St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-16
EITHER KNAVE OR FOOL.
Historian Lecky's Childish Attack
Upon Ireland and the Irish.

Historian Lecky's Childish Attack
Upon Ireland and the Irish. q
LONDON, Oct. 15.-The two final vol
umes of Lecky's History of England
in the Eighteenth Century," the sew
enth and eighth, appeared to-day They
are taken up largely with Irish history
In discussing the work and political
career of Henry Grattan, the great Irish
orator, Mr.. Lecky says: g., D
While Grattan always maintained with
fervid eloquence the cause of Irish nation
atty and Catholic emancipation, his
strongest conviction was that the true inter
eSts of England and Ireland were INSOFAR
able.
Mr.. Lecky shows that the absentee
ism of Irish landlords has been re-
spOnsible in very high degree for the
Infamous abuses which have been de-
yeloped in the management of Irish
property. and at the same time the
author points out that the imprOvidence
and Ignorance of the Irish people have
been the principal causes in creating
the very serious congestion of the pop
ulatiOn in certain portions of Ireland
where the soil is miserable and untitled
to sustain so many people. MIR. Lecky
blameS the middle men and farmers for
from the system of competitive rents
during the last two centuries. 1t NAV
be confidently asserted, he declares,
that it has not been the general custom
for the actual owners of property in Ire
land to demand the full market rents.
1t is the men who have rented from the
owners and then sublet to others who
have eXacted the highest rents that com
petition for land allowed. The idea
often advanced that the English govern
ment had hand in preeipitating
The Irish Rebellion
in order to assist in effectiDg the union,
Mr.. Lecky scouts as wildly extravaganza.
On the other hand, however, he ac-
knowledges that the union was ac-
cOmplished through the instrumentality
of corruption. The great experiment of
the union, i'll his opinion, has hitherto
been tried under unfavorable and I'M
happy circumstances. Almost contin-
uously since the union went into effect
Ireland has been distracted with politi-
cal agitation, agrarian crime and con-
spiracy. Moreover, it has been sub
lected to unusual social and economical
revolutions, and has been a field for
many violent and contradictory legis-
lative experiments. Mr.. Lecky con-
tends that through the influence of a
wave OF democratic feeling Ireland was
accorded much larger representation
in parliament than she was entitled to-,
considering the fact that a majority Of
the Irish population was disaffected.
The historian then proceeds to trace the
rise and progress of FenianiSm. After
the downfall of the Fenian society came
the creation of an agrarlan organization.
the promoters of which were largely
paid by FenianS. This agrarian move
ment had succeeded in establishing
over great part of Ireland an elaborate
and all-pervading tyranny. This had
been accompanied by perhaps as much
mean and savage cruelty, and as much
shameless and deliberate lying, as any
movement of the nineteenth century,
1t is difficult indeed to exaggerate the
extent to which this has demorallzed:
the Irish people and DESTROYED their
capacity for seIf-government. Mr..
Lecky declares as his deliberate opinions
that the Fenians have not abandoned
any of the ultetior objects of their or.
ganiZation. but have consented to the
Agitation for Home Rule 4
as proximate end because they would
confer legislative powers upon the Ma
tional league. The achievement OF
home rule would thus become a lever
age for attaining their ultimate designs
In conclusion Mr.. Lecky contrasts the
complete success with which England
has governed India with its 2OO,O 0O, 600
of people with the signal failure of
English rule in Ireland, where there are
only 100000 of diSaffected people.
He finds key to the enigma
in the fact that the Irish af-
fairs have been in the very vortex of
English party politics while india has
hitherto lain outside their sphere. The
Times in its review of the volumes
says: MIR. Lecky has preserved
intact the integrity of the his
torical conscience. Mere parti-
sans on either side of the
Irish controversy will be bitterly disap-
yointed at Mr.. Lecky's concIusions.n
Says the News: ''Fhe prophecies which
have appeared from time to time touch
ng tue character of these volumes
whichtended to degrade great history
o the tel of party pamphlet have
tprOyc do ee false. These volumes are