The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-06-19
MICHAEL DAVIT
Arrival of the Irish Agitatator IN
New Y rk.
HIS OPINION ON THE STATE OF AT
FAIRS IN IRELAND.

secretary VIM. Redmond, arrived at quaran-
tine at u. 80 last night without word Of warn
irg. She had not been reported and the hrSt
knowledge of her arrival was the rattling of
her anchor chains in the offing opposite the
health office. Early in the afternoon the
steamer Blackbird which had been chartered
by the citizens committee, with large party
of friends, including Miss Sabina Davitt, sister
of the land Lacquer, left the barge office rock
at the Battery and proceeded to quarantine
where they remained until the Germania ar
rived. A committee consisting of Mr.. +.
Foley of the Irish World, and A. e. Ford,
paid a visit to the residence of the health officer
and procured permit to take the agitator of
the ocean vessel and convey him up the bay to
the city. The committee had arranged very
pleasant order of exercises which, however,
fell through owing to the circumstances at
tending Davitt's arrival. After midnight
when the Germanic had come to anchor in the
bay Foley and Ford Immediately put out in
a small boat and boarded the vessel,
Ford soon returning with the intelligence that
Davitt was on board. He brought with him Mr..
Redmund, who received hearty welcome
Foley remained on board the Germanic with
Davitt.
The reason why Davitt did not come aboard
the Blackbird was explained from the deck OF
the Germanie by Foley, who stated it was an
impossibility for Davitt with only one arm to
descend the gangway to enter small boat.
The Germanic was at her dock by 7.30 and Da-
riedly driven to the Everett House, There
was no demonstration and the proposed recep-
tion thus proved an utter failure. At the ho-
tel Dayitt cordially invited party OF newspa-
per men who awaited his coming to his apart
ment, and after removing some of the luggage
he carried sat down and informed them that
he was at their service and willing and ready
TO answer questions He was asked first as to
his plans. These were, he stated, twelve
days visit, lecturing through the States under
the auspices of a committee of Land Leaguers,
between this city and Chicago. He had in
tended to speak in Boston Saturday night, bat
icebergs and foggy weather prevented his arri-
val in time, He should, however, proceed to
Boston during the afternoon and speak there
in the evening
The object of his visit was two fold: d:-Flrst,
to contradict rumors that were going OF split
in the land league movement or likelihood OF
there being Q difference between Parnell and
himself,
Second, to explain the work done in Ireland
by the ladies' league in sustaining OF evicted
people, building of houses and maintenance in
the law courts of tenants right. Miss Parnell
had intrusted him with the report of the league
since its initiation copy of which would be
sent to all branches and daily papers in the
coursesof day or two.
In my speech in the Academy Of Music said
he 81 shall deal with tho present situation in
Ireland and give details Of the new departure,
new schemes, and explain away these rumors
of rupture between Parnell apd myself. So
far as they are concerned you may say we are
in perfect accord, and I consider affairs IN Ire
land were never in so hopeful condition.
MY Liverpool speech of which only garbled
fragments have been published here and used
to misrepretent me, was not intended to con-
trovert the old programme, but was in reply to
challenge of the tory press. defy any one
who reads that speech to say it is communistic
in its nature. 1t was simply an explanation of
1o,1 fou 20 CHI
how itaffects Parnell and myself 1 shall sim
ply quote from it "The quotation was in do
ing this shall lay myself open to suspicion of
differing from Parnell and most of my COL
leagues in the land league movement, but the
fact is, there lis not particle more differ
ence of opinion between the member for Cork
and myself upon this question than when we
stood together upon the public platform in
Westport three years ago.
Parnell advocated the peasant proprietary.
1 am in favor of her land becoming the nation
al property of ireland. If peasant proprietary
is conceded either by Lord Salisbury when he
gets into power or by Glanstone before he gets
out. am perfectly satisfied the purchase
money that must be advanced by the State for
carrying out such scheme will become title
deed of the state to the land. Believing this
is inevitable from the growing poverty of agri-
Parnell's plan or my own be adopted but as /
was first to raise the cry of f'Land for the peo-
pie, think the time has now come for giving
clear definition of what l mean and propose.
81 wish to state distinctly" continued
Davitt, no new departure is meant or split
against what has been endorsed by Parnell and
his plan will probably be adopted. 1t differs
only in this that instead of requiring tenant
farmers to pay purchase money for fee simple
of the land it would call upon farmers to pay q
land tax that would be equivalent to about one
half the rent now paid to landlords; and Lord
Salisbury has almost taken this up. l mean it
should be for perpetual possession of the land.
worked the plan out in Portland prison and
am very sorry ever left there Dut If land
lords are waiting for difference between Par
nell and myself they will wait till the twentieth
century. They might as well charge me with
being cannibal as communist and would
be madman to propose such thing.
Speaking of the corcion bill Davitt said since
his imprisonment he has travelled through the
most of ireland and thought the people viewed
with Indifference the measure. OF course the
petty annoyances of the bill would arouse the
people to outrages and there the leaders fear,
as they tell against them in external opinion
and can injure no one but the land league.
Davitt expressed his condemnation of the
cowardly assassination in Phoenix Park and
the growing horror of the people at the deed,
and said there was general impression it was
the work of landlords to incite the English
people against Parnells conversion of GlaC-
stone. The only parties who would profit by 1t
would be those opposed to the league as they
knew the odium would fall upon the leaders.
Gladstone's position he considered critical par
ticularly on the Egyptian question and bring
ing forward Of the arrears bill and the second
attempt to deal with the land act and its fail
urs to juftify the opposition of Parnell. The
arrears bill was a confusion and the land act a
failure.
OF Minister Lowell the agitator said he
knew very little, but of his own opinion thinks
the blame lies not so much on Lowell as it
does on the government at Washington. He
says he will not enter Parliament again as he
can do more outside: Landlordism as sys,
tenn he claims is broken and demoralzed and
the question of self government will follow in
the wake of the land league movement as po-
litically landlords are now myth.
Davitt will return at the expiration OF tw
wesks to hold conference with Parnell and
other leaders alter the passage OF the coercion
bill. His secretary, Mr.. Redmund, will remain
here to complete his political education under
his auspices The British Government, said
he, had considered Redmund such terror that
they had locked him up in order to prevent
his doing harm to them The last speech the
agitator will make in this country will be in
Albany, N. Y, just before his departure.
After luncheon the committee again took
charge of Davitt and presented shim with an
address of welcome by Prof. Jno. 2. Brophy.
In response Davitt said 81 wish / could ex-
press nav appreciation of the welcome extend.
York as eloquently as you have worded the
kindly greeting just given. presume no reply
is expected from mo to the various topics
touched upon in the address as Issmay fairly be
expected to deal with them in my public utter
ances while in this country. / have invaria-
bly, made it q point to answer all compliments
as reply to diverse criticism, namrly: BY my
rctS in behalf of Ireland. Ii these have won
your kink approval in the past, am confident
nothing will be done by me to justify the with.
drawalsof ysur sympathy in the future. If
try to serve the cause of Ireland to the best ol
my ability hope / may meet the wishes and
fulfil the expectations of my numerous friends
on both sides of the Atlantic.
After general handshaking the committee
then retired, and Davitt spent the remainder
of the afternoon in writing letters and com.
pleting the details of his campaign in &mer-
lea.
Davitt spent great portion of the afternoon
and evening at the Astor House in consulta
tion with DR.. Wallace and other prominent
members of the land league.