Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-05-11
The Irish Question,


not a new question, but for several centu-
ries it has awakened tile sympathes of the
broad minded and philanthropic in every
nation, and evoked heroic resistance from
patriotic Irishmen. 1t has also been the
cause of many most reprehensibe plots
and conspiracies among the more indis
Greet and passionate of that impe uous
people.
The Irish are descended from the old
Celtic stock, and if the pedigree of .hei.
race be alone considered. are If be ter orr
gin than the Anglo-SaXon race. IrelanC
was once prosperous and thriving king
dom, and prior to the Christian era was su-
perior to Britain in commercial import
ance, and far ahead of her in the encJur-
agement of learning and the arts Ireland
first became subject to Britishcontrol
in the 18th century, when Henry III, taking
advantage of dissensions existing between
the different ru ers OF the pentarchy, made
the island subject to the British crown.
The rule of tn English, though at first
such as TO win the confidence of the ma
tives, soon manifested the evil effects OF
race prejudice, and the dominesring char.
acteristics of the Saxon. This was clearly
evinced as early as the reign of Edward
III, when intermarriages between tn. no
bles of England and Ireland was said to
threaten to make the Anglo Normans
more IrisI than the Irish" This gave
rise to an ordinance that all Offices in Ire
land that were held by Irishmen or Eng
Eishmen who were married or had est ttes
in Ireland, should be vacated and filled
by Englishmen who had no personal in.
terest whatever in Ireland"
But English oppression of Ireland first
assumed its most odious and monstrous
shape in the reign of Elizabeth, when the
natural hatred of the Saxon to the Celt.
became intensified to a high degree by
that most svil of influences upon human
passions-religious prejudies. Henry
VIII had attempted to establish
the reformed religion in Ireland,
and Elizabeth sought to make it effective
by series of compulsory Jaws. This
course was pursued in severll subsequent
reigns, until that terrible code of laws
was estab ished, of which + lmuud Burke
said that the ingenuity of tn human in
tpll laI no "a,
any ms rameut to disgrace kingdom and
destroy race, more perfect than this
and under which Lord Brou.ham said.
IAN Irish Catholic could not lift his hand
without committing an offense." This is
the code of which the calm and dispas-
sionate Montssquieu, the great iaterna-
tional jurist, said that it could have been
written out only by devils, and ought to
be written in blood, and the only ace To
register it was he'll"
These obnoxious laws We're, however.
almost entirely swept away through he
heroic efforts and persistent agitation ni
Daniel O'Connell the great Irish patriot,
from 1923 to 1877; and by returning
sense of justice and humanity on the part
of The English parliament and people.
The spirit which prompted the orIi-
nance of Edward III, that all offices in
Ireland should be held by Englishmen
who had no personal interest whatever in
Ireland is still manifest in the remaining
features OF the code, especially until very
recently the land laws. The greater por-
ton of the lands of Ireland are owned by
nonresident Eng'ishmcn. and parliament
has from time to time passed laws greatly
in the favor of the landlord class and OPP
pressive to the tenantry. The Irish ten
antry were by this egisla ion and the ex-
actions of the landlord class under it.made
virtually the slaves of their Eng ISL land
lords. They eked out miserable exist
ence by hard and cons ant labor, and even
this was subject to the caprice of The dom
ineering landlords, who could eject them
even from these poor holdings. almost a,
will, 80 unstable had their tenure become
This state Of affairs has raised up a sue
cessor to Mr.. O'Connel, as an agitator, in
behalf Of the liberties of his oppressed
coun'rymen, in the person Of Charles Stew
art Parnell. Mr.. Parneli, though greatly
; the inferior of O'Connell in natural endow
ments aud capacity as a successful agita
tor, is nevertheless possessed of an indie
fatigable yea and persistence in the cause
and, like his ilustrious predecessor, coun
sells always a strict adherence to legal me
thods COR the accomplishment of the end
sought. O'Connell always said t. his fol
lowers: NO political chanys is norM on,
drop Of blood. He that commitsa crime help
the enemy; and during the twenty years o
his gigantic and effective agitation, I.e
land witnessed unexampled peace. Par
nell has all along reiterated in effect til,
same admonition, though he has been un
able to restrain his impetuous follower
with the same commanding power.
The Irish national convention, therefor
in unqua'iiedy endorsing Mr. Parnell
tacitly and unequivocal'y endorsed hi
pacific policy. Although our neighbor
ing editor may hastily write it dow
that failure on the part Of the conven
tion to notice and denounce the crimina
violence occasionally resorted to in Ire
land was tacit endorsement of it, we d.
, not think that this construction will b
accepted by any dispassienate, impartia
and calm judging mind. Neither do W
think that the recital of incontrovertib'
historical facts in the preamble to the re
, solutions can be in fairness so construed
but all impartial minds, while perhaps no
recognizing the necessity for such a re
cital, will - far respect the feelings of al