New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-28
pLIIN WORDS 1B0CT IRELAND.

A fortnight ago Mr.. Parnel and his associ-
ates were denouncing the Dublin assassina-
tons, and Michael Davitt was protesting that
he had never lent any countenance to agraran
outrages. To-day Mr.. Dillon declares that
evictions are more culpable than outraGcS, Mr..
Davitt renews his assault upon landlOrdism,
and Mr. Pamell's closest colleagues are desert
ing him because he sought to make peace with
the Liberal Government on the basis of the
Arrears bill The foul murders in Phoenix
Park have not warned them that they were
PLAYING fast and loose with the worst passions
and the most dangerous tendencies of Irish
character If they were mOmcntanly abashed,
when an Englishman bearing message
of peace was foully butchercd, they are no
longer under the restraint imposed by so
odious crime-a crime for which they had
educated the Irish people by neglecting to de
nounce murders and Outrages committed dur
ing the last two years, and by promoting habits
of systematic law-breaking. They charged that
it was not the outcome of their own teach
ings, but the work of extremists more revOlu-
tionary than themselves Yet already they
are practically identifying themselves with
those extremists by in1aming the minds of
their countrymen against English lawmakers
and by openly promoting renewal OF the
campaign of terror, outrage and iawlessness.
Moderation is accounted by them n crime, and
they turn their backs upon their own leader
because he is nomentariy guilty OF such
weakness.
Let it be frankly admitted that the Irish
people have been grosslymsgovern III former
centuries and that the land system has been
:. I > olc, ho hot
bills and military pressure, means abhorrent III
themselves have been repeatedly tried, and
never with any marked success in cOnciliating
public feeling on the island. Let the final
concession be made that Englishmen have per
sistently misunderstood the Irish people in one
Respectfully have not perceived the necessity
of using Irish rather than English agents and
mstrumcntalities Yet when all these reserva-
tons are made the fact remains that during
the present generation the English conscience
has sought relief from its own stings
by planning and executing great meas
ures of reparatiOn, and that the Irish
leaders have persistently opposed those
measures; and that as concession is made
after another the Irish people grow more and
more defiant and unreasonable The Disestab-
lishment act, the Education bills and the Land
measures have been substantial proofs of a
willingness on the part of English statesmen
of brain and heart to repair the wrongs of the
past, to redress the grievances of the present,
and to promote the prosperity of the island
in the future. Yet the Liberal Premier, who has
spent the best years of his life in honest en-
dcavors to promote the welfare Of the Irish
people, is insuted by their leaders, and plot
ted against and yilely illuminated throughout
the island If he were to 20 to Dublin with
his new grant of $4,000, 900 or $50, 900, 600
to the tenants, he could not cross Phoenix
Park without fear of assassination.
America is called "the Irish Paradise" but
tenant who has a farm here has one privi-
lcge or safeguard, where an Irish tenant under
Mr.. Gladstone's acts has twenty An Ameri-
can tenant can renew his lease or reduce his
rent, if his landlord agrees, but not otherwise ;
occupation is not with him a species of prop
erty winch he can himself sell improvements
he makes at his own risk If he has ONLY A
little money and no credit, he cannot Get aid
from the State and purchase his farm and he
must pay his arrears of rent under penalty of
eicctmeut. The Irish tenant, under the pres
ent system, can have his holding revalued
and the rent reduced anywhere from Is TO 80
per cent by tribunal constituted in his ia
vor: when that rent is fixed he cannot he
disturbed for fifteen years if he gives up his
holding he is compensated for any improve
ments made by himself OF his predecessors,
and the privilege of occupation, or tenant
right, he sells in open market; the State adj
vances to him three-fourths of the purchase
money if he wishes to buy his holding; and
finally. if the Arrears bill becomes law, he
can settle all his arrears of rent-debts con-
sracted during bad seasons-by paying the rent