The times., 1898-10-24
THE TRIALS OF IRELAND
New Lecture by DR.. Stafford
OIL Irish Oppression.
AN IMMENSE AUDIENCE
The National Thenter Crowded-in-
nfversary Celebration of the Fa-
nous Struggle for Liberty in LIDS
Eloquent Appeal for sympathy
md Moral SuppOrt-The Supreme
Crime of History.

Seldom in the history of the National
Theater has its capacity been more Sc
verely taxed than by the audience which
filed every seat from pit to dome last
night to hear new lecture by Rev. DR..
d. ]. Stafford on the struggles OF Ireland.
Several rows of front seats had been re-
served for the Emmet Guards. who were
with the District Volunteers at Santiago
as Company A When the Guards en-
tered the theater attired in the uniforms
which they wore to Cuba, they were hear
tily cheered as they marched down the
center isle.
When the enthusiasm lulled, 1t was only
| for a moment, for the speaker of the
evening made his appearance upon the
| platform, causing the audience to double
| it welcome with increased vigor and ear
| nestness.
Dr. Stafford declared that his theme was
the supreme crime of history. 1t was
one he did not like. 1t was too sad. 1t
filled him with a sense of wrong. a sense
of injustice. In all history there was not
| recorded such savage cruelty, such at
tempts to annihilate a whole people as
those which have been made by England
in her treatment of the Irish people.
Changes have come, but the policy of
| England from the beginning has been to
| annihilate the people whose pride she
could not break. whose wild and pas
sionate love of liberty she could not ex-
tinguish.
The speaker reviewed the fearful days
of Elizabeth when, he said, the English
| tried to rid themselves of the Irish people
by depopulating the island, and told of
the terrible time of Cromwell, who sacked
and plundered every town that was turn
ed over to his armies, cutting throats,
mingling the chanting of hymns with his
| butcheries."
Dr. Stafford then related the story of
the founding of the United Irish Society
at Belfast, consisting of Catholics and
| Protestants, who were anxious to unite
the race, and weld il into one harmonious
whole, into a nation that could resist
the oppressor.
Then" said he, England sent agents
to stir up strife between the Catholics
and the Protestants in order TO rule Ire
land by keeping her divided. The object
of the United Irish Society was parlia-
mentary reform and Catholic emancipa-
tion by legitimate means, yet its mem
bers were forbidden to meet, newspapers
were suppressed and free speech throt'
tied.
Then it was resolved that armed re-
sistance should be made, and the Irish
people set to work quietly to manufact-
ure arms and pixies America mad
thrown off the English yoke, and the eX'
ample. stirred the Irish heart. Wolfe Tone
came to America and then went Il
France, seeking foreign aid
1.-The speaker related the success ol
Wolfe Tones mission and the subsequent
destruction by storm of the fleet which ne
had succeeded in having sent to Ireland
Things went from bad TO worse, until the
English soldiers were instructed to col
lect arms from the Irish people
.These brutal soldiers were guilty Of
every crime that man could commit,
| said DIR. Stafford "They burned house:
and scourged the Irish people to find ou
f the hiding places of their arms. Pitci
: cams were thrust on their heads. flint
2 Improvement on the scalping knife OF thu
Indian. 1t stands recorded in history
that civilized government, for Its owl
/ purposes, deliberately goaded and tor
tured into resistance and rebellion a de
fenseless people in order to shoot then
down.
, .,The Irish people stand paramount 70
their love of stainless chastity. No ex
treme of poverty, no dark tenement. n
, abiect want has taken from them tn
E love of virtue. One hundred thousln
people are starving in the west of Ire
land. England admits that the peopl
of Ireland are taxed GlVO,ooo,OO0 NOR
e than their share, and not one single dol
S lar has been spent to feed the hungry
: Such is the condition now. as In all time
e mast and when it was discussed in tn
British parliament, Balfour said, l.
!. them go to the south of France an
drink champagne. The Irish race ha
not died 1t remains a factor in tn
world in spite of rapine. exile. trans
{ plantation, and struggle. 1t has carrie
the banner of every nation to victor.
..rhe first Victories Of America on Ian