New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IRISH CRIMES.

EESPONSlBiLiJl run IbioH ChI-HEo'
Lady Florence Dxie's account of the nysterl-
Ous assault made upon her at Windsor by two
men incorporating in women's clothes must
HOW be regarded as probably fictitious The
statement OF the eye witness who saw her
standing Oh the spot where she says she was
murderously attacked. and watched her walk
away toward her house unmolcsted, seems to he
conclusive testimony. The recital would appear,
therefore either n distorted fiction OF adlsor-
dered moment, like one of Ophella's dreams, or
else q malicious invention inspired by
morbid passion for notorety. Lady Fl0rences
friends have melancholy choice OF alternatives.
They viii prefer to believe that she was the We
finn of an halucnation, and her hystcrcal con-
dition when she met her husband and his ser
wants tends to confirm this theory. S!;e had
also received threatening letters and may
naturally he supposed to have been i'll an ex-
cited state of mind. There is evidence of a
negative character pointing in the same direc-
tlon. If she had deliberately resolved to invent
80 wicked libel OIL the Irish people, 1T Is rea-
sonable TO assume that she would have taken
some precautions to avoid detection. For exam
ME. she would have planned night scene at
distance from the public road, left some traces
of a struggle on the mould, torn and slashed
her dress aud wounded herself and her dog
Lady Floyence's friends may point to the
clumsincsS and speciCusness OF the plot rs ialr
evidence that so sensible and experienced a
woman could not haze cOntrived it herself, and
consequently that her Imagination has duned
her sober senses On the other hand, II they
cannot convince themselves that 1T was IN
hallucination, they must face the alternative
and admit that her story is a malicious fdbilca-
ton, invented for the sole purpose OF making
herself public heroine in England, III utter
disregard of the cruel stigma which would pc
fastened upon Irish character
One of the lessons which this startin Incl
dent cnforces is the glazing iujui tice of sad
ding the responsibility for individual crimes
upon whole race. If Lady Florence magma
zion had been tricked under circumstances
which would have left 10 discrepancies in the
evidence, or if she had shown more skill IN ar
ranging The tine and place of this fictitious
cncc inter, aud by giving herself several flesh
wounds had succeeded IN duping tho English
people, her assaants would have been gener-
ally recognized rs lrlshmen, anu their cowaIdiy
deed would have blackened the reputation OF
the island. The rcproach and infamy caused
bv what wonld have seemed the baSest act OF
ingratitude toward benefactor aud most
cowardy assault upon helpless woman
would have beer shared by every lrlnhman.
Public feeling in England would have been en-
FILTERED, the sympathies of all civilized
countries would have been estranged, and
every Irshman having within him the falntest
sense of manliness would have hung his head
The Injustice of holding the Irish people re-
sponsible for o detestablc crime, when 1T was
only case of womans Mysteries or craving for
notorcty is now apparent We do not know,
however. but that it would have been equally
real and glaring if Lady FloIences recital had
been the simple truth. Let us suppose that
she bad been attacked by a pair OF mlscreants
Those miecreants would have represented at
most small gronp of malevolent and heartless
ccnspirators in Dublin or London. They would
not have been commissioned by any consider
able porlion of the Irish population to commit
go dasardIy an outrage. Yet the responsibility
for the crime would have been shifted upon the
whole island. The reputation of the Irish peo-
nile would have suffered nlolerablo disgrace.
Ii may be natural, but il is not Jisf, 10 hoid
tho island accountable for every crime which Is