Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-09
The Carendish Murder.

AS expected, the recent assassination
of Lord Cavendish and Mr.. Burke, in
Phoenix Park, Dublin, is the all-absorb-
ing topic of the hour. The high official
and social standing of the victims, the
bloody incidents of their murder in open
daylight, almost in the presence of fire.
quenters of the Park, and in sight of the
Vice Regal Lodge, and the daring reck-
lessness and hideous bloodthirstiness of
the deed, all combine to divert the atten-
ton of the civilized world from every
other topic and fix it upon this terrible
crime.
That these assassinations are generally
regarded as thoroughly prejudicial to the
future welfare of Ireland, is plainly in
dictated by the promptness and vigOr
with which the murderers have been de-
nounced by the Irish leaders, both in
Europe and America. Mr.. Parnell de-
clares that they seem to be the outcome
Of an unhappy destiny presiding over
Ireland-which always comes at mo
ment when there seems some chance for
the country-to destroy the hopes of her
best friends. Mr.. Dayitt regards them
not only as the most fatal blow which
has ever been struck at the Land League,
but one of the most disastrous blows
which have been sustained by the national
cause during the last century. The Irish
Land League declares that ''that evil des-
tiny which has apparently pursued US for
centuries, has struck our hopes another
blow which cannot be exaggerated in its
disastrous consequences" while Mr..
James Mooney, President Of the Irish
National Land League of America, has
tens to denounce the assassination as
execrable and cowardly in the extreme,
aud especially painful and abhorrent to
every true friend of Ireland. These and
similar expressions have been freely ut
tered by every one prominently connected
with the Irish land reform agitation.
The promptness with which the denun-
Citations of these murders most foul have
been uttered show plainly that Irish
leaders fear the result, and feel that the
indignation which will be aroused there
by must excite hostility against Ireland
which will prove too powerful for her
friends to make Roadway against. They
fear, and with reason, that the policy of
Cancellation, which has been determined
upon so recently that it has not yet had
time to be tested, will BE abandoned,
aud that the British Government will &C.
cept this crime as a defiance from the
Irish people, and as a declaration on
their part that they will accept no com
promise, nor be satisfied with any action
by the government short of Irish indie
pendence and absolute freedom from
British rule. True, il is not fair for
Great Britain to place this construction
upon these crimes, nor will it be proper
for that government to hold the IIish
people in mass responsible for the des-
perate acts of four crazy fanatics. Still
there have been so many murders of
late years in Ireland, which have
illuminated at length in these assassina-
tons, that British resentment will be
aroused against her people to the highest
pitch. As the South was held response
bic and suffered for the assassination of
Lincoln, so will the crazy crimes of these
four masked assassins undoubtedly be
cited to prove that the condition of law
lessness which has been alleged as an ex-
cuse for the coercion act still exists.
The issue that will be presented to Eng
land, then, on account Of these murders
will simply be, "shall British rule be
continued in Ireland, or shall that country
be granted her absolute freedomf" The
answer to this question is plain. At this
time England will not consent to surren-
der ireland, but will determine to bold
her in subsection by the use of more
force if necessary. In consequence we
may expect to hear hereafter of more i'll
feeling, more turmoil, confusion and
misrule. and, more than likely, more
bloodshed, in that land. Since she
could not have been wholly free,
it would have been the part of wis
dom for her people to have accepted the
situation, and enjoyed what personal
liberty the new conciliatory move of
Gladstone would have guaranteed. Only
one chance now remains for these bene-
fits yet to be secured. That is for the citi-
zens of Ireland themselves to practically
prove their adherence of these murders
by not resting until they have arrested
and brought to merited punishment the
assassins. If they do this, they will, to
great extent, necessarily disarm British
indignation. If, however, they do not,
they will be regarded as tacitly approx
ing these assassinations, and their con-
duct will be looked upon as continued
defiance to the British Government,
which Will be met with all the force
which that government can command.
This, all friends of Ireland will deeply
deplore, for it will surely bode no good
to that unhappy land.