St. Paul daily globe., 1884-12-13


THE CIR FTE s. UPRISTNG.
England is certainly not happy with her
many constituencies. Canada is more than
half disaffected, and the tone OF her ablest
press is not very friendly 10 the home gov
ernment, while its measures are often sternly
opposed with arguments not consolingly
frsught.with monarchical reverence or loyalty.
India is not possession Of extravagAnt sat
isfaetion, and Ireland is misery indeed with
out any mitigation in the English mind.
Scotland now fills up the measure OF govern
ment agitation by the rebellion Of the croft
ers Of the Isle Of skye. The condition Of the
small farmers Of Scotland in the Highlands,
the Hebrides, the Orkneys aud the Shetlands
is as deplorable as that Of the Irish tenants.
LandlOrdism has been cruel, relentless
and rapacious. The worst and most un-
sparing oppressors of the Scotch peasantry
have been those Of their own race, who either
depopulated by absolute eviction large tracts
of land 10 make room for deer parks and
sheep pastures, or by excessive rents reduced
them TO hopeless and ineItricable penury.
We all remember the deep interest and sym
pathy the Duchess Of Sutherland manifested
in the anti-slayery cause, and how hospit-
ably she received Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stowe during her first visit to Englsnd. The
same august lady cleared all the population
out Of one Scottish county TO put in sheep,
and in consequence of this, and similar
evictions we are permitted to read the ex-
hilarating record of ''Sport in Scotland TO
which we append the vigorous comments of
the Toronto NelnS:
The season in the Scotch deer forests Is said
10 have been quite up 10 the average. Mr..
Winans shot ISL stags; Sir Edward Scott l37;
LORD Mimoorne, 20; Bradley Martin, IS Sir
/ Henry Meux, over so, and Mr.. Thistlewayte q
similar number. The Duke of Athole has killed
| between 60 and 20; Sir Robert Harvey, g.: Mr..
Loder, 65; Sir Curtis Lampson, over so, and Sir
Henry Alsopp over 100.
Yes. aud the sport isn't half over yet either
The shooting Of crofters is about TO begin on the
Isle OF skye, and il is expected that the bags"
made by the police aud military will not be far
short Of the record OF some OF the territorial
! ar1stocracy. The human battue undertaken under
Mr.. Gladstone's auspices is the legitimate conse-
| quence OF the brutal sport that requires for
its maintenance the laying waste OF hundreds Of
| thousands Of acres which should supply the peo-
pie with homes and food and every drop of in
nocent blood shed in the impending struggle Of
the people against their oppressors will be on
the heads OF the Winans, Atholes, and the rest
Of the exterminating sooundrels who consume
the substance Of a thousand poor families in a
few weeks pleasure.
One of the classes in the Highland Land
lord Reform Association is for power TO ten
ants to shoot game on the land in their
occupation.
This will startle the aristrocrats more than
any other demand, for it strikes at the hered-
itary perquisites of rank in the way of amuse-
ments.
A land court, as 1t is recognized in Ireland
was the aim of the Scotch land league at its
projection two years ago, aud it was deter
mined that no candidate for Parliament
should be endorsed in the Scotch
Highlands who was not in sympathy
with the movement close watch
has been kept on the representative
legislation affecting these questions, and
the English government is now confronted
with leagues enough to disturb its councils.
Meanwhile the Skye Crolters are ir open
resistance tothe rapaeious landlordism which
has ground them mercilessly, and banished
them from homes where their families had
been rooted for generations. The Scottish
'character, in its darker and more determined
side, is stern aud dauutless. The patient
endurance of grievous wrongs heretofore.
makes the employment Of armed agencies.
police and military, against the crofters
now a reinforcement Of the devastating
tyranny which has despoiled them of every
fair human right.
The Skye CroIters' manifesto Is not pleas-
ant reading, and seems to be inspired by
some of the Covenanters' spirit.
HIGHLANDMENl
cRoFTERs, coTTARs, DELLERs, AND ALL OTHERS I!
Stand mp like men before your oppressors.
| Demand restoration of the rights OF which vo,
have been robbed. Do not rest satisfied until
you have obtained them II they are refused.
| act for yourselves.
Rules for the guidance in the struggle for
freedom from landlord tyranny: Spare human
life; Kill no man except IL be in self defense de-
| stroy the enemy's property. The enemy Is the
| la1diord, the sgent. the capitalist and the par
lament which makes and maintains inhuman a
iniquitous laws. Cut down the telegraph wires
and posts, carry away the wires and Instruments
| Stop the mail carts destroy the letters etc Rou
rocks and powders on the railroad lines. tear an
the rails, and do all the other damage possible
Burn the property Of all obaoxious landlords
agents etc Set IRE TO the heather TO des roy
the game; disturb the deer; poison game dogs
The oppressed toiers Of England. and the mil
lions OF the disinheri.ed people are watching
your actions Their hesrts are with you in your
battle for rights and liberty. God save the
people.
An observing writer mentions the mani
fest improvement in the education and ap-
pearance OF the lower class in England,
and he says in proportion to it is the growing
impatience at the prestige OF mere rank and
Inherited wealth. But il may be said Of the
upper class OF the United Kingdom that it
| learns hard and slow the only lesson of
safety to itself, and country which is to make
common cause with the people, to ameliorate
their burdens aud to lift them to the best
! possible position.
The wilful aud obstinate ignoring OF this
lesson In sagacious progress, has made the
crofters OF Skye look to revolution for
redress rather than to the tardy action Of
political management
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