The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-06-11
We Discuss the Irish Question with @
COrrespOndent.

indications Of a split In the Irish Parlia-
mentary party, we received an interest
ing letter from q correspondent signing
himself "a No-Rent American" The
author Of this communication was sur
prised, he said, that THB Sun should ex-
press sympathy with Mr.. PARNELL and
confidence in his leadership. He went on
to assure us that we totally misconceived the
purpose OF the Land League, which was not,
he said, to transform Irish tenants into land
owners by the peaceful and legal method OF
purchase. The real aim OF that organization,
he declared, was violent seizure OF the land
now held in tenancy, or, in other words, con-
fiscation without indemnity.
Our correspondent admits that the inten-
tions ascribed by him to the leaders Of the
Land League are not known to the mass OF
Irish-Americans, whose generous contribu-
tions for the relief Of their kinfolk in the old
country are still necessarily solicited. He
acknowledges that the great majority Of
these contributors approve Of Mr.. PARNRLL's
policy, which, so far as the land problem is
concerned, is limited to securing relief from
arrears, and to creating peasant proprie-
tary through an advance Of purchase money
by the State But IL this be 80, he should
perceive that the application Of the funds
thus collected to Interior and unavowed de-
signs by the men who, as he says, stand be-
bind Mr.. PARNELL, and secretly control the
Land League would be equivalent to obtain
ing money under false pretences. 1t would
have, in fact, disastrous effect upon the
Irish cause in this country, il our people
were generally convinced that Mr.. DAvITT
and those Irish patriots who organized the
agitation for land reform preached one thing
and meant another. Fortunately, we shall
be able TO prove, by the official programme Of
the Land League and the repeated declara-
tions Of its promoters that our correspond
ent is mistaken in imputing to them secret
and impracticable purposes; mistaken in as
sorting that they will not accept a loan OF
purchase money from the Government, but
will insist on concession to tenants Of abso-
lutte property In their holdings as a free gift.
The programme Of the Land League agi-
tation was first distinctly outlined by Mr..
MICHAEL DAvTrr in u lecture delivered at
Boston on Dec. 8, 1873. Its main feature was
q demand for the immediate Improvement
OF the land system by such thorough change
as would prevent the peasantry of Ireland
from being Its victims in the future, this
change to form the preamble Of q system of
small prOprietorships similar to what at
present obtains in France, Belgium, and
Prussia, such land to be purchased or held d.
rectly from the Slate" Mr.. DAvIrr went on
to ground this demand upon "thc fact that
as the land of Ireland formerly belonged TO
the people, being but nominally held in trust
for them by chiefs or heads OF clans 1t is tho
duty Of the Government to give compensa-
ton to the landlords for taking back that
which was bestowed upon their progenitors
after being stolen from the people, in order
that the State can again become the custodian
Of the land for the peoplc-owners."
Such was the fundamental aim of
the movement for land reform, start
ed, it must be remembered, not in Ire
land, but in the United States. 1t was not
until nearly a year afterward on Oct. 81,
1879, that Mr.. DAvTrr's scheme was definitely
accepted by part of the Parliamentary
Home Rule party, and the Irish National
Land League was founded That the main
object of the agitation had been in no wise
modified during the interval will appear from
the official record Of the Leagues first meet
ing, at which Mr.. DAvIrr was present. 1t
was resolved, first, that "the objects of The
League are to bring about a reduction of
rack rents and to facilitate the obtaining OF
the ownership OF the soil by the occupant"
and, secondly, that 1.-THE objects of tho
League can be best attained by promoting
organization among the tenant farmers, by
defending those who may be threatened with
eviction for refusing to pay unjust rents, by
facilitating tho working Of the BRIGHT
clauses of the Land act lof 1s7Ol during the
winter Of 1879 $780, and by obtaining such
reform in the laWs relating to land as piH en-
able ercry tenant to become the orner of his
holding by Rayi,'9 a fair rent for a limited
number of years."
Such were the objects Of the Land League,
and one Of them, to wit, the reduction OF
rack rents, has already been comprised by
the Land act of 1881, as the loud cutlery OF
the landlords against the action OF the Land
Commission sufficiently demonstrates. This,
however, was but the first step in the pro-
cess OF reform, and the further aims of the
League, viz, the protection Of tenants from
eviction and the formation OF peasant pro-
prietary, are now, thanks to the sagacious
policy pursued by Mr.. PARNELL and other
Irish leaders, in fair way of accomplish
ment by the Arrears bill and by the Pur-
chase bill which Mr.. GLADSTONE has also
cOEcHunJcu 10 Introduce. Uuuer une last
named measure the Government proposes
to buy out Irish landlords, and to offer every
tenant farmer the opportunity of purchasing
the land he tills at price certainly not ex-
cecdng GRIFF1TH's valuation, and probably
lower payments to DO made by annual in
stallments, each OF which will be considera-
bly, less than the sum formerly paid as rental.
Henccforward the sole creditor of the tenant
would be the State; and how little rigorous the
State would be undera Liberal Government
where debtors were in default through fail
ure of crops, may be inferred from tho Ar
rcars bill now pending, which makes free
gift to tenants of one-half the sum required
to satisfy the claims of landlords.
But 1t may be argued by our correspondent
that tho object of the Land League aglta-
ton has been changed since tho issue Of
the "no-rent manifesto" and that 1t now
contemplates forcible retention Of the soil
and defiant refusal to pay anything either
Ia landlords or tn tnn In ho