The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-04-28

iohy insteau vi idcinp Tue great queS-
ton of the day like men were anxious
only TO shuttle out of their promises.
The land act of 1880 was a mere abor.
ton. No attempt was made to sustain
it, In less than year il ceased TO live
and was buried out of sight Some
thing had to be furnished in place of
it. In spite of all warning and against
the steady protest of the wisest men
the land act of 1881 was elaborated
and brought forth. Again all hopes
were disappointed the new act exas-
perated everybody and made the anita
gonism between the parties more deadly
than ever. The leaders of the people
besought them not to swallow this
stone, which they were offered in place
of the bread they had asked for. They
exhorted them 10 maintain their attitude
Of passive obedience and keep up the
peaceful strike until its object should
be at least in some measure accomplish
ed. To the unanswerable wisdom and
truth of this advice the government
had nothing to oppose except brute
force. The League was called con-
spiracy; its petition for justice was
declared to be revolt; its meetings
were dispersed the members of Par
lament who had claimed fulfillment of
the Ministerial promises were arrested
five hundred leading men, distinguish
ed as advocates of justice to Ireland,
and guiltless as the child unborn of any
offence, were kidnapped, dragged from
their homes aud thrust into prison.
ATRoCIoUs TYRANNY.
For long time Europe has seen no
tyranny so atrocious as this Within
half century Russian despotism has
not practiced that kind OF cruelty, even
in Poland, on scale so gigantic. The
Turk has been on his good behavior
ever since the Greek revolution. 1t is
more than hundred years ago that
the bastiles of France used to be filled
with the victims of personal and politi-
cal spite. The English Government
is more despotic than all the rest. 1t
is mixture of feudal barbarism and
Oriental duplicity, harder to bear than
medieval tyranny. The hand of
Gladstone is heavier on the heart
of Ireland than the sword of
Henry II. Do not forget that these
sufferers are men of upright hon
orable and pure lives; they suffer
because of their good character. No
man liable to be condemned according
to the law is ever smitten against law.
The worst rulers are content with the
regular machinery of justice when they
desire to suppress actual crime. 1t is
only against the innocent that they
employ the agency of the bravo and
the kidnapper. The very order to seize
these men and keep them imprisoned
without trial is proof conclusive that
they have done nothing worthy of
death or bonds. For aught l can see
the kidnapping of five hundred inno-
cent persons for not believing in the
land act was as lawless as so many mur-
ders. Thus far have spoken of the
case as it stands between the British
Government and its Irish subjects
Upon this we can only assist with our
voices in making up the judgment of
the world. But recent events have
given us more particular interest in
the subject matter. American citizens
have been kidnapped as basely as the
Irish patriots. What will we do
about that? know not. But if we
submit to this insult we must acknowl
edge that England is the master OF
Ireland and America both. If, on the
other hand, we call that lawless power
to a proper reckoning she will see the
necessity not only of discharging the
American prisoners, but of making full
and ample reparation, lest worst
thing come upon her. The release Of
the Irish will necessarily follow, fol-
England cannot afford to admit that
she has yielded to fear what she denie,
to justice.
What is to be the final outcome o.
the struggle? 1t needs no prophet t.
foresee that Ireland is doomed to tota
destruction if she be not supported ant
sustained by strength outside of he
own. But if we, the American people
shall perform our duties fairly well
and if our government shall not at
tempt to shirk out of It's public respons
Utilities, the hope is reasonable on,
that some of us now here may live t,
see Ireland redeemed, regenerated an,
disenthralled.