlords by the government o
these vast estates and their allotment to the now
tanaptry at very low prices PAYABLE in nstallments
} running through long series of years. This
) could readily be done. Tho amount paid would no
increase materially the national debt of Great Brit
J ain The act would be one in the interests of th'
: soundest political wisdom and would be indorset
and applauded by the Christian sentiment of th
world.