The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-28
DYNAMITE
As Considered by Some AggrieVed.
1t Is the Strength of the weak Oppressed
against the CowardIy Strong.
Communicated

Some explosions have been recently set
free in a couple OF the strong places OF Her
Msjesty's Government There has been no
less of life as . consequences, and it is evil
dent that the explosions were only warnings
of what might be expected if legalized in
iquity was longer persisted in by the gov.
eminent. The British Parliament House
and one of the old frowning towers, both of
which have been ancient witnesses to the
oppression of the poor and the weak, were
scorched and few of their statues of beast
ly kings, ETC., overturned. The weak ones
saw ut to take a power in their hands.
and because of the fact of thus CURLY mani.
testing their protest against the dishonest
rich, the merciless strong and the usurpers
of good government, all the good people
in the world are holding up their hands in
horror at the wickedness of blowing up the
Parlisment House. Among the Mortified
is the United States Senate, led by Brother
Baysrd, and among the religious ones are
not a few of our versatile Catholic priests.
When Her Msjesty's Government was
destroying life and property by the special
methods and proves OF the Merrimack,
where were the tears of Brother Bayard
Where was bis civilization" when poisoned
wells and poisoned balls and torpedoes and
other uncivilized methods were in use for a
bad cause? His resolutions then were few,
His tears were unshed. his OK was not then
being gored, but was evidently doing the
goring. Now. when his dear England is
getting tiokled Just a little, the Senator plants
his No. 9 on his native heath of ''civiliza-
tion," and he offers a resolution. II will be
noticed that while the Baysrds are regarded
as very nice men, and brave enough to q ght
a duel, or to offer so TO do, their morals and
civilization are not so advanced by such
methods as to entitie them to be specially
credited, now that they are to be henceforth
known as England's champions on this side
in the cause of civilization"
Our Catholic priests in the past have done
more than hold up their hands in public
and call for indignation meetings when
things did not 90 according to their wishes.
Sometimes they cast men into prison for an
idea. Then again they toasted fellows on
gridirons who did not do as they required
them to do; and with the power vested in
them they cursed men who were never
cursed by God. 1t is an evidence of
weakness on the part of the east
eTn clergy, and of moral coward
ice Oh the part OF those in Ireland
TO be unbecomingly hasty in denouncing
the "dynsmiters." These men of God talk
about abstract right and mouth the civil
lzation" or Senator Baysrd, when it would
be more to their credit to shut up their lips.
When the heartless landlords of Ireland,
backed by the Government, evicted the
starving poor from their little holdings OF
gronnd, and tumbled their mudwall
ter, why did not the army of Cath.
Ollie priests call for indignation meetings?
When hundreds of the evicted poor met
death by starvation and exposure, when the
feeble old man and the innocent and help.
les babe went down to pauper's grave
amid heartlessness and relentless cruelty,
why did not cur Catholic clergy call for
meetings OF the people aud talk loud and
eIoquently about civilized government?
Here, too, it seems. it makes some difference
whose OK is gored.
Have our clergy no interest in
Germany or in Russia or in any of the coun.
tries in which there have been great public
sins committed against civilization" Are
the sins of the French all venial? Does the
dalk-skinned Italian live too near the Pope
to be able to do any cutting with his long
bladed knife? Are the sins of the Mormons
only against women and not inimical to
''civilization?" Or does it not seem that the
Irish are the only people amenable to the
"a
priest, and condemned by the priestp What
has gotten into the children of st. Patrick?
Is il the fault OF their faith? By my word it
would appear so from the unlooked-for zeal
with which the average ecclesiastic hasteus
to condemn every apparently censarable
public act of every imaginary Irishman.
1t is not my purpose to justify the indis.
eliminate use OF dynamite, neither is it my
notion to accuse all the preachers of the
word OF being down on the Irish.' / rather
desire to draw attention to the fact that
there are cases of self.defense wherein the
much-tslkedof fortunes of the damned
should and ought to be inflicted. il possible,
upon some men and some governments in
this world. And that there are and have
been such instances, meriiing such punish.
ment, no reputable man knowing anything
of penal laws In Ireland will venture
denial. The sickeniDg sentimentality that
gloats over the duelisi's pistol and becomes
borrihed at the explosion of dynamite
cartridge revenging an outrage, and seven
centuries of outrage persisted in as against
loDg-sutferipg, poverty stricken and sys-
tematically robbed people, can never be boost
ed into such prominence among practical
thinkers and lovers of liberty and equality
as to be recognized as correct public opinion.
/ know the churchman preaching his abstract
stuff from his pulpit will gainsay this and
will cry out anarchy and unrest and the
confusion of chaos. But to such clerical
dryness l would suggest that if lie be power
full in calling indignation meetings against
such methods looking to the redressing of
wrongs, let him exercise that power In be-
half of right and Justice on the part of Gov.
ernments toward the people. In tbs past
the priest, through the Bishop or Cardinal,
was ever near the throne, and when such
cases became very marked the doings OF the
throne were not measurably impressed
thereby.
demning reasons against dynamite is that
the innocent are made to suffer with the
guilty. Whoever, let me reply, Endorses
this wrong that calls for dynamite against
the British Government is not an innocent
man. Sight-sesrs in the Parliament House
may be harmless people, but they should
history of the past teach Us that reforms are