New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-13
IRISH REFORM.
LETTER FROM JAMES REDPATH.

| SIR: find in TIE TRIBUNE Of this morn
! ing paragraph wnch desire 10 answer-as having
furnished me with the of learning the flcs' you
| have the first claim TO them THE TRIBUNE editorial
| says:
That the main objects OF the Land League are both
aud Otc cannot be denied D. anyone VINO
acreps the logic OF Mr.. BrigICs speech aud recalls the
shameful means by winch Ireland was deprived OF lis
Independence But the ends cannot De mpassfd Win
lntermrdIa agencies, and here The weakness OF ht
/ Irish ro-ed. Mr.. Parneil would abolish
| andordism-Out how By conhsc.tInc outright every
acre which rent Is paid BY Government PIre1ase
! involving several hundred miln0ns sterlg re u"es
SAY nor he explain how Gratan's Parliament
restored IN country where lawlessness alreaIy
PREVAIL and where the rglis Of tne lana owning e.ass
would sacrificed during the first legislative session.
Not one-tenth OF the reported awlessness in Ireland
has any foundation in fact
II Mr. Parnel or Mr. witt had advocated special
method by which andordism could be abolished IN Ire
land the character ot the agitation would have been
instantly changed and oppOrtunity-grea desired
by their Jealous riyals-wOud have been Afforded 20
destroy the movement by den0uucing their project OF
abolition and showing ts impraeticabity" No scheme
proposed thar would not be open to objection
These would have led to Observation-Disclosures
on pausibe arguments-and Instead OF united people TO
nght the landlords would again have had to deal with
dozen angry factions easy overthrow The Land
League leaders regard 1t Of vastly greater importance
unite people a demand TOR the eradication or
audlordism than to them the parsans OF a def =
mite measure VI abolition. Mr. Parnel mas publicly said
that he does not regard 10 a. MS uut} 20
scheme Tor the abolition Of the present srsem Of land
tenure IN Ireland before such measure can be
enacted it introduced supported by the Gov
whose funcuOn 10 IS to devise measures for tle
ameiioration eradication or Acknowledged evils.
Mr.. Parnel has even suggested that abolition
should BE- accomplished by conh,caton. Not member
OF the Lind League has limited at contscauon 1t
the landlords shouted conhscauon. and u IS
the Orange have reech0ed the cry. They did
so even when the radical demand Of the present,
leaders OF the Land League the extension 0rhc u ter
Ireland hxy or tenure free sale ana Iar
reuts in phrase What the Protestant counties OF
the L ster plantation enjoyed tor more than two
ccniunesi Just much and absolutely nO,h!ng more
II Is 100 ate for compromise to be accepted
because the aspiration peasant propre,orsnip nas
bccom, universal among the tenantry nf the Catho 10
counties and because. aso, with the development Of the
mercantile tlory about land the Prot stant farmers Of
tur North ind that The Ulster custom IL no protection
against he constant Increase Of rent tor which 10
ali rled defence, because that danger was no. fore
seen.
TIE Protestant farmers rapidly joining the Land
Leagu,; whereas the Orange mobs-.hc mill hands o.
Boasare following the le III u their employers to de-
/ u5unco IT,
Bat Mr.. Paruel did say, in reply to the demands
English press, that lie coul not see why the same
methods by which peasant proptietorshIp estto-
I4n Prussia could not he adopted in Ireland Why
mott The great work o. HaIdeaberg ana Stem old not
impovcrsh their country but instantly Augmented its
wealth. am not familiar with the history OF the aDi-
! ton Of l1ndlor1.sm by England IN Prince Edwards
I.auG bui the Government did manage 10 abolish IL
there for the general welfare" Until England abol
-nes rhis same system Of absentee landiordlsm IN
JImtc, that fair and fertile Island must remain as IL
IS socially II not politically, spirit If not In ac tie
Ireland of the Tropcs-wLere, with q marvel
oas fertility Of soil and rrspieudcut climate.
the people are poor and IDLE and DISCONTINUED.
IN. -1 IN
the legislative independence OF Iraandwas ov"rtnrown
YOU do indicate the real grievance that has kept
alive the ter hatred in the Ir5l heart against
that infamous measure. This grievance is that Ireland
has been totally deprived Of the right Of sefgcvcrn-
menr There are IO3 irish members OF Parliament Bur
the same conditions under which the right OF franchise
can exercised IT, England and Scotland DO no. prevail
ia ireland. Yet this grievance. The utoler-
able wrong Is that while the English people have Home
Rule-for ~ course, the English members are IN an
overwhelming maoritY-aud while the Scottish people
have home rue-because by and courtesy Of
Parliament all Scottish bills originate with scottish
members, ard are MOI opposed by English members
ireland aud Las ever treated ~ having NJ rights
| IN Parliament. but must hold out IL hat Ike a
| bcggar. and be grateful for any act Of justice
ms an aims. il m perpetual minority ~ Lody mat
he evcs II ucaoabe OF selrue and chat op al rs
measures. WHY ireland ungoyeruabici Because
/ Eual.hmeu as Eugshmen persist ~ tAe as
scrfion Of their authority rule her. Why
/ fhouid not Ireland be ungovernabei Wouldn't we
bcl You hit the bulls eye-in fact the mote
/ m thc John Bn's eye mat makes him incapable OF
seeing now conclte Ireaud-wheu you SAID OF John
Bright that progressive liberal he IS he - rst and
always an Euglisnman" That's tine rub II 10 shonG
ever enter mo the arrogant minds Of the ruling class OF
EngIl,Amen that It of their business 10 rule
Iushmen-that The Irish really have the right TO rule
themselves they would 10 destroy The influence
OF tae ~ ators whom they cordially detest. than
million OF soldiers Besides. soldiers powerless now,
because the Irish have Ount % defeat them with
out hrhius them The fight Of Boycott is thc most i'm
portant fact m irish history during this century.
Be1conahed declare that the granting Of legislative
indepcndence 10 ireland would lie the decomposition
OF the British Empire. Would It really Was tie
British Empire decomposed when SIX Provincial Pariia
! meuts and one sUbIIaperia Parliament We're estab
Ished in British North America. and when the Austra
ian and south African co1ule accorded tue right
of Home Rule Ia the American Union "decomposed'
! with rs forty Legislatures
The irish have often acted rashly-opprcssOn that
makes a wise man mad has often driven IRISH
! sane uprlsiugs-but from an American point ~ view
however unwisely their demands may have been
uttered the Irish people his century never
asked greater rights tnan every state III Amer
| lea enjoys
A, o YOUR first suggestion that the Irish glsatur6
! would sacrifice the rights OF the land0wning cass-
has never been supposed expected that native Log
lsature would have supreme rights long as Ireland
renamed In the British Empire. However, the question
Is outside OF the domain 81 practical polite, because
landlos dism must De abolished before HOME Rule would
even b. accepted. Whyt Because irish House OF
IorI, IL a drea III OF the past The present movement Is
NOT the result Ot Palnei and Ddyts eachingslt Ia IN
uprising or the lc1sn Democracy ana whch thrY ger
! iorrigu. Yours truly. JAMES REDPA TIL.
! Nee York. Dec. >, 1850.