The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-01-04
lRELAKD.


AHairs IN ireland are rapidly reaching that
point when the English government will be
compelled to interpose a check upon their
progress or submit quietly to the demands of
the land league. Although in theory Ireland
is a dependency of the British crown, it is
to-day, in fact,s San independent state. The
land league, We are informed, grants licences
for the prosecution of business, levies taxes
which are promptly paid, and enacts laws that
are obeyed to the letter. 1t is a complete
government operating in silence and in mys-
terry 10 all outside of its jurisdiction, mock
ing the rival government, whose ministers
seem paralyzed and sit with idle hands while
the workings ofthe land league 60 steadily
and smoothly forward. This state Of affairs
has been brought about by methods never be-
fore employed by. a people working for their
liberty. Socie! ostracism has been a power
full factor in this contest. So far has this
been kcarried- that it was difficult to find a
tradesman in that country to sit upon juries
before which members of the league have
been tried. Individuals of the dominant par
ty will neither patronize nor associate with
those who oppose their views. Every move
is made in silence and the enemy of Ireland
knows not the moment when the torch will
render him a pauper or the bullet will make
him a corpse. -Four hundred mass meetings
are held semi-monthly throughout the land.
England has endeavored to put down these
meetings without resortlng to actual force.
They find they cannot compass that end. 1t
would require more troops than England has
at her immediate command TO effect this.
Gladstone's ministers do not agree as to the
proper method to pursue to quell the disturb
ance. 1t has not yet assumed the proper
lions of a rebellion and they have hesitated
to use force. Bright and Chamberlain are
strongly suspected of being in sympathy with
the objects ofthe league, while Harrington, For
ster and others of the cabinet oppose them
queen would enter Ireland with an army and
scatter the league, but Gladstone has, thus
far, restrained her.
Fer the first time in the history of the
country Irishmen have comprehended the SUI
perior potency of intelligent union over un-
organized warfare. They have relied in the
impregnable strength of a whole people uni
ted in silent resistance of what they regard as
a great wrong. So far they have succeeded.
They have made the English government
yield an attentive ear to the recital of their
grievances. Steadily and unf1inchingly they
set about introducing a new order of things
in their midst. Landlords and their agents
who had evicted Irish tenants from their
homes were made to feel their power. The
crops of the Objectionable class could not be
gathered. If he were never so poor and
needy no Irish peasant could be hired to
lend a helping hand. The landlords saw
their lands become unproductive and their
agents compelled to flee from the country
They have appealed to the English govern
ment for help, but that government has been
powerless to make men work who were moi
disposed to work. Orangemen were brought
down from the north to aid the distressed
landlords, but the country was too warm fol
their comfort and they left as speedily az
Boycott did.
What action England will eventually take
to quell this unnatural resistance is disclosed
by the military preparations now in progress:
under her orders. The English papers open
ly predict the policy of COERCION. They say
that no concession the mother government
could make would disband the opposition o.
disarm the people. They say the league Cal
command the presence of legions of armet
men at the sOund of the to csin of war. The,
claim that the resistance of the Irish people
is a defiance to the authority of the crow
that can be answered only in one way, ant
that is by the strong arm of the military.
1t is certain England tinds herself reduced
to accept one Of two alternatives. She mus
either permit the open establishment of
separate government, or she must resort t,
arms to sweep the disaffected from the land
No one who has read the history of Eng
land eau for a moment hesitate as to tn
course she will pursue. What the result viii
! be no one can ~foretell. 1t will be a deadl,
civil strife hut conducted on an entirely diff
l ferent basis from any heretofore adopted. Al
open stand with a large force may not be tn
, tactics pursued by the Irish leaders, but
warfare in which secrecy and the silent bu
the distinguishing features. England ma,
, conquer Ireland, but it will require years O
fighting, the expenditure of immense sum
of money and the sacrifice of thousands 9
lives. It. is to be hoped all this may be avert
4 ed.