The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-05-17
Ireland in spirit Of intelligent defer
eDce to the wishes of her chosen leaders
and representatives. There were visible
signs Of this happy change in affairs.

I Z
we're released from Ki!malnham. Lord
Cowper and Mr.. Forster resigned The
lord lieutenaDcy and chief secretaryship
in baf1isd rage. 70 take their places,
two noblemen, who represented alto
gether different tt additions went over to
Ireland-Lord Spencer as viceroy, Lord
Frederick Cavendlsh as chief secretary
it was early May, and the Irish saw in
their coming welcome promise akin
to that whlch the song birds aud the
bursting buds Of the season gave. Then
on the very dav Of their advent hid
eoUs calamity occurred. Lord Spencer,
| Walking once again in the cool of ap
preaching evening on the terrace Of the
viceregal lodge, saw mnmentariiy, at q
distance over In Fl t@ Xix Park, some
thing which looked ike a free fight
among q group OF men, and passed on
! ward unheeding. A few minutes later
blanched faces aud halting tongues
brought him the terrible reading of tilt.
riddle. Hts Chief secretary aad dear
friend. Frederick CAvendlsh. had been
murdered in cold blood there before his
unwilling vision.
During the three years which follow
ed, Lord Spencer became in all Irish
eyes the embodiment OF a stern and
merciless despotism. That unspeakably
idiotlc murder had swept away On the
instant all Thought Of geutleness, Of
friendship, of mutual .oleration and
understanding between the two peoples,
The English set their teeth hard and
resolved upon no quarter. The old race
fight thus wretchedly re0pened took Oh
new terrors with the intrOd uction of
the American element Of dynamite.
The machinery OF martial law was
strengthened everywhere in Ireland;
everywhere the iron hand presses more
heavily, the .ils were GRO owded, and the
abhorent figure of the informer loomed
iur,d upon background Of burning
Cabins, police bayunees and the sinister
outlines Of gallows trees. saw some
ching of this reign Of terror myself IN
1884 had even the honor of being FOL
lowed all over the west Of Ireland by a
detail Of constabies -and I can we'll
believe that Europe has rarely seen IT'S
IKE IN our century. Well, this principal
figure in all this
THE KEYSTONE IN THE HATRED ARCH
Of the oppressor--was Lord Spencer.
1t impressed nae at the time. | renaem-
bar, thaG the Irish sc .rc~!y ever spoke
OF Trevelyau. who was Chief secretary
then, as BAlfour is now; they thought
and talked only Of Spencer. This made
it obvious that Spencer was felt to ba d
strong man, and not a dummy, SUCH as
the lord lieutenauts ordinarily are.
Aud strong man ne has shown him
self to be. AS have said, all the hate
and wrath OF ireland in those Years of
cruel coercion were concentrated upon
him His pale, long featured face. witt
its huge, busb,ng, bright red beard.
was the pivot upon wnich all tho busy
pictora! caricature Of the period turned.
His familiar name of Is The Red Esrl'
was q text for deep and hitter curses oy
every peat tre.ide in three provinces.
Wherever he went ia the 'untrs.
h< uses aud shops were c'osad and black
flags were hung out, When the scan
dals in Dublin Castle we're exposed. his
enemies did not s;ruple TO associate him
with them. In fact. NO msn OF our
time has had better ground for ran
c,,rous hostility to the Irish people than
Lord Spencer was given--that Is to say.
from the standpoint Of ordinary human
nature.
Yet, when in December of 1885 Mr..
Gladstone found him@e @elt converted tc
the theory OF homs rule for Ireland. one
of his stoutest and earliest supporters
was THE same Red Earl Indeed, it is
an open question whether Mr.. Glad
81 one did not owe his conversion, IN
part, to the calm. visa, passion less con
viction which Lord Spencer had formed
during his eventful sec md torn in Ire
land. at all events, Lord Spencer has
been one Of the most consistent and in
tuential advocates OF home rule ever
siuce, and the powerful argument OF
his adhesion has doubtless appealed to
more Englishmen than have been af-
fected by any other reason.
In person Earl Spencer does Tot look
his age of IS wears. He is of notable
presence--a very tall man. with an en-
ormOus red mOustaehe and beard, long.
flowing and Gmbrageous. HIS face is
narrow, but full of strength. In earlier
wears he was not tecile orator. but bv
dint OF persistent work he has bacDme q
read Yand cDmpetan tspsaker. He writes
welt and is 4. widely read and accom- s
plished scholar. H1 has tile E,lgl,sn
noble's love OF outdoor tx ,rc,se and
sport il a marked degree. and his shoot
ings about AlthOrp are a,nOng the best
ii, the mld lands. Tin manner he Is u',-
affected ard simple. with the frank
5brevitv and directness OF q resO ln't,
clear headed man . accustomed to adj