New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-22
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
IRISH LANDLORD AND TENANT
A LETTER PROM AN ESGIIsHMAS on tNGLIsH Law
AND IRISH CHARACTER.

A LETTER PROM AN ESGLIsHMAS on tNHLisH Law
AND IRISH CHARACTER.
TO tie Editor OF rae TrtbuHe.
SIR: The letter Of Mr. james Redpath tn
your issue OF today speaks Of the power now held BY
every landlord the West OF Ireland Of nuGins out bss
tenants into the roadside If they failed 10 pay their
rents for single year." The power legally 20 eviet
who does not pay rent certainly held BY tho
West Of Ireland landlords but IL not aso held BY snd
lords In every civilized state In the woridf II
man house q piece Of land In the Cnited
States aud rents another has he not power 70 re-
possession Of his property IS the stpuated renth
not paidi Most certainly he has; and the West OF
Ireland landlord has no other and greater power
That property Its duties ~ well as ffs rgbtsm
social which be strongly insisted on 10
would however be correct TO state 1t In the broader
form, wealth has It's duties well as ITS rights" IT'S
the duty of every wealthy man. whether landlord mort
gagee, or mowner, co deal mercfuy with the poorer
whom the employ me OF ais wealth, whether
land capital machinery brings him into reafions
But sound economist would propose legislation en-
forcing duty. You very properly, IN recent issue.
held up TO scorn OF all men the doinss OF
william H. English his relations with poor men de-
pendent on him, but you would NOT propose law to
prevent man fOieci0slng q mortgage on wncn mo
interest not forthcoming
My object In writing 10 to combat the idea which
very in this country that 1t Is the law or
British that blame for the distresa
Ireland and for the evctons that excite much In
dignaton. The British Government has more TO do
with that than has United Government Do
with the misfortuBes Of the unlucky men who csms
under the power OF Mr.. william II. English. The face
is and 1t be blunty stated, the distress In
Ireland Is due solely aud entirely the character OF
the people The tenants too ignorant lazy ana
provide against the contingencies OF bad
harvests trad aud bad bargains with their landlords,
The landOrds-wGo are Irisbmen, too, be u renemS
beredare mostly too unpatrlotc 10 1--we al h0me ana
are selfish fo be either able or
willing nep their tenants al pinch These are tho
Iish fsmInes famine Is never heard OF IN
Scotland Except occasionally In some OF tue WESTERN
isles where Celtic popu alton has character IKE
Irsh and far freedom or contract betwesn
landlord aud tenant security or tenure power Oh evlcS
tion al Otuer Legal conditions are concerueds
the scotch tenandrmer IL neither better nor worse ON
IMAM IRISH He much less fertile country Il
AID higher rents. too but he has inteilt-
gence, energy, aud above ALL foresight and tariff And
I may add. when he does make Dad BAR
gain-}. g., TO pay too high =
rent-aud one or two bad years come tas they
have done lately and ruin him, he doesn't shoot MS
landlord because he can't have the farm for nothing no
doesn't Fenian or any thing Of that sort
TO frame q law land which will To some extens
enforce the principle Mr. Redpath says That prop.
erty has s Tut that law 10 avowedly not Ola ne
lines political economy. but 10 or the nature "
An expedent Called for by the urgent nccss<
sity OF the hour. lrshtnen seem pleased with tho
gene raj purpose II with Its details: but IL they
would on think they would see that the enactment OF
such "A law would be 10 ireland, nasnucn a.
IL would be a confession that the incapscity or lnsh
tenant and the cupdy OF Irsn landlords required an
Interference not called Tor IN any O'nef port OF mo
British Elm lire. am etc. CIyIs BRITANNICA