New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-12

opportunity thus presented to them for aiding
in the advance of their cherished principles
-
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IRISH CRIME.
Mr.. Dillon's defence of terrorism as
means of political agitation was characterized
by Mr. Gladstone as heart breaking" Our
regular London correspondent, having pro-
pensity for calling a spade a spade described
it as a speech that was meant to encourage
the rutiians who practise bOycOtting and out
rage. and to strengthen the forces of disorder
and violence. "You will hear the echo of it,"
he added, in the report of an Irish rifle be-
hind HEDGE The same issue of THE TRIB-
UNE which contained the prediction chrOn-
icled its fulfment. A Galway landlord and
his dragOOn escort were shot dead on the nigh
way by group of assassns concealed behind
a stone wall. The prominence of this new
victim of assassination, as barnster ana
magistrate and a contestant FOR one OF the lIlsh
seats in Parliament, and the fact that his
military escort shared his fate, have created
painful impression in Westminster. MI
Parnel is represented as renewing his express
sons of regret for the very naughty things
which are done in his country. His associates
too are rolling their eyes and lowering their
voices in mOmentary spasm OF detection
But they are careful to explain under their
breath that the crime must not he Charged to
their account, as the Land League organization
ceased to exist six months ago III the district
where the murders have been committed
They cannot, however, shift their responsibility
for these new Outrages so easily That these
six rifle-shots fred from the stone wall are the
echoes of Irish harangues in WcstmlI ster the
murdered landlords brother publicly pro-
claims AS the indictment is framed by our
London correspondent, innocent lives have
been taken, terror in all the hideous forms IT
"assumes under the dominion of public and
secret societies in Ireland" has become " u
more awful and permanent power because
Mr.. Dillon and his associates have justified
intimidation and outrages
The plea which the Irish leaders make i'll
dsclaiming their responsibility for these
fragrant Grim es implies either fantastic eilront-
cry or criminal incapacity TO understand the
nature of the forces with which they are deal
ing in the island. To explain that the GOrt
branch of the Land League was dissolved last
| October is a pitiful subtcrfugc. The machinery
was of little account when the mass OF the
tenantrv had been set in motion and public
| sentiment had been organized III opposition to
| law and land reform The Land League was
suppressed because it had undertaken to set its
own law above the law of the land. The Brit
| ish Parliament had passed the Land Act; Mr..
| Parnell had called upon the Land League to
veto it; the Government had arrested Mr..
! Parnell in order to put the Land Act in opera
| ton and from Kilnainham had come gen.
eral order to the Irish people to repudiate their
| debts and to league together i'll systematic law
| breaking. During the half year when Mr..
| Parnel was in Jail, not one word of rebuke,
or caution, or Indignation passed his lips, or
those of his political associates. Meanwhile
the Irish people were being rapidly educated
in lawlessness. Agrarian Outrages increased
from month to month until, at last an innocent
lady had her head shot of while driving home
| from Sunday service, and the release OF the
| Parliamentary suspects was celebrated by n
| band of assassins in Phoenix Park. Yet from
| beginning to end Mr.. Parnell and his COM
panions had asserted that their responsibility
ceased when the Land League organization
was suppressed. By their No-Rent procama-
tons and political harangues in and out of
| Westminster, they have made law-breaking a
| patriotic duty and encouraged habits of law
lessness. Yet, forsoOth, they are in no wise re-
sponsble for the crimes Of the law-breakers /!
| At Westminster Mr.. Dillon openly justifes
intimidation and violence as necessary means
of political agitation, yet cannot recognize the
| echo of his own words in the rifle volley from
| Gort,
Let us carry this matter of responsibility to
| its full length. When the land agitation began
several years ago, Mr.. Parnell and his follow
! ers took part in it because they thought it
would be a convenient means of uniting the
tenants and interesting them in the question of
legislative Independence. Theyidid not form
ulate the demands of the Irish people in ref
erence to the land. They gave currency to a
few indefinite phrases and counselled wide
spread agitation. When Mr.. Gladstone
brought forward n generous scheme of land
reform. they opposed it. When the Act was
passed they did all they could to break it down.
Until Mr. Redmond's bill was debated few
weeks before the assassnations, they had never
committed themselves to any definite scheme
OF legislation. Until that day they had OPP
posed every definite proposal for reform and
| had conducted an agitation for indefinite ends
| playing all the while with the tendencies OF
lawlessness. Mr.. Gladstone, giving his sane
ton TO the first definite scheme which they
had proposed, introduced the Arrears bill.
Are they satisfied even with their own sOlu-
ton OF the Irish question Not at all. Michael
| Dayitt, their greatest organizer, unfolds in
Liverpool an extraordinary scheme of national
] purchase involving charge Of 500, 600, 900