Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-13
TIE IRISH SITUATION.

AID 4ni1o 624S0AASNs
The events of the last week have been
fraught with 3 succession Of surprises in
Irish affairs. First came the English Gov
ernment's unconditional surrender" to
the Parnellites, and the announcement of
couciliatory policy. Close on the heels of
this change, and at the very moment when
the Irish people were celebrating the re-
lease of the suspects" occurred the her.
rible murder Of Lord Cavendish and Mr..
Burke. And this eventual week closes
with the introduction to Parliament of an
Irish Repression bill which indicates the
determination of Gladstone to stamp out
crime if it be possible to do so. The new
bill gives the Lord Lieutenant practically
unlimited powers, and it creates number
of Special Courts with power to hold trials
without juries. By thus dispensing with
juries it is evidently believed that convic-
tions will be made possible, but we are by
no means confident of the success of the
plan. For after all the Courts must still
rely upon evidence, and it is precisely at
that point that4the jury system has broken
down in Ireland. In that peculiar country
witness for the prosecution in case of
agrarian Outage is invariably regarded as
San informer;" and there is nothing so
thoroughly detestable and loathsome to
the Irish mind as an informer. 1t follows
that whoever undertakes to appear for the
Crown as o witness in this class of cases
literally takes his life in his hand. He is
q marked man, and vengeance will be
wreaked upon him at the first opportunity.
It is true that if the Government can by
the free exercise of the extraordinary pow
ers conferred by the new bill succeed in
breaking up the secret societies, and
making it absolutely dangerous to belong
to them, the terrorism which has hitherto
hung over every Crown witness may be
disaipated in part.
1t does not however follow that the Re-
preston bill will be failure because Par.
nell and Dillon make that prediction.
Irish history has been full of surprises in
matters of this kind. Measures intended
to pacify have sometimes had the opposite
effect, and measures whose severity seemed
to render them particularly exasperating
have proved very effectual in restoring
| order. However the new bill may turn
| out, the Government could not, after the
| Dublin murders, refrain from employing the
most energetic means for the repression of
crime. Such an answer to the introduc.
ton of a conciliatory programme could
only be met in one way. The position of
the Government indeed was very embar.
RAISING before the assassinations, for it had
afforded good ground for the conclusion
that the Irish could always obtain what
they wanted by committing a sufficient
number of outrages. 1t was notorious that
crimes had been on the increase for several
months. In April no less than 1926 agrarian
outrages were committed. 1t twas in the face
| of these facts that Gladstone released the
suspects and announced the suspension of
the Coercion Act, and it is incontestable
that the moral liable to be drawn from such
q surrender might even have had something
to do with the murders in Phoenix Park.
Mr. Gladstone virtually said to Ireland
because you are rebelious and turbulent,
land full of murders and outrages, you
"shall have all you want" If some Irish.
men, encouraged by this proof of their
astuteness, had really concluded that q
still more startling access of crime would
be likely to complete their victory, no one
can assert that their reasoning would have
been altogether illogical under the circum.
stances. That this was most dangerous
position for any Government to get itself
into is perfectly apparent, and it is scarcely
possible that the Cancellation programme
could have been carried far under such
sinister auspices. The recent crimes, how
ever, have swept that programme out of
sight. Ithas been made apparent that there
can be no more temporizing and dallying
with the employers and defenders of assas-
sination, and that before anything else can
be done the elements which are engaged in
melting to this atrocious work must be
brought under control.
As to Dillon's cool declaration that the
only safe policy for the Government is to
trust to himself and Parnell, all the facts
are against it. The Government did trust
to Parnell and his party, and the result
was the Phoenix Park murders. That is
what has come of depending upon the
Parnellites, and it is clear that no second
experiment in that direction can be expect
ed. Nor is it in order for the Parnellites
to say that things will be made worse by
the Repression bill. The reply of the Gov.
eminent to that must be that the bill has
been introduced because the situation,
in the absence of repression, had become
tenfold worse than before. That there is
| serious need for stern measures is shown
also by the Infamous proclamation OF the
ruffians who call themselves the Irish Re.
publican Brotherhood, and who shame
lessly applaud and take credit for the
late assassinations. When things have
gone as far as this no Government under
the sun can afford to hold its hand, and
every Irishman who has any regard for the
good repute of his country ought to indorse
whatever policy is necessary to crush
out the brutal and cowardly gang of
assassins who are now seeking to rival the
worst excuses Of the Paris Commune in
that unhappy country.
1t is to be observed that Gladstone has
not relinquished his intention of intro
ducing bill to settle the arrears of rent
question, SO that the legitimate grievances