Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-11

The Wrongs of Ireland RloquentlT
Portrayed by Father SheehJ.

The Theatre LAST night was filed with
large, intelligent and enthusiastic audience
to hear the lecture on the Irish land cues
ton BY Father Eugene Shelby Of Limerick,
Ireland. On the stage were Nessus- Luke
Carson, P. &. shiels, P. ". Meldrim, Daniel
O'Connor, P. J. O'Connor, 4. J. Aylsworth,
n. J. DOYLE, A. Pratt Adams and others
The distinguished lecturer, who Is 3 geutle-
mzn Of imposing appearance, was intro
duced BY Mr. A. P. Adams in q few happy
remarks. ard was received with enthusiastic
applause.
He began his lecture By abiding 70 the
VAIN reception he had met with in
America, and entered 81 once upon ns--
r2tive Of the history and principles Of the
Irish National Land League, and continued,
in substnnee, shout as follows: There
could, said he, be no question as TO the is
sue IL the struggle was between England
sn5 the FIVE millions Of the Celtic race who
sill maintain 8 fOOthold on the soil OF Ire
land, but the struggle was s wider one
L was between England znd the Irish race
the world over. Applause America was
The base Of opersrfOns Of the League. Here
the desp0'ism Of Gladstone could not reseh
70 strsngle the movement. There Is no lsck
Of sslf-reIisnce in Ireland. Years ago ii used
20 be the dream OF Irish patriots 70 90 out
side for foreign help, but this is
not 50 now. We intend, he said.
70 lean uuOn DO outside people in
this contest with England and Englznd's
garrison on Irish soil. We only look TO
those who have Irish blood In their veins.
We desire the sympathy and good vii OF
the American people, but our mission in
Auerics Is - organize sny resources that
nay be found exclusively among those who
are CONNECTED with Us by blood and birth.
WITH this introduction the speaker. first
disclsiming sny attempt az rhetorical effort,
proceeded 20 explain the objects snd pTiu-
cipies # the Irish land League. He stated
st length what was considered the Injustice
Of the laws proposed b. the English Psrlla-
meut. All tenants holding land under leases
we're excluded from the benefit Of the law
This was more than one fourth OF the farm
ers Of the lard. Tue rents had been screw
ei Upto an almost impossible figure. Glad
stones purpose in this law was 10 peTpetu-
ate the landlord system and not 70 benefit
the tenants The very first condition OF
the law Is the payment Of all arrears Of rent
70 the landlord. This was impossible 10
1 Consequence Of the failure Of the crops since
1870, which was the last fairly good year
that has been experienced in the land. In
| 1879 alone the Irish farmers lost over nine
million Tounds sterling In 1876 1877 and
/ ISIS the net loss 10 them was over Sl2O Co.,
| go Il WAS TO ssTethe lives Of thousands o.
s-arving men ard women that Parnell and
Dillon became mendieznts in America
| in 1879 In the fertile vale of Lin
erick there were 400 psupers within
the walls and as many more outside the
walls OF the poor house. He drew q vivid
| picture Of the horrors that prevailed in the
mountain districts. How then could peo-
pie who had two short years ago undergone
! these horrors avail themselves Of Mr.. Glad
stones laws by paying up all their arrears.
| L vas admitted that the laws were simply
| the well devised machinery to collect rents
and i'll the Golfers Of the landowners. About
| one fourth OF the tenants under leases are
! not absolutely bankrupt ia credit, and can
| 90 into the courts with fhe hope Of getting
q reduction OF rent. This leaves three
/ f0urths OF them entirely outside OF the
| possible benefits Of Gladstone's law. An
/ other feature Of the law was that a
tenant had 10 get his case into court
through an Irish attorney. There were no
snakes IN Ireland, but there was the Irish
| attorney, sn institution peculiar to Ireland.
/ Laughter and applause The landlord in
/ Ireland would be content 10 get his rent II
/ the tenant had It in his wsistco2t pocket.
/ but the Irish attorney was never satisfied
until he had introduced his fingers scientif-
| cslly into every corner of every pocket the
| tenant had. To this FeTy day, with one or
| NO exceptions perhaps, the Judges in Ire
| LAID have not done Justice in that land,
He then portrayed 10 graphic style the
! cOerc.ve policy OF the Gladsi one sdmiuis'ra-
/ ton. aud appealed to the fair minded peo-
pie as 70 a Jury to decide between the right
/ and wrong Of the principle for which Ire
land contends. He stood, he said, upon
/ the high platform upon which Davitt stood
-Ireland's INDEPENDENCE under the Irish
/ fsg against the British Government. II was
| DOT the policy OF the Lind Lsse to take
| the lands OF the Landlord without
| compensation. When 6ladstoEa went to
/ Parnel in prison and told him that
/ II be wished to get out Of jail he should
cease his agitation, Parnell replied with
| counter challenge, and said, "Unless you
/ les us cut Of Jail and treat the Irish as free
men that agitation shall never cease" The
| speaker declared to Gladstone and those
Who turned the bolts on Psrnell
/ that until thew deal with US as q
! free people the Irish viii make no terms
was a weapon, swift and shifting, against
| landlordism, and, as the Prussian army
| reduced the defiant and impregnable city OF
| Paris bv patiently waiting and starving Il
/ into submission, so the Irish Land League
| proposed, BIZ paving no rent, TO
starTe the landlord into selling
/ bis lands at fair prices. The loss
/ to the landlords bv this policy already
| amounted TO 500 OOO, 900 900 per annum,
and this must eventually bring them to
terms. Lsnilordism, he asserted, destroyed
/ Ireland and keeps the Irish down, and the
warfare would be maintained against them
until the flag Of redemption and regeners-
ton wa 7ed over the country.
The lecture was closed with a high com
/ pliment 70 the zeal displayed by the friends
/ Of Ireland IN Savannah, and with an earnest
! appeal 10 those whom the cause of ireland
/ was dear 10 Join the Land League, and thus
aid in the work OF the destruction Of Irish
| lsndlordism, and the redemption and re-
| generation OF the Irish Nation.
A. the conclusion Of his address, and after
the applause, which it called forth, had sub
/ sided, the band Of the Republican Blues
/ played an Irish air, after which Mr.. P. J.
O'Conner arose and offered the following
resolutions:
Rssolyed b. The audience, That our thanks
are due to Father sheehy fer the pleasure
aud enlightenment On the great question as
| TO the future welfare Of Ireland.
ResO'ysd, That our sympathies and aid are
due 70 the oppressed.
RssOlgsf, That we ask g cordial welcome
BY Iri-hmen and men OF all nations TO be
extended 70 the reverend gentleman whose
battling for Ireland, We hope will bring that
relief TO which she Is entitled to.
These resolutions were adopted without q
dissenting voice and the meeting adj urned,
and the distinguished lecturer and victim of
British tyranny was escorted " delegations
from the different Irish societies OF the city
to his hotel, where ne was given eoDpli-
mentarY sereBsde.