The Portland daily press., 1880-12-28
IRISH LAND LEAGUE.
Enthusiastic Meeting Last Evening-Ad-
dress by W. H. Looney.

The Land League held a large and enthu-
siastic meeting last evening. A large number
became members, and arrangements were
made for the lecture of Mr.. Redpath, JAN 9Th.
Tickets were fixed at twenty-five cents, and
can be obtained of the members. Mr.. W. H.
Looney made the principal address and was
listened to with marked attention. At the
conclusion of his remarks brief speeches were
made by Messrs. Sleeper, Dyer, Todd and
Fogg. Appointment of delegate to the ma
tional convention was postponed until the next
meeting, which will be addressed by r. M.
Springer. The following is an abstract of Mr..
Looney's address:
Mr.. Looney, in beginning, said that although
upon great many questions he differed radi-
cally from those to whom he was bound by the
ties of race, still upon all questions concern
ing the Irish race, their past history, their
present condition Or future glory, he was ear
nestly, intensely in sympathy with them. He
then said that to the student of history the
present land agitation seemed the old fight be-
tween freedom and slavery, the people and the
aristocracy. 1t was the aristocracy of France
that lighted the lurid fires of the French rev.
olution. The aristocracy of the South for two
centuries kept the black man in bondage, and
today makes suffrage farce south of Mason
and Dixon's line. Mr.. Looney then rapidly
sketched the history of the Irish land ques-
ton. He described the condition of the land
under the old Breton code and told how the
English under Henry III first gained foot
hold in Ireland. He said that the root of the
present infamous land system was planted dur
ing the reign of Henry Nv, when the county
OF Kildare was given as prize to English
settlers. That upaS tree, nouriShed by Eliza
beth, Cromwell, the houses of Plantaganet,
Tudor and Brunswick, which has grown and
waxed strong, blighting and almost destroying
the Irish nation, would be torn up root and
branch by the Irish people under the leader
ship of Parnell.
Mr.. Looney then described the condition of
Ireland under Elizabeth and Cromwell, and
told of the various confscations. The land of
the Irish chieftains was parcelled out to the
military retainerS of these sovereigns The
land is today held by the descendants of these
men, He asked whether the descendants of
followed Elizabeth, and the coopers, cobblers
and psalm singers who followed Cromwell,
could boast of their aristrocratic blood?
Half Of the land in Irelaad ..a acS .. hold BY
200 mon, and one-Jhlrd by about 300. Seventy
per cent of these men were absentees, and
the products of the soil, instead of being used
to develope the resources of the country, went
to support these imbecie vermin upon the
Continent.
He then pictured the many evils of absen-
teeism, and said that system which made
such things possible ought to be wiped out of
existence. There are in Ireland today about
500 900 tenants representing. about 100000
people. They were absolutely at the mercy,
body and soul, of about 1000 landlords, alien
in race and religion.
In other agricultural nations the density of
the population is greatest where the soil is
most fertile. In Ireland tits just the reverse
the cattle occupy the fertile plains and valleys
while the people occupy the boys, swamps and
make their estates pay better by grazing than
by tenants, hence they seized every pretense
to eyict the poor tenants. The English land
lord in Ireland hates the tenant. He knows
stable will DO England's foothold in Ireland.
The Land League had prevented over 100000
evictions The land system of Ireland can
only be destroyed by peaceful constitutional
agitation. THE age of bullets has passed
away; the age OF ideas has come
Muskets are the weapons of animals, agta-
ton is the atmosphere of brains The Irish
people must be 1aw-abjding and true to the
principles of justice and humanity to succeed.
They must remember that he who commits
crime helps the enemy, and that nothing is po-
litically right which is morally wrong. He
then spoke of Boycotting and said it was
potent factor in the mighty struggle.
What is the remedy? Parnell proposes to
have the British government pay S1 ,50O,0 00,-
600 to the landlords for the land and thus es-
tablish a peasant proprietorship extending
over % years. Could this be accomplished?
Was there a precedent? The British govern
ment paid over that sum to the West India
shareholders when they emancipated the slaves
When the enaigres Of France returned after
their estates were confscated by the French
revolution, the French Government compen-
stated them for their property. The Russian
Government compelled the great land holders
of Russia to manumit the serfs, and paid them
for the lands given to the serfs. In Prussia,
under William II, the tenants along the Rhine
were given just what Parnell proposes Mr..
Loeney then said that the 81 900 900 900 inn
posed as an indemnity by Germany upon
France was subscribed in one day by the COM
mon epeople of France, who own from one to
ten acres of land, and said that only under
system like that of France or Prussia conld the
tenants of Ireland become prosperous, and
Ireland great and happy. Until that hap
pens famines will continue to decimate Ireland
and she will be the Niobe of nations. A
League like the branch which is one not of
party, race or religion can not only furnish Pc
cuniary aid to the Land League, but can also
help swell that indignant voice of public
opinion which, rising from all parts of the CIV
ilized world, will compel England to do Justice
to Ireland In these days, when the telegraph
and steam engine have annihilated space, no
nation can be insensible to public opinion.
There can be no Chinese wall separating her
from the other nations of the earth. He pre-
dicted the success OF the Land League and
counseled firmness and moderation.