The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-02-20

states OF America
Gentlemen -
In presence of the terrible emergency of
famine now passing upon the Irish people,
the confusion existing with regard to the
various Relief Committees in Ireland we
deem it right to lose not moment in pac-
ing before the American people the attitude
assumed by lis towards these Committees.
We ask you with your usual courtesy 10 ena-
bic us to do this through your columns.
Up to the present. four separate Relief
Associations have appealed to this coun-
try.
We will refer to these in the order of the
dates of their appeals.
The first call for succor was made by us on
our landing inAmerica on the second ofJan-
uary. Since then over seventy thousand dol
lars have been entrusted to Us much of which
has been already forwarded and distributed
amongst the periahing people of the West,
and the remainder is on its way. We may
be permitted to mention, as matter of in
terest, that our Organization was the first on
Christmas Eve to distribute American help
to twenty. starving districts on the Yves
tern Coast.
Ours also is the only association which is
enabled, through its intimate local connec.
ton with the distressed districts, to dis
tribute relief promptly and without cost,
and we guarantee that all funds entrusted to
us for that purpose will be used solely for
relief, and without the deduction of a sing
lie dollar for any other purpose or expense
whatever
Following closely upon our appeal, came
that of the Duchess of Marlborough, the
wife of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Now in this matter we cannot separate
husband from wife, and it must be borne in
mind that the Duke of Marlborough is the
chief executive officer of her Majesty's
Government in Ireland and is responsible
for all its acts. Hence, we find the real head
Of this relief committee actually engaged in
sending soldiers to bayonet the women and
children whom he pretends to relieve, in
driving them from their poor homes out in
to the snow to perish of cold and hunger
and in seizing upon what little provision
they may have left, in order partially to sat
isfy the exorbitant demands OF the landlord
for rent.
Information has also reached us from
many reliable sources, both clerical and lay,
Of the biased and partial way in which the
Marlborough relief funds are administered
aud complaints are numerous that the chari
ty sent from America is being used as po-
litical engine to assist the landlords in driv-
ing the people from their homes.
The Dublin Mansion House Committee
vas the third to appeal to this country. Ur
on the publication here ofthe names of those
composing that body, we felt it our duty to
point out that its Dublin management was
controlled by persons interested in the main
lenance of the landlord system ; that sever
al of them had been guilty of eviction afro
cities, and that the hands of others were
reeking with the blood of the Connemara
women butchered within the last few weeks
in happily Intellectual attempt to evict the
Western peasantry from their cottages.
We showed that relief committe formed
in such way could not have the confidence
or respect of the Irish people, and that it
was cruel to force the starving to apply for
their daily bread to the very. men against
whom they are maintaining an unequal con-
test for the land of their country.
1t is not to be expected that any people
should continue to struggle for their rights
against powerful and privileged class, if
they are placed in the position of being
obliged to beg for charity from the class who
are opposing them.
1t is, moreover, a remarkable fact that this
landlord and government class while it does
nothing to relieve the distress itself, and OBJ
structs all our attempts to do so, is not
ashamed to appeal to you and to other coun-
tries to do the work which, but for them,
would have been done at home
We, however, notwithstanding all this,ex
pressed our willingness to withdraw opposi-
ton to the further progress of the Mansion
House Committee, provided the names of
the most noted exterminators and govern
ment officials were removed from it, and re-
placed by gentlemen possessing the conf
dene of our people, but we regret to say that
up to this moment no notice has been taken
of our proposition.
The latest Relief Fund established has
been that of the New York Herald. This
journal has been noted for its advocacy of
the landlord side in the struggle now going
on in Ireland while it is also fair to say that
some of the information sent by its special
correspondents, OF the condition of the Irish
tenantry, has been of considerable impor
tance in informing the American public of
the position of affairs there.
We do hot desire to assume an unfrienCly
position towards this journal, as we are
aware that its resources for obtaining SUBJ
scriptions are so widespread that the result
of its efforts, if directed and distributed
through proper channels, may be of great
advantage to the suffering people of Ire
land.
But, so far, appearances indicate that the
Herald will be guided, in its selection of the
channels for distributing its funds, by that
landlord bias which has so unhappiy man
ifested itself hitherto in the direction of the
policy Of that journal.
Before, then, the people of this country
entrust their money to the Herald fund, we
think they are entitled to ask what agency
is to be chosen to distribute it. Up to the
present we have been given no information
on this vital point, and if the Herald wishes
to avoid the imputation that it has Joined
with the Marlborough and Mansion House
Committees in their conspiracy to divert the
charity of America into landlord hands, it
will at once publish the names of com
mittee calculated to command the confidence
of those who are to be relieved.
For our part, if the Herald selects COM
mittee in which the Irish people can place
confidence, it shall have our warmest sup.
port and best wishes for its success. If on
the other hand, il allies itself with the at