The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-06-30
AN ESSAY ON IRELAND.
Miss Fannie Chase Stevens Splendid
Tribute to Oppressed
Ireland.
ENGLAND'S FOOLISH POLICY.
The Outcome Of the Policy Now Being Pur-
sued by Gladstone and
ParneIl.

Va S@AS -
sued by Gladstone and
Parnell.
The following essay on the Irish ques-
tion was written by Miss Fannie Chase
Stevens, and read by her at the COM
mencement exercises of Central High
School last Friday evening:
A hen, having Matched brood OF
chickens, was wonderfully surprised to
find among her children, one which was
very stubborn, headstrong, and dis
obedient; it was exceedingly fond Of the
water and, Notwithstanding the threats
and entreaties of the old hen, was con.
stantly swimming in the adjoining
pond. The mother, although noticing
difference in the appearance Of this
member Of the family, did not under
stand, that, instead of being chicken,
it was a duck, whose nature
it was to he in the water /;
consequently she tried to force
the duck, which was OF a very different
temperament from the chickens, to do
as the chickens did.
Thus the fable runs.
in a rude comparison this is the con-
aition of England and Ireland at the
present day. England, having tried a
form of Government, and finding it
satisfactory, cannot see why it should
not be suited to any people, without re-
gard for the difference Of character and
inclination.
This Government first put on the
shape which it has had since il '12l5;
the first step was when the people
forced King John to grant the Magma
Charta by which all the old rights and
good laws Which, mad been broken were
confirmed. The next step was the es~
tablisbmeut Of .. Parliament in the
form Of All assembly with two houses
During many years the government
met with much trouble under the diff
erent Soyereigns, but after the glori-
Gus revolution Of 1858 by the Bill Of
Rights. the English constitution be-
came fixed and determined.
England is a great power in herself,
but she is not destined TO rule other
countries whose people differ so much
in character, as can be inferred from
past experiences. Take, for example,
the United States. The first trouble with
America arose on the passage Of the
Stamp Act in 1865. This was after
ward repealed but other taxes were i'm
posed which finally ended in the con-
f1ict which resulted in the lndepend~
ence of our Country. In the eighteenth
century people began to be possessed
with passionate desire for those
rights of which the kings had robbed
them. These ideas, though first pro-
claimed as theories in France we're to
find their practical embodiment in
America. In 1865 a convention COM
posed of twenty-eight delegates con-
vened and drew up thirteen resolutions
regarding their rights which were for.
warded to the British government; af-
ter careful consideration of the mat
ter the House decided it would be wise
for the Stamp Act to be repealed and
this was done; but at the same time an
Act was passed showing that the Par
lament still had absolute control over
the Colonies. The men who controlled
England had no idea Of the character
of the Colonies and the outbreak came
in ITO. After terrible suffering and
loss of men, the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence was signed in 1776. AL this
only goes to show how unfit England is
to govern other countries that are striv-
ing for freedom. .....
Has England's policy in regard to
Ireland thus far been successful? Let
us consider how she has acted in some
instances. In 1846 occurred the great
famine in Ireland; the greater part Of
the working population among the
Irish depend upon the potato for their
existence: many Of the laboring classes
secured little or no money wages,
but man worked for land owner
on condition of getting the use Of a
little scrap Of land for himself. At
the time of the famine the
Anti-Corn law league was clam
oring for the opening Of the
ports; but Parliament was of the opin-
ion that if once opened they could never
again be closed. Lord John Russell
urged Parliament to repeal the Corn
Laws and thus to put an end to the
system which has proved to be the
blight of commerce, the bane Of agri-
culture, the source Of bitter divisions
among classes, the cause Of penury,
fever, mortality and crime among the
people; but Parli lament: paid no heed
and conseq quentl the pop1ll ation of p sIre &.
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