The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-04-24
Dynamite.

1t IS wonderful that ar this day anu
time dynamite, assassination. arson,
and all the other barbarous modes
are freely used in political warfare,
but it is far more wonderful that
men are found occupying hitherto
respectable positions in society, and
who fill important places in the
social economy, not only commend
the principle of assassination, but aid
abet and forward the unholy, wicked
and cruel interest in every known and
possible way. 1t is a poor thing to
say that men are to be justified
for such a crime as murder and
the sacrifice of innocent lives because
of political differences. But few
Americans there are who do not fully
sympathize with the struggle now
being made by the Irish people for
liberty, but still fewer of them are
they who can be made to justify the
use of means SO barbarous, and which
involve in all of their terrible con-
sequences the innocent and the
helpless. The cause of Irish free
dom has suffered some in the
public estimation here because of
the fact that such men as O'Don-
ovan Rosa openly advocate dy-
Mantle, and still receive no
adequate reproof from any of the
Irish leaders and revolutionary au-
thorities. 1t is pity that as sacred a
cause as men ever strove for in life is
thus marred by the unrestrained
savagery of mere handful-mere
handful, say we, because we cannot
and do not subscribe to the belief that
any considerable number of respecta.
bic Irishmen could consent to win even
their sacred cause by the pitiless
slaughter of innocent children and
helpless old age. This becomes an
important question to America, when
we reflect that the principal expatri.
ated Irish population is found here
Indeed, so strong is the Irish
sentiment and people in the
United States that they give 6
decided Irish tone both to social life
and political sentiment in many Of
the states. Here the leaders of the
factions in the disturbed fatherlanG
are compelled to come for both me1
and munitions of war, for money as
well as moral force. Thus it is that
we not only acquire the right tx
speak out, but thus it is that we have
the duty to do so thrust in some way
upon us. 1t is one of the obligations
we owe to our nationality that we al
least make an honest effort to destroy &
heresy as dangerous as this which
teaches that any cause can be sacred
enough to warrant the assassination
of the innocent and the helpless.
Brave men should turn their faces
sternly against all such projects
Governments should be careful how
they exhibit the least liberation fol
any such sentiment. No government
winking at the presence of men con
spring for the overthrow, by suct
means, of friendly government, car
complain if the same policy i:
handed back to her when occasion
serves. It is high time that the
United States began placing OBJ
structions in the way of this
unhallowed scheme of dynamite. II
should be broken up even at the cost
of much money, labor and time; and
an individual convicted of the crime
of aiding and abetting the manufac.
ture of internal machines, dynamite
| and other warllke means in violation
of international law-should be
promptly sent out of the country and
forbidden ever to return.
We haYe heard enough of dynamite
as purely American adjunct to revo.
luton. We want no more of it, and
it is time the government acted in
some adequate way to stamp it out
among US forever.