Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-11
The Situation i'm Ireland.
A DEFENSE OF THE IRISH DEMANDS BY A. NJ

DEFENSE OF THE IRISH DEMANDS BY A. NJ sULII-
VAN, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
In his lecture at Boston Sunday night on "Irlsh
Affairs, Mr.. Alexander Martin Sullivan, ex-mem-
Der OF Parliament for Meath, referring to the
charge that the Irish are turbulent and violent in
their conduct and political contests" In Ireland.
said they were occasionally so, but that they were
rightly so. 81 know spot" he added, where we
could once have seen people throwing cargOes of
tea into the harbor These people We're turbulent
and they were resisting the authority OF the crown
AnG is 1t In the neighborhOod or Bunker Hill that
am TO hear anything about the Irish being turbu-
lent In their resistance 70 oppreSSon?" After deny
Ing that the land league doctrines inculcated COM
merclal immortality, he described the process OF
passive resistance to eviction, when upon the land
lords refusing to accept rent according TO Grfth'S
valuation the tenants put the money I'm their
pockets to buy shoes for their children and bread
and tea for their families. Then there was veil
for coercion, and he showed how 'outrages" were
manufactured by policemen and sensational jour-
nalStS.
His view OF the present condition Of affairs in
Ireland he stated, in substance, as follows: sin
our Widest hopes, our most ambitious demands,
we never asked Tor as much as was given In Glad
stones last act. Ii we had stated ten years ago
that 1t was possible to have such an act on the
statute book, we would have been locked up as
lunaticS. Already something like 30 per cent OF
the whole rental OF Ireland has been taken off the
shoulders OF the people. The rental is G15 100000
and at least e4,OOOOOO will be taken of when the
land act closes the first year OF its operation. |
call that act the greatest and most tremendous
ItNOiuClOH ever Dy legislative effort
In Europe. But we are not satisfied with that. It
falls short OF what we require In two or
three particulars We want the arrears wiped of
which have been hanging round the necks or the
tenants since the famine period. We want the
Ubiquitous leases which the tenants have been
made TO sign annulled And, above ALL we want
the landlords or Ireland to be compelled to sell
out to the occupying tenants. Mr.. Gladstone re-
fuses TO make 1t compulsory for the landlord to
sell, though wherever he will, and the tenant will
buy,the government advances three-fourths OF the
purchase money. But the battle is three parts
won. NO more will you hear about the wailings or
petitions OF Ireland. She will be known no more
before the world as the tattered mendicant knock
ms at the door of the worlds charity She stands to-
night, not whining about oppression, but erect and
with the glow or life In her countenance and the
spirit OF determination In her heart. Talk no
more about poor Ireland The country Is now
fully possessed with great confidence for the peo-
pie have learned how to windy combination and
unity. fail to find period I'm the history OF our
country when we were so united as we are at
home to-day. You have heard about the contro-
Versy between Parnell and Davitt few years
ago that controversy would have broken US up
into fragments, but to-day we let the controversy
go on. But the moment IL comes TO us that this
controversy is causing diSquietude here In Amer
lea we step In and stop It, for we will not be d.
vided. Ireland never had more capable or more
honest organization than 1t has to-day. Trust it
loyalty. To the American people / say Judge
kindly and generously the efforts of a people
struggling TO be free"