The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-03-18
The Dynamite Scare in London.

WO print elsewhere, In O cable despatch
from a London correspondent, an account Of
the sensation produced not only in the
British metropolis, but throughout the
United Kingdom by the attempt to blow up
the building in which are situated many
OF the Government Offices. AS matter
OF fact no lives were lost by the ex-
plosion. and tho CONSERVATION manifested
seems out OF all proportion to the exciting
cause. On the face of things there is no rea-
son why this striking demonstration OF the
destructive powers Of dynamite should Gre
ate more alarm or be invested with moro
political significance than the explosion Of
the gas works at Glasgow. which there seems
to DO some ground tor attributing to the
same hand.
There Is not yet jot OF evidence tending
to fasten tho responsibility for this act OF
vandalism upon any individual person or
any society or party. So far as VIC know
anything about its aim or authorship 1t may
have been the crimo OF an isolated crank.
Tho fact that no members OF the Ministry
specially odious to Irishmen were at all
likely to be in the building at the timo OF the
explosion seems to dispose Of the theory. too
hastily adopted by the London press, that
the outrage was the work OF Irish agitators,
incensed by Mr.. GLADsToNEs rejection OF
Mr.. PARNELLs proposed amendments OF
the Land act Such suppositlon must,
thus far at all events, be pronounced en-
tirely gratuitous not to say malignant, and
tho wild comments OF the Times and other
London newspapers may be brushed aside
as unworthy OF serious attention. Had a
similar act been perpctrated In Washington,
and proved equally harmless to human life,
very little heed would have been paid to 1t,
and We should have smiled at the suggestion
that veritable panic could be engendered
anywhere by such trivial incident.
Up to the present time the London police
have certainly failed to show that the crime
had any political significance, or ought to
make q deeper impression on the public
mind than any one Of tho numerous foolish
and futile attempts to assassinate Queen
VICTORIA. But, partly because the building in
which the explosion took place was near
the Houses OF Parliament, and partly because
recent investigations In Dublin have shown
that certain Irishmen have recourse to Nj.
hilistic methods, the members OF the imperial
Legislature have ovinced degree OF appre'
hension which forcibly recalls the shock pro.
duced by the discovery Of the Gunpowdei
Plot, and the whole population Of the British
metropolis show an inclination to clotht
the unknown incendiary with the traditiona
and grotesque terrors Of GUY FAwKEs. II q
single desperate, by means Of dynamite
grenade. which he could carry In his coa
pocket, can thus convulse the British EN-
pire. there would seem to be some methot
In tho madness Of those FeniaD conspiratori
who proclaim their intention and their abil
ity to extort from the GLADSTONE Ministry
by means Of few bombs. the independence
OF Ireland.
That the cowardly crew Of so-called Fenian
which has its headquarters In New York
and from the safe side Of the Atlanti
breaches dynamite and shotgun cru
sado, could have had nothing to do witt
tho attempt to blow up the Government
Offices In London Is cOnclusively demon
strated by the eagerness with which the
claim the credit Of the performance. The
geo In the incident . chance to wiring fey
moro dollars from the working men an
servant girls who have long been their dupsl