The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-03-04
The Irish Agitation.

II 7
ises, says the Pittsburgh Post, to play an i'm |
portant and possibly determining part IN /
the agitation in England and Ireland, for a !
reform in the system of land tenure. 1t viii I
supply the Sinews of war, to continue peace I
able and constitutional agitation, by liberal /
contributions of money 1t does not counsei (
or ask money for purposes of violence or arm
ed hostility 10 the British government. No
matter how righteous the cause OF Ireland,
the odds against the Irish people are so great
that an ipsurrection would only Tiyet their
chains and entail fearful suffering and op-
preston on a helpless population: The
great end in view must be accomplished by
other means, and by aIOusing not only the
English people but the sense of the civilized
world against the brutallties and oppression
of English rule in Ireland. England bore
an important part, by its money contTibu-
sions in the agitation that ripened in our civil
war and the freedom of the slave. We can
now reciprocate this service to humanity by
promoting the Acknowledgement Of the Irish
people from the tyranny OF law and custom
as CALLING in its way as was American slaV-
cry.
The President of the American branch Of
| the Land League is Hon. p. A. Collins, a
distinguished Irish American Of Boston, and
[ the Treasurer Rev. Lawrence Walsh, Of
Waterbury, Connecticut, to whom all money
! subscriptions should be remitted. Mr.. Col
I Inns in recent interview gave facts aud fig
| uTes Of the progress and work of the Ameri-
can branch. There are now established
some ttco hundred thousand branch Leagues in
/ this country, and the number is rapidly in
I creasing. Within two months, Mr.. Collins
4 says, there will be from three to four hundred
/ thousand members enrolled Asserting that
( at least one-quarter of the population of the
United States is Irish or OF Irish lineage, and
( that the people OF that nationality here are
Substantial of one mind in favor Of the Land
movement, Mr.. Collins denies that there is
| any prospect of a collapse of the agitation,
/ either in this country or abroad, growing out
of recent events on the other side. He says
/ there are plenty of leaders to take all the va
cant places, and that aSSurediy the move
. ment will not die from a lack of that kind
The agitation will go on. A noise must be
/ made to secure the attention of the world
/ and force in some form must be exercised to
make England consider the Irish question.
/ But the Land League is pursuing its course
/ strictly within the limits of law, preserving
[ the peace, cOunsellinE and enforcing moder-
alton among the people, and under its adj
I miniStratiOu crime has diminished rather
I than increased -
Some people who take surface view OF
/ events are disposed to deride the policy OF
obstruction" pursued by the Irish members
of the House of Commons. The truth is 1t
has accomplished great results Ii is form
of agitation that reached, not only the Eng
lish people, but the civilized world, and par
ticulaTly the English-speaking portion Of It
iu the United States, Canada, and Austr ALA.
The Boston Pilot, in reply to the sneer Of
leading paper at PaTnells stupid Obstruc-
tion policy" explains the philosophy and re-
suits Of it in this way
No matter for Ireland's anger and anguish while
she could do ucthing but ask, argue. and De out
The world did not care No other country un-
derstood or injerfcred- Ireland English
province, thought the Nations. snd why should
England treat part Of herself IuJuriously? There
vas Wide belief however vague that the Irish
had really solid cause for complaint, but were
unsettled and turbulent by nature: Mr.. Parnell
saw like the clear-hesded ana able he has
proved himself 10 be, that something must DC done
to awaken the attention of other countries Of Eng
land. and Of Ireland herself. OF another gen
GRAFTON would almost the destruction Of an an.
cient race and proud nat nationality.
commanded what could twenty men do against
over six hundred who had made up their minds TO
ignore the minority They could only do one
thing-they could stop the wheels Of the am nPeriaI
machine Ihey could lay hoid on al the ruIes snd
! precedents and allowances Of Parliament, and cast
them like solid logs before the wheels Of the engine
! When the great machine stopped on the track
( and screamed its anger like y locomotive the pur-
I pose Of the ObstTuctiOntsts was wholly gained
! They had awakened Ireland to the centre; they
had aroused all England to Irelaud's grievances
away from the hcredi tary legislators and handing
It to the whole English people; and they had sue.
ceeded in srestiuB the attention Of the civilized
world 70 the relations Of the two countries.
I This is no exaggerated view Of what the
Irish cause has gained by obstruction Il
is a form Of agitation that has compelled
/ England to revise its parliamentTy rules Of
practice musty with the age OF centuries.
. Irish grievances and wrongs, and the meas
uTe of redress, are better understood to-day
than they have ever been before. They
have been forced on the attention OF the
world. And England, and least Of all the
Liberal party of England cannot set itself
againgt demand for justice that has back
! of 1t the enlightened opinion Of mankind.
Results may not be achieved at once, but
I the seed has been SOwn in a fruitful soil.
and the not distant future will witness the
fruition of great hopes. The one fact that
what has hitherto been a local and provincial
matter, has assumed the mighty proportions
Z Of an imperial question, interesting every
part of the British empire, is an all sufficient
I answer to those who cayl at agitation in
Parli ament OF elsewhere.
A London correspondent Of the Chicago
Tunes telegraphs that paper an interview
I with Mr.. =. NJ. Sullivan, one Of the ablest
Of the Irish representatives. asking FOR the
real reason for the long fight against the
Coercion bill. Mr.. Sullivan replied, giving
reasons additional to those we have quoted
from the Pilot. He said
, The 1rst was had the bill passed soon affer be.
ing introduced Il would have been met with resist
not prepared for 1t, and time must be had &c;
them accustomed to the situation. For that pur-
, pose emissaTies have traveTsed Ireland, day and
night, for six weeks king tie people acquainted
mission It was for his influence with the Irish
: people that Davttt was brought over. The second
reason was that resistance gave time to remove
$1,000 ana the yitals OF the Land League to neu
tral territory. The tremendous cheering by the
Irish members IN the House Of Commons Monday
. night. which caused so much ast0nishWent. vas
because ohsyruction had delayed the bills until al
was accomplished that had been sought by delay
The Obstructionists won = great victory. The
third for ohst-uct that II the bill
! delayed tiI March % was believed there would
, ment would DsJ think coercion necessary.