Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-10-21
MR.. PARNELEs ARREsT

by Mr.. Gladstone's Land Act has not yet |
achieved. any important results seems to be |
pretty plain, for it is questionable whether |
the events of the past few days have not
been of character to provoke greater ex-
element than ever. Mr.. Gladstone's speech,
in which he notified the revolutionary party
that the government would no longer pas
sively listen TO Mr.. Parnell's demands for
national independence and the other i'm
possible objects of his faction, set the world
agog with anticipation, and was not I'M
naturally followed by a sharp and defiant
rejoinder from the Leaguers Riots in vari
GUS places have broken out and other SINH
lar performances have for some time indi-
Gated that crisis was near at hand. Mr..
Gladstone has made such q movement as
was nticipated-Parnell has been arrested,
and the party he represents is loud in its
expressions of indignation.
OF the bitterness of feeling between the
government and Mr.. Parnel there can be
no doubt, nor, indeed, can there be much
question as to the abusive character of the
latter's utterances, but the wisdom of max
ing such an arrest as means of quieting
public feeling is open to very grave doubt.
The arrest was presumably made under the
special laws enacted before the passage of
the Land Act to give the government the
means to instantly apprehend whom it chose
by summary process in certain proclaimed"
counties, and is the logical result of special
legislation had with the purpose of intimi-
dating the agitators That, after the urgency
of the time had passed, it should have been
resorted to for the purpose of completely
silencing all hostile discussion of measure
whose efficiency has not yet been thoroughly
tested seems to us neither prudent nor even
fair. Mr. Gladstone's principles of action
have always been such as TO guarantee fair
play to his opponents, and surely, no mat
ter whether Mr.. Parnel is right or wrong,
he is entitled to hearing. Just how far
discussion Of political action may be car
ried it is not easy to determine, but in this
country there is no doubt that the widest
reasonable latitude has been traversed in
respect to political candidates, and that it
has frequently gone the length of action
able abuse. At all events, to the American
mind resort TO violence in seiziug the person
of an agitator who may have transcribed
decorous limits does not recommend itself.
If there is anything in Mr.. Parnell's cause
it will surely show itself, whether he is per-
sonally imprisoned or not; the man may
disappear, but the principle that actuates
him cannot be locked up in a cell with him.
On the other hand, if there is not, then Mr..
Parnell and his agitation will come to
natural end, without friction or excitement.
Mr. Gladstone has made up his mind to give
the Land Act an opportunity to produce
some of the good results that he believes it
capable of bringing about, and by arresting
Mr.. Parnell virtually acknowledges that the
prisoner is able to defeat the ends he aimed
at This is from AN American point of view
an admission of weakness which will rather
encourage than repress the agitators.
An Irish Parliament and Home Rule, in
the broadcast sense, are clearly out of the
question. That England could never afford
and certainly will never permit. But
modification of the principle does not seem
to be utterably unreasonable. A system
that would give country government to
the Irish people would let them protect
their own immediate and local interests in
their own way and the passion for a share
in ruling the country would expend itself
in concerns near at home. No offer of such
terms has yet been considered by the Eng
lish Parliament, and the moment an agitator
rises to demand something of the same kind
on a larger scale he is clapped into Jail on a
charge of sedtion. 1t is quite possible that
Mr.. Gladstone has information that would
warrant violence on his part, such as for
instance that Mr. Parnell had been guilty of
melting riot and so on but so far as the
American people are concerned, they have
not yet received such information In its
absence the arrest of Mr.. Parnel does not
appear TO them to be warranted, nor does
Mr.. Gladstone's course impress them as con-
sistent with his principles. Mr.. Parnell may
have countenanced resistance to law, but he
has committed no overt act In this coun-
try we wait for some open breach of the
law, some real mediation to rebellion or &C.
dition. Schwab, Kearney and Swinton may
rare and rail to their hearts content, but the
government leaves them alone. Kearney
finds that agitation does not pay and re-
turns TO his trucks and drays, and Schwab,
guiltless of autocratic blood, draws his mild
beer and takes in the half dimes without
thought of dividing with his fellow Com
munists. They do things differently in
England. Parnell is undoubtedly nui-
sance in and out of Ireland, and "a dis
turber of English equanimity but it is very
easy to make a very great mistake in the
effort to suppress him and his influence
DEMAND FOR AMERICAN WHEAT.
A few weeks ago it was generally be-
lieyed that there Would he no great demand