West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1881-10-28
rmh orrL4mRr or lRrL1Nn.

IL know not, said famous Irishman
when American liberties wero in danger
| Il know not In what words IL frame an
Indictment against Nation" Ii would
seem that the. present. Bdtish Ministry do
not hesitate 10 undertake task which
Edmund Burke pronounced bcvopd the
powers of any Government. Bv their In
test Proclamation they have outlawed AN
association which, 10y their own admission.
has its roots IN IA Nations hosrt, aailcom-
prchends wilhinIhs circle tLrce-fourths of
the lrjsh people.
Ii may he true that tho land Lcapue's
manifesto, calling upon Irishmen TO meet
vindictvo persecution with passive
resistance, and 10 pay no rent so long
as their leaders were imprisoned without
trial, was, technically, an Illegal act.
More actively and llagrantly unlawful
were the proceedings of tho Soma OF Lib
eriy IN our own struggle for Independence,
when they prevented British vessels from
delivering their oargoee, and obstructing
British officers OF the customs In the per-
case, AZ In the other, we must Lsok at TIA
provocationi we must keep in view the
whole history of tho movement which
eliminated In defiance OF the law; we
must determine ON which side rests the
responsibility for collision, and whether
we should not recognize, behind n nOmi-
nal illegality, wild and despairing out
cry for substantial justice. Above all,
II behooves ussto ascertain how faithfully
and fully the overt doings Of n few rep
resent the convictions aud resolves OF the
many; for, from the moment technical
'raHsgressore arc approved by.pubho opin-
ion, and supported by the mas Of their
own people, what might have been an act
of law breaking becomes nm act OF royo-
luton.
Now, IL Will he easy to show from the
published declarations of the British
Ministry itself that, up to the issuance of
last weeks manifesto, tho Land League
was In no sense an illegal association, and
that If, EoAded TO desperation and cropping
Tor some means of redress, IL finally went
outside the strict line of legal rcmedi0s.
the British Government can expect no
sympathy In situation which It's own se.
verify provoked. Nor should II be dial
cult to prove that the Land League has
meTited and possesses tho trust and the
affection OF lrishmen ia every country;
ana That 1t can never be put down until
the Dublin authorities arc prepared 10 i'm |
prison a majority Of the Irish people.
How much Ireland owes 10 this outlaw
ed organization, how universally the con
cessions made by The Gladstone Cabinet |
are due to It's reIistless pressure, was in |
adVertently confessed at the opening Of |
the Land Court on Thursday of last week. |
When the new Judges took thoir seats,
the Registrar, we are told, arose and cried |
out, 81 declare the Court of the Land |
League to be- now opon" He meant, of |
course, to announce the Court Of the |
Land Commissions" but ho spoke more
npuy and truthfully than he Intended. |
The new tribunal is indeed the Court Of |
the Land League, In the sense that it |
would never have been created but for an |
agitation so persistent and imposing that
tho public opinion Of Great Britain was
awakened as 1t had never been before to
the grievances Of Ireland, and that this
Gladstono Cabinet was fairly shamcd into
show Of philanthropy and justice.
There is not man in the United King
dom who believes that the Liberal Party, |
largely made mp as it is Of Wing land |
lords, would have lifted finger TO i'm |
prove tho condition OF the Irish tenant. !
much less have sacrificed whole session |
OF Parliament in the discussion OF his ia
torosls, had not the tremendous leverage
brought to bear by the Land League made
the pacifCation Of Ireland the absorbing
question Of the hour. Nor was it by their
sinister aims and violent method that
these demonstrations made 90 profound
an impression on English pnblic opinion
and on the minds Of the Ministry. The
action Of The Land League differed from
most preceding movements I'm Ireland w
ne pacific, temperate, circumspect, and !
cautious character, by It's steadfsst rspr- !
'''N''"h w ihnuIItJtl'Hbt pihnht hHO Lht |
rigorous confinement Of its energies to !
The legitimate agencies open 90 all British /
subjscts-free meetings, free speech, and
free press. Under its guidance, the Irish
agitation for reform IN the relations Of
landlord and tenant was conducted on
precisely the same principles as the En-
glish agitation for The repeal si the Corn
Laws in the lime OF Sir Robert Peel.
Herein, Of course, lay the secret Of its
unsssailable position sad irresistible force.
Agsin and again Il was admitted by Mr..
Gladslons In the House Of Commons, tb II
the Land League was not an illegal or
ganizstion that the Coercion Act was not !
intended 70 repress II, and that none Of
Of the persons arrested on suspicion were
punished for debating or obcying the in !
s'uctions Of the League. Mr. Forster not 1
only echoed these assertions, but went 30 |
far as to signify in debate, in reply 70 the /
tauuts Of the Conservatives, grave doubt /.
Whethcr the suppression Of the Land /
League could be accomplished without
express legislation.