The Portland daily press., 1881-11-26
THE LAND LEAGUE.
LARGE MEETING IN THE CITY HALL.
Speeches by Governor Plaisted and
Father Sheehy.

Healy was. however compelled to go elsewhere
owing to the many requests for the services OF
both gentlemen and Father Sheehy came here
alone.
At $50 p. m. the various Irish societies es-
corted by the Portland Montgomery Guards
and Temperance Cadets, formed line and
marched to the hotels where Gov. Plaisted and
Father Sheehy were received and escorted to
City Hall At $50 Collins Portland Band
played medley of irish melodies very pleas
ingly after which Mr.. w FL. Looney, president
OF the League in Portland, after stating this
audience was present to welcome noble rep
resentative of the Land League, to assist him
by their support and to tell Gladstone and Eos
ter the Pine Tree State was in sympathy with
Ireland and not with despotic England. intro
| duced Governor Plasted who was received
with loud cheers.
Governor Plaisted said he thanked the audi
| ence for their cordial reception and he was
| proud to preside over the friends of Ireland in
| the chief city of the state, to show his sympa-
| thy for the oppressed people of Ireland. He
believed their woes unspeakable and past the
| comprehension oil the American people, and
| also of this audience who had never been there
| II we could believe the stories from Ireland
| no people had suffered as the people OF that
|
| letters (great applause) in which he said he
| went to Ireland prejudiced against the irish ana
| yet the first couplet OF hisverses howed how hi
! views had changed. The GOVERNOR then quoted
| from the statistics of the Irish census taken IN
| the year 1841, showing what vast proportion
] of the dwellings were mud novels. From
| fair land with evidence of prosperity, he asked
| what had reduced Ireland to its present sad
| condition? "a voice landlordisml Right SAID
| the speaker, and landordism is supported ny
| british bayonets. Why hasn't England given
| Ireland house-rule and local self government?
| Because she knew it would put an end o land
| lordism. But a struggle is going on in Ireland
| and the Irish will come out victorious. Agi'
| tation will show that the land of Ireland can
| be put to better useIthan pasture for the deer,
| the rabbits and grouse of it's noble lords. In
| Maine we have had examples eff landlordisin.
| Under the Waldo patent an attempt was mace
| to seize all the dwellings on the Datentee $ SOIL
| but it failed, and law was passed to prevent
| anything of the kind in the future. The law
| gave the tenants three years TO pay Tor the
| soil, and by that law-the betterment act
| landlordism was swept from Maine lie alluded
| to the "barn burners" of New York who also
won the victory over the great patroons we
are not here said he to tell the leaders OF this
movement IN ireland what to DO We are
here to say GOD speed yous' and II AFTER APP
pealing from the omnipotence of parliament
you are compelled to appeal to the omnipo-
teIce of the God of battles, God save Ireland!
Great cheering.)
At this stage as the Governor was about to
introduce Father Sheehy, Mrs. Springer, Presi-
dent of the Ladies Land League, stepped for
ward and presented the reverend gentleman
with an elegant floral cross in an appropriate
and gracefully worded speech, to which Father
Sheehy as gracefully replied.
Gov Plaisted then introduced Father
Sheehy, who was received with great applause.
He is a man of medium size, brown hair,
good figure and pleasing features, with slew,
distinct delivery. He was imprisoned as one
of the suspects at Kilmainham, and is tho
roughly conversant with the Irish situation.
The following is an imperfect abstract of his
speech, which lasted AN hour and half.
Ladies' and GentEe,nan-I have had many
testimonials of the spirit that animates, not
alone the Irish people in America, but Amerl-
cans too, since my landing IN New YORK TWO
weeks ago, in testimony of their sympathy
with Ireland, her struggles and resolves. But
1 must say, though larger audiences met me In
larger places, that no place and.no people have
succeeded as well as in Portland, IN lmpresslng
me that the hope l INDUCED in coming TO
America, of gaining the support and sympathy
of her people, will be fully realized. The
presence of the Governor as chairman is sign
to me that our cause is righteous and legiti-
mate Men like Gov Plaisted, men OF culture
and trained legal merit like his. will not ac-
cept theory or policy without having looked
at it in all its bearing, and if it is not founded
on fixed principles they will not accept it.
