New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-07


ticularly-may be inferred from the statement that
during last year, 1880, there were $500 agrarian
outrages; and that this number is 35 per cent in
cess of the greatest number recorded in the worst
previous year. 1S45. The number did not dim nsh
but increased toward the end Of 1880. Excluding
threatening letters, twO.thirds of the outrages of
the year occurred during the last three months.
and 1t was greater III Iecember than IN
both October and November taken together Nor is
ii the number of outrages which most alarming 1t
is their character and object The chief object of
them is intimidatiOn and the object of this Intimi
dation is to enforce obedience to the edlcts of the
Land League-that same Land League which Mr.
Parnell has been ex telling peaceful agency of
which the effect is to diminish and not to increase
outrage and crime. That object, pursued by these
Means has been attained The Land LeaCue-the
words are the words of Mr. Forster representing the
land. Mr.. Parnel and he agreed on that point,
but MIR. Forster this reign is reign OF terror.
while Mr. Parnel insists that tie power OF the Land
League is due to it's popularity, and not to in
timidation. Joining issue on that. Mf. Forster
proceeds to show what intimidation means, what
acts are done under the rule of the League and by
what means its authority is enforced. These acts
lie divides into CLASSES, OF which the first includes
outraccs on property. The cases where buildings
were rDcd--purcly agrarian caSes-numbered III
1880 90. of which los were in the last three
months. The cases where cattle were manned aud
tortured for the same purpose l0l in the last
three months, O4. If farmer holds out against
this form Of persuasion, the next attempt of the eur
;ssales of tho League is directed against himself
and his family. a party consisting of twenty, or
even forty men come to farmers house at night,
drag him out Of his bed, and card him. Perhaps l
ought to explain what 'carding is. KIND OF comb
used for agricultural purposes is applied to the mans
naked body, and the torture must be very great.
Then the man is threatened and warned against dis
obcying the orders of the organization any longer
Shots are fired over his head, and sometimes at
him." Acts like these, says Mr.. Forster. strike
terror into whole districts and men who would 9TH
crwise he willing to pay their rents, dare not.
The number Of such acts last year was 339: four
times more than during any year since $40 Firing
into dwellings at night is another form of dealing
with rent paving tenants, and of this there were
sixtv-seyen cases last yeaI; forty-ive in the last
three months, against sixty IN all during the nine
previous wears. So successful do :hcso methods
prove that the III which 1t Is found necessary
TO resort to murder are comparatively lew. sun
there are obstinate fellows not only landlords but
farmers and work folk, who will not give IN when
their property is destroyed, to torture. moi to
voeys of shot poured in upon their iir'sidcs These
wOnld, very many of them, be murdered. hut tor
the fact that the Government have FELT themselves
bound. at any expense of money and trouble To
protect such men, On the first of this month l53
persons were 81 protected having each tw" police
men constantly with them and 1,149 more were
watched over bv the poc, only not quite so closely.
Ii Is saws Mr. Foster the largest return o the KIND
ever furnished in this in any civilized country.
year ago the number protected was exactly SIX.
What is the purpose of these outragcS asks the
Chief Secretary. They have various Objects Some
times it is to prevent man from taking larnl
from which another tenant has been evicted; some
times to prevent a man from working for landlord
who has taken such farm into his own occupation;
sometimes to prevent man from working on graz
ing farms, it beng the opinion Of the League that
there should be nc grazing farms but the land left
to small farmers sometimes, and very Often 1t IS To
prevent the payment of more rent than the League
thinks ought to be paid In one word. If landlord,
or tenant or aborer does anything forbidden by the
Land League these are the means. these outrages,
adopted TO punish him, or TO intmdate him. and to
enforce obedience to the mandates OF the League
As q specimen of the processes employed Will
quote a single case reported by an inspector OF con-
stabulary in County Sligo.
have TO re ort that about 10 o'clock p. m. on
the 9th inst an armed party, numbering about III
teen entered the house OF Peter keOlahan dragged
him to the door, when one OF them stabbed hIili
was then knocked down and severely kicked. ana
struck with spade. which happened to he IN me
house. They then burned mn on ane PACK m M VIII f-n
for that purpose, leaving three marks. one dnree
inches long, two Others about two inches. ineh
they left telling him not to bring them back, hrng
| shots outside his house going away. On inquiry L
learned that Keolahan had lately worked Tor man
named Dohcrty who had taken possession OF
! farm from which man had been removed through
becoming embarrassed.
| Impunitv for this and similar outrages is To be
purchased by the simple expedient of joining the
| Land League and implicitly obcying It's behests
That there NAV be doubt what these behests arc
| branches of the League are set up all over the
| country. and not only branches but courts.
If ANYTHING were needed to show how
completely the authority of the law IL
superseded hy the authority of tho League
II yould he shown by the opening Of these courts
not secretly but publicly; and by the fact that the
| processes of these League courts can be served
| and their judgments executed, while the Queens
writ il suspended and no bailiff dare attempt to
| enforce legal execution The men who carry out
the DEGREES of the League. whether by violence or
| otherwise, are known, but the victim dares not
| disclose the names of his execuOncrs, he dare
not swear an information the magistrate is power
less to arrest and if an arrest be made witnesses
| will not testify nor juries convict. The whole
machinery of the law is at sandstiil. How IL IL
with the League meantime one witness cltcu Dy hr.
| Forster shows in brief and instructive letter
| Two months ago, in conversing with the tenants,
tbcv all said that they mad a most bOuntllul har-
vest, aud expressed themselves contented and pros
| perous. Since that time there have been weekly
ineetiDp ps of what Is termed the branch OF inc Lana
| League (every Saturday.. This body have tired
cases cited tenants before them, order "a farms 70
be given mp and instituted most complete reign 0i
| terror The number of undetected outrages giving
force TO their threats the few ev-dsposed persons
| have completely cOwed the loyal well-dlsposed vino
Gee that they have no protection TO expect from any
| quarter, and they have been forced to join the
| thTeateners