The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-07-19
THE IRISH SITUATION.
BY GEORGE MAKEpEAcE TOwLE.

The last twelve months have form'
ed marked epo h in the struggle OF
the Irish people for selfgovernment'
1t has been full of event and episode
and, during almost every week OF its
period. the attention of the world has
been recalled to the conflict between
the governing and the governed race.
The starting point of the new condl'
ton of things was the assassination
of Lord Frederick Cavendish and
Mr.. Burke in Phoenix Park, Dublin,
on the 9Th of May, 1882. The cir
cumstances attending this crime
were peculiar and significant. That
very day Lord Frederick Cavendish
had arrived in Dublin as a. messen-
ger of good will and liberal inten-
lions from the English Cabinet He
had replaced Mr.. Forster as Chief
Secretary, that is, the man who, OF
all Englishmen, was most distrusted
and detested by the Irish people +;
and it was as the friend of Ireland
that Lord Cavendish had appeared
in the Dublin streets on the morning
before his death.
The assassination in Phoenix Park
changed the whole course Of events
as affected the Irish cause. 1t turned
the tide of Cancellation on which the
Gladstone Cabinet had embarked into
one of retaliation and repression.
Public opinion in England, outraged
by the double crime, compelled the
Cabinet to carry rapidly through
Parliament the severest coercion bill
ever adopted. This bill, which is
: still low. deprived Irishmen of almost
the vestige OF individual liberty. 1t
dealt a fatal blow at the Land
League, which had accomplished so
much by its constitutional agitation,
which had accomplished so much by
its constitutional agitation, and sup
pressed the rights of free meeting
and free press. 1t in effect suspend
ed trial by jury, or. at least, gave the
Lord Lieutenant the power to sup
press it at his pleasure. In a word.
the "Repression Bill'' reduced Ire
land to a condition of political
slavery.
But, on the other hand, the in
stincts of Mr.. Gladstone and his col
leagues impelled them to accompany
this terrible measure by one design
ed to relieve the poor Irish tenantry
of grievous burden. Short crops
for several years in succession had
involved thousands of these poor
tenants in serious arrears of rent.
The Government now proposed bill
by the provisions of which one third
of these arrears were to be released
by the landlords, one third were to
be paid by the tenants, and one
third were to be liquidated by the
British treasury. This beniicent
measure was passed, and, having
gone into operation. served its pur-
pose of restoring thousands of ten
ants to solvency as to rent payment
1t was not until nine months aftel
the assassinations in Phoenix Parl
that their perpetrators were discover
ed bv the Irish police. At last
however, the "Invincible' Society
formed of desperate conspirator
against the lives of officials and land
lords, was unearthed, and the TRACED,
of the Park brought home to it
members. The treachery Of Gin
formers" especially of James Carey
the chief organizer of the plot to xii
Mr.. Burke, enabled the Goyernmen
to prove the crime upon the men VIII,
actually took part in 1t, and the fiv'
who were most Immediately concern
ed in the death of the two secretarie
were condemned to the scaffold
Several others were sentenced t,
penal servitude for life.
Meanwhile, the Repression Bill
had accomplished its purpose of sup
pressing the Land League. NJ,
Parnell and his fellow. patriots coul
no longer agitate in favor of land r.
form with immunity. Public meet
ing could not be held. Secret con
claves were forbidden. The pres
was silenced. The headquarters {
the leagues everywhere closed, an
their papers seized. But the Ian
League, under able, skillfnl, pc
sistent leadership of Parnell, Ia
really done wonders during its bri,
and checkered existence. 1t hs
successfully combined body OF ha
million Irishmen in a compact ol
ganization' devoted to obtain fro
the English masters of Ireland