The Irish standard., 1888-03-24

ssssS
!: SATURDA Y !, Marco
CATION Of the doctrine of forcible resist
ance to tyrants. But if there is any
spectacle so sublime in the sight of God
and man as people battling for its
liberty, with the weapons of last resort,
1t is The sight which is presented when
a struggling race wages war against It's
tyrant clad in the simple armor Of
justice and battling with the weapons
OF free speech, free press and eniight-
ened public opinion. Within the sacred
precincts of Glasnevin Cemetery mold
ers the dust of him who, first in the
story OF mems progress here below,
taught the world that political reforms
can be accomplished without the sled
ding Of single drop Of human blood.
No need to Say to an audience like this
that refer to Kerry's pride aud Mum
ster's darling and ireland s uncrowned
King. Daniel O'Connell. The lesson
that the great liberator taught his
people was loftier and grander than is
the round tower that rises III subimity
from the spot where sleeps the greatest
Irlshman that ever drew the breath OF
life. That lesson was the truth, that
IN the ar.nory of the weakest people
there is weapon against which
the armies and fleets Of Kings
are weak and vain. When O'Connell
came to mans estate, defeating bis
young life to the service of his country,
he summoned the oppressed Of his peo-
pie to do battle upon an arena which
that antagonist had never entered be-
fore, with weapons 9hose use it had
never learned, tbs tsrana Of a world 8
opinion, the weapon Of free discussion.
The Duke of Wellington and his royal
master made speedy submission to the
Nations tribune and Parliament
opened wide it's doors to an enfranchised
people. The lesson which O'COnnell
taught WAS not forgotten, the weapons
which he forged were not permitted to
! sust. Nine Years ago Michael Davitt
came forth from his prison cell and up
lifted the banner Of land reform.
Against the most powerful landed aris
,ocracy of Europe, intrenched in sell
6shuess anG privilege and welding the
organized power Of the British Empire,
the Irish people waged q legal and CON
sGitutional war, led by n1en whose
names are loved and blessed 10 night in
every zone, Michael Dayitt and Charles
Stewart Parnell. Passive resistance
and constitutional agitation did much
TO remedy the denominations of land
system more hateful in theory and
practice than any Of feudal time. The
Land League and the men who COM
posed it won for themselves enduring
place in history and in the gratitude OF
all good men when they secured the
formal adoption by Parliament of the
principle tilab the tenant has some
rights which the landlord is bound to
respect.
But their proudest claim to a glory
that Can never fade is that in the land
war they taught the peasantry OF Ire
land that there is no prize or privilege,
however guarded by bayonets and bull
lets, that is beyond the reach OF g peace
ful, legal. constitutional agitation. L
would rot dare Insult the intelligence
OF this audience by attempting to forna
aliy refute the assertion made by the
landlord party that the Irish people are
not fit to govarn themselves. But I do
say without feu Of contradiction that
the Irish people haye shown during, the
past nine years power of self control
under maddening conditions that in
itself demonstrates their fitness for
self government. For the past nine
years the real rulers Of Ireland have
been the Lana League and the Nation
al League. The membership OF those
organizations has embraced substan-
TALLY the population Of the land and
every member has been q peace officer
in defense Of law and order. The guide
and the motto OF the Irish leaders has
been O Conne!l's watchword "He who
commits crime aids the enemy"
True TO it's old tactics, the landlord
party strained it's every energy to en-
broil the nation in contest of physical
force, but statistics showed that from
the moment when the Land League
commenced it's fight, agrarian crimes
and acts OF violence diminished and the
ratio Of crime in the most turbulent
county of Ireland was less than the
ratio of crime IN the most peaceful
county of England. Every provocation
to violence WAS offered that the wit Of
man could invent. Under circum-
stances of The greate~t indignity the
beloved leaders of the people were
thrown into prison, but from their dun
geOn cells they counselIed their cOun-