National Republican., 1881-11-04
THE WRONGS oF IRELAND.
Cruelty Of British Domination In Erin's
IsIc-Vicws orIs-v. sydney smith.

IsIr-Vicws ofItrv. sydney Smith.
To the Editor ofTHE REPUBLICAN,;
am constrained TO ask space for some
pertinent remarks of Dr. Smith, q minister Of the
Church Of England, and, / believe one of the
Lords Spiritual" Iti so refreshing to see any
thing from an Englishman in favor or in sympa-
thy for Irishmeu The sovercigns of England and
the ministry have seldom been more hostile to
Irish emancipation and the freedom of the Irish
race than the theolopians, both the Epscopacy
and the hierarchy; the one preferring their poti-
cal Importance and their fat bcnefces, the other
the peace Of the church before the freedom Of the
Irish race. am opposed to church and state, and
to the interference Of the bishops with the politi
cal or secular affairs of the people. Already the
British legions are in motion, and unhappy Ire
land will be soon again the theatre ofwar Fire
and sword will again devastate herand delugc her
green fields with blood. God what torrents
of British wrath have not been poured out on
land stamped with the benencent inteuts OF Thy
creative Will supremcly blessed by Thee, but
supremely cursed by wicked men and an atrocious
and cruel government, stepped in perjury and
crimes most dumnable On the subject of vigor
and force in Ireland the eloquent and Godllke
man
SPOKE As Follows:
cannot describe the horror and disgust which
felt at hearing Mr. Percival call upon the ministry
for measures of vigor in Ireland. If lived at
Hampstead on stewed meats and claret; If
walked TO church every Sunday before eleven
young men Of my own bcgetting, with their faces
washed and their hair plcasingly cOmbed IL the
Almighty had blessed me with every earthly COM
fort how awfully would ] pause before sent for
the flame and the sword over the cabins Of the
poor, brave generous, open hearted peasants Of
lTelRnd How easy 1t is to shed human blood |
How easy 1t is to persuade ourselves that 1t is our
duty to do so, and that the decision has cost Sc
we're struggled How much in all ages have wounds
| and shrieks and tears been the cheat aud vulgar
resources of tho rulers of mankind How
In ".
ern in kindness and TO found an
empire upon the everlasting basis of justice and
affection But what do men call vigor2 To let
loose hussars and TO bring up artillery to govern
with lighted matches, and TO cut and push and
prime call this not yigor, but the sloth Of cru
finding out wherein subjects are aggreved, In re-
| lieving them, In studying the temper and genius
ofa people, in consulting their preIudiees in Sc
thcm In the aborious, watchful, and difficult task
of increasing public happiness by allaying each
particular discomfort, In this way only Will Ire
land ever be subdued. But this in the eyes Of Mr.,
Percival Is imbecility and meanness, houses are
not broken open, women are not in
| they are not ridden by horses and cut by
whips Do you call this vigOr? Is this government
NO. NO; Ireland has had no government for seven ei
| purposes of government and according to the
American idea. The chief troubles in Ireland
have arisen out Of the land tenure. War pestience
and famines have come to her from this, and this
| alone. Nearly four thousand years years ago a
Spanish colony settled in Ireland. There were no
aboriginal inhabitants and no adverse title was
ever set up; so that Ireland absolutely belonged
to the Irish, and this continued So until the early
| part of the twelfth century, when an English king
took possession of II under permit grant Of the
Pope. This is denied, but the fnct is nevertheless
true If history be true. Adrnn ~. permitted
Henry III. to go there and take possession for a
money and other considerations. The king, to
make show OF justice in the distribution of this
vast estate acquired by fraud, divided the whole
| Island between ten Englshmen ana hVe Irish
| men. These were the first landlords, and from
this circumstance has come down TO this day all OF
lrclands sorrows and woes-her famines and her
| poverty, and above all her loss OF independence
| and freedom In this wicked and accursed trans
| action Henry cheated the Pope by not complying
with q single condition of the nelarlous compact.
| If that was all one might rejoice at IT, But that
was not all; this affair has made lrishmen the
veriest slaves from that day to thisl say TINS
in the fullest and most unreseryed manner The
whole number of Irish citizens that participate
at all in political governmental affairs Is about
100000, out of population Of about 6.OOOO0O, or
| about per cent. of the whole This struggle OF
the Irish for freedom and the rights OF man
| against klngly ami prinCely tyranny Is only the
struggle OF republicanism-the struggle OF the
democracy of the world against despoIisml God
In these stirring and momentous events in Ireland,
! H n oS sb for IS he to- for h
manfully her hcNdlcss oppressor2 Or will she fall
PROSTATE once more perhaps forever under the ac-
and domestic treason2 God forbid that this should
ever be her fate2 Nearly u hundred years ngo
Robert Emmet declared with his dying breath
that the emancipation and freedom Of Ireland
were possible. lie said: 81 confidently hope,
though wild and chimcrical as 1t MAJ, appear,
there is still union and strength In Ireland suf
ficient to accomplish this noblest enterprise OF
this speak with the confidence of intimate
knowledge and with the consolation that apper.
tain to that confidence" The same union and
strength ought TO exist o.day, aud 1t unqueson-
ably does, If intermeddling and treason to Irish
freedom have not done their work. Emmet was
true 10 Irish freedom. lie knew that England
would never give even British freedom to the Irish
was willing to fight and perish for It. Sooner or
later those who would be free themselves must
strike the blowW i. H. COONES.