Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-01
AttE IN IRELAND,
James Redpath on MIR. Forster's
Administration.
oorrespondence Of the Tribuns.

correspondence OF the tribune.
NEW YORK, May 22.-Your Lon
don correspondent, in his fourth letter
on the murders in Phenix Park, has
c~rystalized into 4 single sentence the
whole indictment of Ireland against
England from the point of view of
American political philosophy.
&c. W. s." is cordially disliked BY
the Irish in America, and he seems to
reciprocate their unfriendship. His
testimony, therefore, ought to be
entitled to great weight with Ameri-
can believers in the English system of
rule in Ireland. of which, [ think, he
is not only the most jealous, but by
far the ablest exponent, either in the
American or the British press.
&c. w. s." says: "Mr. Forster was
the real ruler of ireland, subject to
the general control of the Cabinet"
For one, as a friend of the Irish Land
League agitation and an enemy of the
Engliah system of government in Ire
land, | am willing to rest the defense
of the Irish people and their leaders
on this one ineontrovertible confession.
There are in Ireland over FIVE millions
Of people For more than a genera
ton their children have been edu-
Gated in the Irish national schools,
which are better differed on the
average than the common schools of
our Northern States. The rising gem
Grafton in Ireland as we'll as its imme.
date predecessor is thoroughly famil-
lar with the history of tho race and
inspired with republican ideas. No
nation in Europe is so we'll educated
as the Irish are educated in American
political principles, and no nation is
more republican in its creed. These
are the cardinal facts in the Irish sit
uation.
Yet, according to English theories,
a people thus educated are expected
to remain contented without "home
tule" or self-gover1ment and to sub.
NIT without murmuring to the arbi.
trary will of "the real ruler of Ire
land"-even when he happens to be,
as Mr.. Forster was. an English retired
manufacturer, who has never shown
the mental capacity to rise, although
he has had abundant opportunities, to
higher rank than the station Of a
third class English statesman. The
Irish nation is expected to look on
with grateful loyalty when they soc, as
for two years they did see, this Brum-
magem Cromwell imprison their
noblest citizens, defy Irish public
opinion, issue orders to encourage the
most odious system of espionage, re
lease men who were duly indicted by
Grand Juries as murderers suspend the
habeas corpus, abolish trial by jury,
institute a government by constables
for a government by laws, and sternly
suppress all attempts to obtain redress
peacefully, either by permitting free
speech or an untrammelled press.
Each and all of these political crimes
have been committed by Mr.. Forster
and the system he represented in Ire
land during every month of this very
year. Scores Of Irish men and Irish
women have been as cruelty wounded
as President Garfield was wounded by
constabulary assassins encouraged and
melted by Mr.. Forster's secret circu
lars; and several Irish peasants have
been buried in bloody graves by the
policy persisted in by this real ruler
of Ireland." The murder of Caven-
dish by unknown asSassins was a brutal
outrage, but not any greater murder,
or less cruel, than the murder of Ellen
McDonough by Mr.. Forster's con
stabulary. But crimes like these on
both sides are inevitable wherever
and so long as a foreign class insists on
ruling a race entitled 70 self govern
ment.
What ireland demands, and has a
right to demand (according to Amer.
lean ideas), and wh4s Ireland would
lose the respect ofali other countries
if she failed to demand without ceas.
ing or compromise, is the right to
govern herself-just as every Ameri-
can State, just as every Canadian
Province, just as every Australian
Colony, governs itself, subject, not 10
the general control Of the (English)
Cabinet" in which the Irish people
have not a single representative, but
subject only to the general control"
Of an Imperial Parliament in which
she shall have an equitable representa-.
ton according to her population.
Now, | submit it to the candid con-
siderAtion OF the readers of the Tri-
bune, that, until it is demonstrated
that our American system of govern
ment is a radically wrong system, and
that the European system of govern
meDt is the right method of govern
ment, it ia useless to undertake in our
America to argue the case of an alien
~oligarchy that insists by medieval
methods in governing" a a c who
are qualified for self government.
There never lived a man who was good
or wise enough to exercise arbitrary
power o"er a whole race; and certainly
history has never recorded a single in
stance Of an a~ristocracy like the Eng
lish ruling classes. having shown
itself capable Of ruling a foreign race
either with justice or with wisdom.
Yours truly,
JAMES REDPATH.
A Friend 10 the Friendless.