Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-03
THE FRUITS OF IRISH AGITATION

Many good cause has Ianguished and
died for the want OF bold and fearless cham
pions. Constant agitation, iteration and re-
iteration are the only means by which error
can be Frustrated and truth made Irium-
plant. The blood OF the martyrs was the
seed OF the church, and it is only through
great tribulation that right prevails 1t
was by agitation that slavery was abolished
The violence of the mob struck no terror to
the men who had undertaken to abolish
slavery by agitation. At first the cloud was
no larger than a mans hand, but by constant
agitation the cloud increased in darkness and
blackness until it overshadowed the nation.
1t was by agitation that the Southern people
secured home rule and freedom from bay
onets. There were only thirty Democrats in
Congress twenty years ago. But by
standing firm, exposing despotism, corrup-
ton, the unconstitutional methods of the
Republican party, the Democrats assembled
to power. 1t is by this agitation that the
people of Ireland have freed themselves
from many OF the burdens which they had
so long endured Many regard the Irish
people as turbulent race, who would be
satisfied with nothing but absolute independ-
ence. This opinion is the offspring of igno-
rance or prejudice, for never were a people |
subjected to such wrongs and expressions. |
The grievances against which the solid South |
protested were nothing to compare to the |
wrongs of the Irish people. The system of |
laws and customs under which the greater |
part Of the land of Ireland is held BY |
alien proprietors, and by which the life |
blood has been drained out of the Irish |
people, is a cursed and barbarous anachron-
ism. 1t is disgrace to modern civilization.
as most English historians and statesmen of
the liberal sort have admitted. The recent
Land act, considering the sensitiveness of the
ail-powerful English landed interests on the
subject. Is plea of guilty to the charges
hurled against England by Irish agitators.
The Irish land laws and the complete in
ability of English statesmen to comprehend
and satisfy Ireland's Just demands have re-
duced a land that should be one of the most
productive and prosperous in Europe to a
condition worse than that of a plague
stricken province in Russia. 1t requires
$1,000 regular troops and 1000 constabulary
to keep down instruction. The troops are
paid by the proceeds of British taxes,
but the constabulary force is a charge
on Ireland. There is some exception to
this rule, however, because when the troops
are ordered into a town for active service
they are billetted on the people and part |
of the expense is assessed against the prop !
erty of the town. This method makes all q
the property holders anxious to prevent any !
uprising or disturbance, because, unless it is '
speedily suppressed, the cost will come out
OF their pockets. The people as a rule fra
ternized with the regular soldiers, who are
not often called upon for active service, but !
they hate the constabulaTy and take every /
means TO annoy them. 1t is a notable fact v
that it requires now 1900 we'll drilled, eff Il
cient men to maintain British rule, or about .
three times as many as were sufficient to |,
crush out Emmet's rising in 1908 Ireland Z
has about 1900 landholders, to a popula- Il
ton OF about 100000, and one-half of these 7
are perpetual absentees, while there are about v
oOOOOO tenants at will. There are 300 Il
persons who own 100000 acres of Irish n
land, or between 1000 and 5000 acres apiece, Il
paying them a rental of Ss7 SOC, 600 a year. d.
For seven hundred years the people of Ire il
land have been sgitating to free themselves, a.
ana BY this agitation they have recently
secured the sweeping reductions 80 essential 81