New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-17
THE IRISH TRIALS.
PENING SCENES AND INDICTMENTS.

LONDON, Dec. 3O.-One oil the leading journals OF
London begins its comments on the second day CT
the lIlsh State trials with the remark that they
have already lost much Of tie interest with which
they were anticipated. That may be true enough
of England. or rather of London, but 1 doubt
whether it be true of Ireland. The special CORE
spOndents whom the London press dispatched to
Dublin send home it is true, narratives which show
that there was great excitement in the streets.
There were no mobs. There was not much cheer
ing. The martyrs" were not accompanied to the
stake by thrOngs of devoted adheTents eager to be
inundated with their leaders. But on turning to
the Dublin papers find the proceedings reported
with tar moro particularly than in those of Lon
don, and some details are given, among which the
rain holds the first place, which account in
measure for the quietness OF the public manifesto
lions. In The Freemans Journal the reports of the
first day fill fifteen columns The speech Of the At
tOrney- General. far as he has gone, is reported
verbatim. With what take to he Hibernlan
humor this paper alleges that the authorities did
VIII atever lay in their power to create cOmmOtiOn in
the neighborhood of the Four Courts by barring all
the gates, garrsOning them with police and sweep
ing the adjoining quay with patrols of horse ana
foot" Then. with logic not less Hbernian' the
same authority Ids that far more effective en-
CINE for clearing the streets the cold and dlngy
rain which drizzled down the whole day with
melancholy consistency" All the popular enthus-
asm OF popular indignation that can be discovered
is concentrated in the groups-not numerous. ap-
parently-who in spite OF the murky rain and OF
the caracoling horsemen did stand contcntedly sat
urated upon the open quay all day long. "Dirty
Dublin" observes one London chrOnicler, "nev6r
more honestly deserved its NAME"
And vet the occasion was not wanting i'll
dramatic interest; nor even in sensational Incl
dents. l am afraid it IS true that, as writers on
both sides the Channel say the real Government OF
lTeand-rea for the moment is being tried by the
judicial representatives OF the nominal aud official
Government. Throughout twOthirGs Of Ireland,
Mr.. PaInells decIees or the DEGREES of the Land
League of which Mr.. Parnell is the iigurehead, are
implicitly obeyed. The DEGREES of Mr. Forster, the
processes of the law courts which run in the name
of the Queen are just as regularly disobeyed. 1t
any evidence of that fact were wanting it is sup
Piled by the remarkable memorial addressed to Mr.
Gladstone by 700 Irish magistrates, affirming that
the state of lawlessness and intimidation at pre-
sent existing in this country is such that the law
is utterly unable to cope with it. What answer Is
there to that? 1t is not necessary to refer to Chief
Justice Nays retirement from the bench Cfor the
purpo>es of these trials as further proof of the
power of the League oil of that section OF Irish
public opinion Of which the League is the rccog-
nized executive for the time being. English
opinion not less than Irish required it, What this
unlucky Judge said the other day is what might
truly and properly have been said anywhere hut
from the bench and by anybody but judge who
was to preside over the trial OF persons accused of
the very offences he Justly denounced But English
feeling will not tolerate flagrant violation of the
traditions of judicial impartiality. IL Ireland i'm
partalty in the English sense has by no means been
strictly Observed and in England itself the notion
in its present completeness and with reference to
cases between the Crown and the subject, IS OF
modern growth. But none the less did the Chief
Justices indiscretion give handle to those who
see persecution in effort to put the ordinary
processes of the law in notion just as they dcscry
tyranny III every suggestion for restoring public
order by extra-ega means, or by the suspension OF
the ordinary safeguards of the loyal citizen a sus
pension to which few loyal citizens object. II
third sensational incident be wanted, it may be
found in the presence of Mr. Macdonogh as senior
counsel for Mr.. Parnell and his codefendants, who
six and thirty years ago was counsel for OCOnnelI
in similar circumstances then, believe as junior,
now as leader OF all his associates. Tho barrsters
employed on one side or the other Include all the
eminent names at the Irish bar But there seems
to be deaIth of forensic talent at least, OF To-
rensc eloquence No one man is singled ont by
common consent as head and shoulders above his
fellows The Attorney General. who leads for the
plants that he cannot he heard.
In Ireland even more than in France, it Is the I'M
expected which happens, and the first day OF the
trial TUESDAY December 2S) proved no exception
to the rule. Nobody supposed jury could lie I'M
paneled the first day. 1t was III fact tmpanelled
without trouble before lunch. The jurors sum-
moned seem to have been the only persons IN Dub
lin who were not eager to be present at the trial.
They were ordered to put in an appearance under
q penalty Of $1,000 each, yet only eighteen ont OF
twenty-four we're there, and after some had been
excused from illhealth, the requisite twelve went
peaceably into the box. 1t is remarked with won
der that so little sklrmishing occurred among the
lawyers at the opening Whether legal bubbles
were dispensed with at the instance of the defend
ants or because the Crown lawyers had done their
work too we'll to permit of its being challenged,
seems uncertain. Possibly Mr. Parnel thought the
moral effect of his appearance would be impaired
by allowing his counsel to indulge in technical OBJ
ections to the indictment. They say-all sorts OF
people say-that the defendants are too well salts
fed with the composition OF the jury to take much
trouble about minor matters. From the beginning,
the difficulty Of securing conviction on no matter
what charges supported by no matter what evi-
dence, has been recognized. There was, however,
great outcry against the authorities because they
chose to adopt an old method OF selecting jurors
the method employed in OCOnnell's case-which
was supposed TO give some advantage to the
Crown. 1t does not appear to have given much.
Estimates vary, but the lowest have seen reckons
three as the number Of jurymen who may be relied
on not to convict; three "boot-eaters." in the |
phrase of celebrated juror of times past, who de-
clared he would eat his boots before he would find
the accused guilty. The highest is nine; which |
perhaps springs from the religious distribution OF
the panel INTO three Protestants and nine Catholics
If these men are supposed to be amenable to e1-
ternal influences, one Influence is as good as an