We are here to look at this Irish question
Understandings. Landlordsm presents itself
to the Irish mind under two aspects 1t is IN
the first place a social scourge; in the second
it Las proven, at all times, the foe of every
national aspiration and endeayor We there
fore would remove it from our soil, not only
because it clothes a large part OF the popuia-
a.. -, foad fbap vy a
them in hovels hut because 1t exacts
their last coin and exiles them. We also
oppose landlordism, because IN every period
in our history this faction has always o9en
found on the side of the enemy. La W land
lords were found fighting in the works OF the
enemy, except in Wexford County. When U
Connel came with the peace plailtndes TO WOO
the liberties of the nation, notwithstanding the
mild flavor of the shamrock about Nun, the
landlords we're against him. When VI found
Irish people opposed TO England now many
landlords were found on the side OF Gen.
Burke? They have held their i'll gotten
wealth like the thief and assassin, always lear
full of those from whom the goods were stolen.
Mr.. Gladstone has stepped in and placed land
bill between the people and Landlords. had
not the people ought to be satisfied with TINS
bill? Hasn't he pared the claws OF the land
lords? Then why do we go on? Is the land
bill a barrier between the landlord and tenant?
Does it accomplish what Gladstone says IL
does? No! Carried out it would be disastrous.
In the first place the bill does not Interfere
with existing contracts. All land held under
lease in Ireland is outside the pale OF the Dill
The tenants under the lease do not come IN I'm
der its privileges. 1t contempates helping Oh
ly the tenants at will, but on the coDdlt on tnat
the tenant first pays up all arrearage OF rent.
He cannot go into court except with clear re-
cord: back accounts must first be settled,
Only two years have passed since
this same tenant class was on its knees, pleading
pteously for bread. But they must mud money
to pay every farthing OF the rent before they
can secure the privileges of the land court.
Gladstone relied on the natural avarloe OF man
to secure possession of land as means to
bestir Them to obtain money somehow Tor THIS
purpose. He was mistaken. Inc tenant
farmers were bankrupt in credit as well as
cash Gladstone's idea in introducing the
arrears feature into the land bill was to enable
the landlords to put more money IN tnelr
pockets. When the tenant cannon pay arrears
he is allowed the alternative OF selling out and
leaving Ireland. In fact Gladstone SAID some
districts were too congested with population.
| They needed relief The measures OF the bill
| are thus shown to be imperative, they do not
| answer the purpose desired.
Another reason the speaker said, why we
| should be slow to accept the bill was because
| il was presented through an ADglo-Irish land
| court He described how these coarts mad
| been always partisan, aud this was no ex-
| ception John O'Hagan was patriot OF 48
| who had sold his soul to the BRUSH govern
~7O--N1
| and Mr.. Linden, one of the old Orangemen OF
| the worst flavor The sub-commissioners
were not men you could trust,and some
| couldn't tell cow from a mangel-wurzel. No
| tenant farmer is on the commission, and yet
| this is the great class to be helped. Great
| trouble is experienced in preparing cases Tor
the court, and lawyers fees eat up what is
| gained in the court. Parnell insisted
| on test cases. He had 5000 cases taken
| from 80 counties presented by the
| tenant farmers, and was on his way to arrange
| for their presentation when Gladstone had him
arrested, telling him the land bill was the law
! for Ireland because Parnell declined to ac-
| cept the bill. Then Parnell issued the mani
festo, "no rent shall be paid till we (the leaders,
get out of Jail to give advice to the farmers what
to do" This has .been Called co nmunism, AID
| that it will sap the foundations of all society.
| But the no-rent policy is contingent on the
| release of the suspects, wno are in Jail without
charge against them, put there by despot.
| The speaker said Gladstone should have died
year ago, for his regulations sake, and John
| Bright before Wednesday last. He painted
the cruelty of the landlords who in the days OF
| the famine locked the bread up in the cities to
make the Irish people pay 800 per cent. adj
vance for it, while America sent shiploads in
| charity. His theory flor Ireland's getting out
| of the trouble was that landlords should sell to
| tho tanant farmers on saw. fifteen wears cred