Smyrna times., 1886-03-17
Ireland and Home Rule.

the question is often asked, "Will Eng
land grant her Home Rule?"
Those whose information depend
wholly on the dispatches as published
i'll our daily papers would likely an.
/ sWer in the affirmative. while those ia
miliar with the events taking place in
Ireland would probably give negative
reply. And as a great many readers
of the TIMES by reason of former die
cussiOns are interested in the Irish
! Question, on their behalf, l would like
| to relate a few of those events as well
as to sustain the stand taken in those
! discussions. That the dispatches as
published in our daily papers are all
One-sided is generally known by those
having correspondence with Ulster
friends. If banquet is held in Dub.
lin, at which few Home Rulers give
vent to their patriotism over decanters
of sparkling wine bought with Ameri.
can dollars it is given the wings of the
morning and heralded all over the
United States. But let the people OF
Ulster assemble in their tens of thou
sands as they have been doing the past
few months passing resolutions de-
nOuncing the Home Rule movement,
and the sound of their voices either
die on the Irish air, or are drowned be-
meath the raging pillows of the Allan
tic, so that their brethren in America
who would no doubt sympathize with
them in their fears and fOrebodings of
| danger, know not of it.
Now the reason of this is very pal
pable, when we consider that enough
money leaves the shores of America
to not only drown the dispatches, but
to dispatch the whole associated press
| agents, if caught sending any news
that would effect the flow of money
which has so lavishly poured into the
pockets of the agitators. Then again
there is this difference-The agitators
speak for Americans to hear-as on
that side their bread is buttered, while
the loyalists speak for those in author
ity to hear-On them their lives and
their liberty depend.
But Notwithstanding that their voice
is not heard around the world the Low
aIists, or the PrOtestants, have not been
sitting looking idly on, and if resolu-
tiOns have any effect in keeping awake
the inmates of HaWarden Castle, the
Grand Old Man" will give neither
sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his
eyelids until he has devised some bet
ter measures for the governing of Ire
land than Home Rule.
The most undemonstrative BODY in
Ireland is the Presbyterian church.
Generally Liberals in politics, it is only
IN cases OF the greatest necessity that
she sends forth resolutions on political
| questions, but the present movement
has Vibrated every nerve of the system
and she sends forth no uncertain sound
as to her position on the Home Rule
question. Nearly every congregation
has passed resolutions. Special meet
ings of the Presbyterans have been
called and resolutions passed, and the
sum of all those resolutions NAV be ex-
pressed in the words of the Moderator
of the Belfast Presbytery Rev, r. J.
Lynd,) The present demands of the
Nationalist will meet with the most
uncompromising opposition of the
| Presbyterians Of Ireland almost to a
man." And no less emphatic were the
words OF the General Assembly in its
address to the Earl Of Aberdeen when
it declared that half million of Irish
Presbyterians will oppose to the utmost
and resist any attempt to sever the
Union" The Presbyterians of Scot.
land through their Presbyteries have
also sent their resolutions of sympathy
to their Irish brethren and promised
them aid should it come to the worst
But the Presbyterian Church is not
alone in denOuncing the Home Rule
movement, as the Episcopal Church
has long since made itself heard in
even more emphatic language. And as
the Diocese of this church is convened
for the 23d, inst, to consider this cues
tiOn, we may look for more emphatic
language still.
The Methodist church also though
small in numbers has not been behind
her older sisters in declaring her prin-
clples and her attachment to the Eng.
lish crown. Thus it will be seen that
the whole Protestant population is ar
rayed in solid phalanx against the
Rome Rule movement, and as the Rev.
DR., Kane, of the Episcopal church,
and the Rev. DR.. Hanna, of the Pres
byterian church have been appointed
committee to confer with their breth-
rem of the United States. Canada and
Australia, to ask their sympathy and
prayers; perhaps the American people
may yet learn the true inwardness of
the Irish question.
do not suppose the readers of the
ZINES will believe me when l say that
no pen can portray the state of sus-
pense under which the prOtestants of
Ireland are labOring at present.
Two evils stare them in the face. If
Home Rule is granted, civil war can
hardly be prevented, although Mr..
Parnell thinks clause in the constitu-
ton allowing the PrOtestants of Ulster
their freedom of conscience would
have the desired effect in promoting
peace, but any one at all acquainted
with the impulsive temperament of the
Irish, knows full we'll that all the con-
itutions in creation could not restrain
those people from acts of violence at
the least fancied wrongs; and if ever
free from the restraints of English law,
will, at the least provocation "like
reapers deceEd to the harvest of death. "
Even as it is, with the Irish Constabu-
larry and English Soldiers standing be-
tween, a religious riot is an often Oc-
curence, and if this protection is ever
removed the sun will arise some morn
ing upon carnival of blood and a
scene of desOlatiOn unprecedented in
the history of the world.
The other evil which stares the
PrOtestants in the face, is the fact that
if Home Rule is not granted-all the
crimes which have stained the Irish
annals in days gone by will be brought
into play, and the opponents of Home
Rule will be the sufferers. So it is
civil war and the midnight assassin on
the one hand,-maiming of cattle, in-
cendiarism and massacre on the other.
This is but weak portrayal of the
suspense which hangs over the Prot
estants of Ireland to-day as from hill
top to hilltop the immortal words of
Oliver Cromwell are again being waited
on the breeze Put your trust in God
my boys and keep your powder dry"
What the end will be no one can tell,
but it must be admitted that the future
looks dark to the Loyalists of Ireland.
r.. G.
EEOitameut I'm Tawoa