The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-05-06

thousand of his constituents at Sunder-
land on the 9th of March. Referring to
Ireland, that gentleman said:
1.-The Land bill became a.law in Au-
gust. Four month"; experience of its
working has disposed of two well-known
fallacies-first, that there was no need OF
legislation; and, second, that the Irish
tenants are lazy and improvident{ The
Commissioners had decided 1, 200 cases,
and :he average reduction had ap-
preached thirty per cent. A thousand
cases have been settled out of court, and
the average of reduction agreed on out
side has, on the whole, been larger than
that decreed inside. On one estate in
Ulster Che rent has been reduced more
than one-half. Probably the landlord is
one of the three thousand who met in
Dublin in December shrieking for COM
pensation from the British taxpayer.
He has for years been charging the rent
of unrighteousness, and may esteem
himself fortunate that no demand of
compensation is made upon him. There
was need for change. The English
find it easy to believe the Irish tenantry
are lazy and improvident. Under SINH
lar conditions we should have been so,
for John Bull likes pay Tor his work;
but in the majority of instances the
Commissioners have remarked upon the
industry and thrift of the applicants.
"Twelve million acres of Ireland are
in the grass. Grazing farms are outside
the act. One hundred and fifty thou
sand Irish tenants are leaseholders- No
leaseholders, with few exceptions, come
under the act. Probably one hundred
thousand tenants owe arrears beyond
their means of paying. Even while
they are praying the court for fair
rent they are being evicted, horse and
foot assisting, at the scene. Upon the
doors Of the Land Court there is, as it
were, inscribed: this message to 200, 0OO
tenants: sYe cannot enter here
The honorable member then proceed
ed to describe the present state of Ire
land, not in the language of passion, but
with cold bloodeds mathematical pre-
cision: Ae. E&ex
Fifty thousand Of the flower of our
troops occupy strongholds. Twelve
thousand police, with swords and car
bines, assist the soldiery. CROMWELL
Major-Generals are resuscitated, and
five large districts in Ireland are hand
ed over to Military Police Governors,
who have at their beck the lives AM
liberties Of the population. For the first
time since Charles l. members of Par
lament are kept in prison for long
periods on secret informations ard with.
out trial. Five hundred other persons
Mayors, Aldermen, Town Councillors,
| priests, schoolmasters, merchants, WON
| en-, farmers, village tyrants, dissolute
iruflians -are in a similar plight. There
is widespread strike against rent
many cannot pay at all, some would
some dare not. Eyictions are numer
Gus. When more or less wild acts o.
vengeance or passion. occur, nobody
has eyes to see OF ears to hear Rufian!
take adsantageSof the time to wreal
private vengeance or commit private
robbery. Spies abound. letters arr
opened, newspapers are seized, iIlega
meetings are prohibited, legal meetings
are interfercd with by unwise, officiou.
police. i am speaking of Ireland, no
of Poland-of an integral part of wha
with unconscious irony we call thu
United Kingdom Is this the best W,
Englishmen can do with Irishmen?
1--WE seem ever to fail Why is it
Because there. exists the blight which
follows wrong-doing and injustice--tht
curse that arrests q departure from thu
principle we supported in Italy, il
Greece, in Bulgaria, in Servia, in Cana
ida, that people shall govern them
selves. 1t is not too late yet to return
4 a. - ~ Hhoro
who take a brighter view of Irish affairs
who discern in the present disorders
only the temporary success of the incl
nations of few agitators, buttressed BY
the brutal crimes of limited number o
village ruffians. None are so blind O.
those who will not see. The picture
have drawn is dark, but true. The rela
tons of Ireland to England are moi
merely disgrace, they constitute Ma
tional danger. Where tomorrow, il
case of European war, could we flint
an army? Is it in Ireland? / do no
doubt but that we should pull through
| The anxious spirit of our race would
sustain us, but thrice is he armed tina
hath his quarrel just. With Ireland con
tented and loyal as Scotland we shoul'
not only be safe but free from shame.
"As remedy there are four alterna
tives before u.s.. The first is to let Ire
land 90 altogether. The second is t.
continae the present system of repres
sion-the former would be humiliating
the latter is, intolerable. ] am not pre-
pared for either. The third is that W
should reverse the policy of the past
govern Ireland by 1rishmen, accordin,
to Irish ideas, legally accuse and con
stitutionally try the subjects or releas
them. l do not say that this policy vii
j conciliate Mr.. Parnell or Mr.. Dillon. ]
you had inflicted upon me the indignit
of Kilmainham / should be hard to con
ciliate. Had you treated me as the.
have dealt with the one-armed, liberty
loving, outrage-hating, patriotic peasan
in Portland. my blood would, perchance
have turned to gall. Every act of jus
tice makes some contented. The Lam
act has done SO, and will do SO. Ever