, 1881-10-20


the I.nnd Bit hal for tts direct 0bteet KUn,e-
thing ynry different from tic cid sought by
tic league. AZ II measure 10 rrgulate, coll
trnl, and restrain landlnralsm tho 1.u,tt hill
was liberal, comprehensive, nllu stringent;
hut its main purpose wis hut In cxtinguisf1
feu.lai latslloratsn. which Is the, grcnt cntl
ahti Min of The Land League. ireland, ~.
pressed by n rent nf eNo, ,NN. MOO Il ycar. nearly
all Ut which Is scnt Uut Ut tito country, sle-
ili.ds tho right Ut purchase nf this ialNl at 4
lalr price, tint tho earnings Ut tho Iaud may
be tho property Of the labor tint cultlyales II.
Will this explanation tllo American re.slcr
ilay understand tic Importance af tho prcs-
ent crisis.
Dissatisfied with tho land bill and fearful
OF Its consequences. In easu thu people
should ncccpt ind bind themselves by fifteen
yGnr lcAses 1t rates Ut rcnt fur bcyutI tho
yiod Of the lnnA, tic lcngsle llns api,elietl in
the pcople to wilt until by thu ,lc,lun Ut Tho
Land Court sons f.(ca might be Ind ny to
what Will bU regarded by tllut ro;rt III "tntr
rent" pGm.ltng this consideration, tho En-.
glisll Government lias arrrstet tho Ullieers vi
tho league atld committed tflon, to prlsun.
Tho otlicors Ut tho Land l.eagliu being
INV uhttur arrest und ihcapablc Uf act
I've personal agitation, tlse executive lncn-
hers, FROM tl,elr places III 1nil svnd
fort'l this ndy.ce from prison, MD MP
bcnl to tic l,aIf-tniltlo.l tunant farmers Of
Ireland to porcuptorlly roftset to pay ntsotller
penny Ut rent to my lu1llioul ullttl tho oil.
cers Of The league, thu representatives Ut
Tho people, nre releasetl, a,nl tho summary
law of arbltrnry arrest and Imprisonment
sllnll DO abandoned.
Tlls action produces crisis which must
soon bu determined. We will assun,e. first.
that tl11s appeal to pay no rent will meet with
general approval by thu Irish tenants, al,d
that llehcef0rwartl the voluntary paynlest Ut
rent will cease IN ireland. Wl,at then?
Tho landlords will rcsort to legal md luili-
tary remedies. They viii give notices Ut
eviction by tito thousand. and, after obtaining
Judgments atnl writs for tho purpose, tic
II, QUO arnlcd eonstabutnry Ai!l tho 10 600 rcg.
ular troops will serve these writs, al,d by the
force Of the bayonet tie tenants aud their
families will bo put OFT their holdings, al.tl
whatever littlu property they l1ayU be takcll
from them. II l1liS eviction becUmcs general
the land must remain iuIc. No other tenants
viii take the lulld, and rent will, therefore,
cease as certainly III tho ono caso Us In tho
otllcr.
English la,dlortllsm In either cnse vii!
| practically be abolished throughout tic Isl
| anti. 1t will bo impossible to import other
| tenants, because public opinion will not
] tolerate and no military force be able to
| protect any new occupants scattered aboNt
OH tho farms who n,ay attempt 10 occupy
this land. Tile British Government will
thus be confronted with a crisis which call.
moi be determined by bayonets. 1t cannot
imprls0n tho entire population of ireland,
nor Gun 1t suppress millions Ut people forci-
bly, eyicted FROM the lalid, and who, deprived
OF tho lIaans Of living. will not lio dawn and
die On tho rontlsttlo so long rs there Is bread
md meat and other food to DO Ind for the
taking Of it iii tho country, Tic Govern.
rnent will 10 confronted with tho question Of
wlat Is to DO done with five millions OF
| h0useless, homeless, f0Odless people will,
~ 600 o0O Of acres of mud stripped Ut lis cul
tiyation nntl converted into an abnt1donctl
waste? Whnt Will be tho outcome Of such
an ,snexamp!ed condition OF affairs? Five
millions Of people kept from tho cultivation,
Of food by n British ARMY, AMI reduced to
starvation within two hUurs' communication
with LondonP
Tho alternative outcome OF this crisis Is
the refusal OF Msr poopls of Ireland or al
my considerable propurtton Of them to obey
the Drtlcr of tho Land l.eague nnlI 10 o.!
paying rents. That ~ the Immediate potni
at issne, and to be decided by tho people oi
ireland. II TINT order be not obeyetl, II tsit
decisions Of tho T,nrui ln1Irt nv tn whni r.