The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-06-22
A rIONUl1ENT TO CROMWELL.

i tAOlSOl y " t&tE<0NASYASAsLs
The Rosebery government made a baG
break the other day when it proposed il
parliament to pass an appropriation fol
Itke erection Of a statue to Oliver Crom-
we'll, and wanted the Irish members t.
vote with 1t In honoring the bloody mon
ster whose name Is abhorred in Ireland
To the credit of William Redmond, the
Parnelltte member for Glare, he was The
| first Irishman who objected to have q
| monument raised TO the regicide, and de-
clared that nine-tenths of the people Of
Ireland regarded the protector as mtr-
derer. He was followed by Justin Nc
earthly, who warmly protested against
the government offering an insult to Ire
land, and he moved q reduction of the
vote by $500. The motion was carried
by .220 to SO, and Mr.. Morley thereupon
withdrew the proposal for the monu-
ment, knowing that both wings of the
Irish party would vote solidly against
the government and drive 1t ignomini-
ously from Office.
The Liberal party made a genuine
British t'buli' in Introducing any pro-
posal for honoring Cromwell at this time
when they are dependent on IrishmeD to
keep them in power. Had the Irish
members voted with the Liberal party
they would earn the excavation Of every
Irishn1an throughout the world, and
bring upon their heads "the curse of
Cromwell" which is the worst curse
that All Irishman can wish another.
Oliver Cromwell has been dead for 23T
years, and we have no recollection that
the English people ever before desired to
honor him by q statue in Westminster
Abbey, where memorials to the great
men OF the nation are erected. The
fact is that though Cromwell was great
man in some respects, the English peo-
pie do not admire him, nor have they
much love for his memory 1t would
appear from what we have read that it
was proposed to erect the monument in
Ireland. The statue Of King William OF
the Boyne stands in one Of the leading
streets of Dublin, and perhaps the Eng
lish imagine that a statue of Cromwell
in Ireland's capital would be considered
an ornament by the Irish people. But
King William and Oliver Cromwell are
different personages in the eyes of Irish
men. The former had some humanity
about him while the latter was e. bloody
butcher who showed no quarter to age
or sex. Cromwell was the most relent-
less ruler who ever prosecuted Ireland.
In 1s49 he arrivedain that country with
10000 veterans and his son-in-law, Ire
ton, followed him. He laid siege to
Drogheda and captured the city, after
eight days fighting. He put the garri-
son to the sword and massacred 1,000un-
resisting Inhabitants who had fled for
protection within the walls Of the church.
His brutal and fanatical soidiery spared
neither women nor child and left the
church floor streaming with blood. From
Drogheda he proceeded to Wexford,
where the same tragedy was repeated.
No distinction was made between the
Irish soldiers who defended the city and
the non combatants. He slaughtered
300 women who gathered around the
great cross on the square, though they
piteously cried for mercy, By this time
he had increased his army to 10000 men
aud confidently anticipated the conquest
of the island. He reduced several other
cities, but retired from the walls of Clon-
mel after vainly attempting to enter it.
After his bloody work he returned to
England and left the Irish campaign in
charge of Ireton, who was almost as
merciless as Cromwell. There was one
Irish general who was able to measure
swords with the Protector, and that was
Owen Roe O'Neill, but unfortunately he
was poisoned when on his way to meet
the invader Ireton laid siege to Linz
erick in 1861 and met with stout re,
sistance. It was defended by Hugh
O'Neill with 5000 men. The mayor OF
the city, one Stretch, gave up the keys
to 1reton notwithstanding the protesta-
tions Of O'Neill and the bishops Of Linn
erick and Emily. II
Though the city had surrendered the
British commander put q OF the leading
citizens to death, the patriotic bishops
being among the number, FOR urging the
people to fight and never surrender to
the foe. There is tradition that the
bishop when dying called Ireton to judg
nlent before Cod, and whether that be
true or not it is certain that his muir
derer died in a short time after Of pes
tilential disease.
During the commonwealth Ireland was
terribly prosecuted by Cromwell. About
$4,000 of the young men and women of
the country were transported to the SUI
ga,. plantations in the Barbados, and the
people were ordered to go to hell Or Con-
naught. a religious persecution was
inaugurated and the priests were order
ed to quit Ireland within 20 days under
the penalty of high treason. They
sought refuge In the caverns of the
mountains and those who were captured
forfeited their lives on the gallows. "A
proclamation was also Issued ordering
~ ,,,ne marry AZ leave FL fcOllnt;.y