, 1880-02-01
THE IRIsH LAND QUESTION.

| Until quite recently the Irish land ag1ta
ton has been confined to tie Western AM
Southern districts Of ireland, and resistanc,
to the service Of ejectment processes Of tht
| nerci1ess landlords, and subsequent evic
! tions, to the Connemara regions in the Coun
/ ties Of Mayo and Galway. Several cable
grams OF the past few weeks indicate, how
ever, that the agitation has extended into the
| Ulster counties Of the North, where it Il
| sure to be conducted in more systematic
independent, and unyielding manner than
heretofore. Already the Protestant farmers
| of Armagh and Antrim are reported as com
| bining to resist eviction from their farms,
and it is certain that il wise counse1s prevail
| among the landlords they will not be in
haste to enforce their demands, The bailiffs,
| process-servers, and policemen who form,
the "crowbar br1gade" " will find it no easy
task to evfct the sturdy Presbyterian yeomen
Of Ulster. There they will have no unarmed,
hungry, spirit~broken tenantry to contend
with. The descendants OF the defenders of
Derry, and Of those who kicked the crown
of the cowardly, faithless, and bigoted
Stuarts into the Boyne, viii not trust to
women to defend their homes. Enlightened
English Tory statesmen know all this, and
it is significant that Mr. John Bright came
out SO boldly in favor Of Irish Land Reform
In letter addressed to tenant-rfght meet
ing held at Bal]ymoney, in the County Of
Antrim.
It may bo that the landlords, blinded BY
their own cupidity, will press their TIL
righteous claims, and that the Tory Govern
ment lost in the mazes Of their foreign
policy, will be foolish enough to back them
up. What the consequences may ba In such
q case, it is hard to say, but the action Of the
Dungannon Convention Of 1851, and Of the
volunteers OF 'S2, who hung tablets from
their gun-barTe1s bearing the motto ''Free
Trade Or" is not matter Of so re-
mote date that one cannot predict that the
Protestant Ulster farmers will resist to the
bitter end. These men are Of race Of whom
training had kept the spirit Of liberty and the
readiness to resist unjust government fresh
In their hearts," "Their experience and their
religion alike bade them to meet oppression
with resistance" Unlike the farmers Of
the South and West, the Ulster farmers
have the means Of resistance, for, esteeming
1t the first privilege Of freemen ito have
and bear arms" they have persistently and
successfully resisted all attempts Of the Eli
glish Government to disarm them. That the
landlords respect determined and firm atti-
tude, it they do not fear It, may be gathered
from the fact that in Tipperary and West
meath, where the "wild justice OF revenge"
doctrine prevails, there have been scarcely |
any evictions for dozen years. It is hardly
possible, then, that there will be any serious
attempt to throw the Ulster tenants On the !
highways; and, did the Catholic Irish exhibit |
the same spirit Of determination and union, !
there Is every reason to think that heartrend- |
ng scenes would not be so numerous as tfev |
seem to be In the Celtic districts Of Ireland at |
he present time :.
The egislation Of recent years, particularly |
he legislation Of Mr. Gladstone's Admins
ration, has done much to- obiterate all sec
ional, race, and religious animosities In Ire
and, and q spirit Of mutual liberation has
,egun to prevail between the Catholics and
orotestants, which is q good auglry for the
uture Of that unhappy, p1undered, and op-
PRESSED country. The community of inter
sts and better acquaintance with each other
ehich will result from united political action
y11l do much to extend this spirit. The yfr-
nal settlement Of The higher education ques-
ion, in which the people took little interest,
mt which a small faction OF political relig-
onists kept before the country for their own
urposes, has removed another source Of
ontendon. So .the time Is not far distant
7hen Ireland may be united people whom
will not be safe Tor Tory Government or
landlords to oppress and tread
nder foot.
The advent OF Mr.. Gladstone to power,
1hich is sure to FOLLOW the next election In
treat Britain and Ireland, will be the luau-
uration Of series Of measures which will
ealize Peel's policy OF. "establishin8 be-
1een England and Ireland complete equa1l-
+ in all civil, municipal, and political rfghta.