Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-12-09
During Seven Long Centuries
She Has Been Most Cruel
and RapaciOus.
British Officials Refuse to Stand
Their Equitable Burden
of Taxation.
COERCION ACTS AND MARTIAL LAW

OF last week we take the following excel
lent article, which Irish Americans should
read and make the truths therein stated
more generally known:
Many intelligent Americans who have
not studied the political relations
between England and Ireland for the
past seven centuries and quarter are at
loss to understand why the Irish are
disloyal to Great Britain in the hour of
need and why they sympathize with the
Beers in the present war. When an
Irish-Americrn speaks out strongly
against great Britain and expresses the
hope that the Transvaal will maintain its
independence and come through the war
triumphantly, an American will be apt to
accuse him of inheriting a prejudice
against England. When an American
reads the London dispatch about the
Irish leaders being opposed to the enlist
ment of the young men of Ireland for the
South African war, he will be likely to
ask why the Irish can not be as loyal as
the Scotch to the British Empire, of
which they are subjects. The manifesto
ton of sympathy with the Beers at
mass meetings held in Ireland is a puz.
zle to the American who has been fed on
British literature and taught to believe
that the British Government is engaged
in carrying Christianity and civilization
into Africa and Asia along with dun-dum
bullets and lyddite shells. The unsoph-
isticated American of English descent
finds it hard to comprehend why the
Irishman is so implscable in his hostility
to 'mother England and thinks him
stupid fellow and very malicious to say
an unkind word of the great civilizer Of
mankind.
Now, we will tell the aforesaid Ameri-
can in as few words as possible why
Irishmen ardently pray for the downfall
of England, and hope to sing a hosanna
of praise over her defeat in the dark
continent 1t is because during seven
long centuries England has been cruel
and rapacious in Ireland and has gov
erned the Irish people with rod of iron.
For nearly hundred years nine-tenths
of the people of Ireland were trodden
under foot by the other one-tenth,
according to British law, and even today
the same minority rule the majority and
compel the British Parliament to deny
the right of self-governnent to the native
race. Every Office of honor and profit in
Ireland is filled by aliens and renegade
natives. The Irish people are compelled
to submit to unjust laws or emigrate
Lord Salisbury told them not long since
that the alternative for dissatisfied Irish
men was "manacles or Manitoba" The |
Queens Viceroy is paid 500. 900 year
out of the peoples pockets, a1d when |
the people demur they are dubbed, fined |
or imprisoned. There have been 10000
redcoats and $4,000 bluecoats in Ireland
to maintain British claw and order"
and all at the expense of the people. In
fifty years the population of the country
has diminished one-half- something un-
precedented in the history of a prolific
race like the Irish. During the same
period the country has been afflicted
with famines and the only relief afforded
by the British Government has been coer-
cion acts and martial law. The people
have been prevented from holding public
to discuss their grievances, and
their leaders have been transported and
imprisoned and hanged. No wrongs
have been redressed from sense Of JUS
ffCa oud T<,,uloud ,.a.,ar ex~o~&c ..l,ot
Ireland demands.
During the past half century Ireland
has been overtaxed, in violation of the
act of union, the enormous sum of $3.50,
100000, and when royal commission
reports such gigantic robbery, the Brit
ish rulers continne their swindling opera
tons and make no restitution to the peo-
pie they have plundered. The Catholic
people of Ireland are deprived Of higher
in order that the Protestant
may have all the fat offices in
the gift of the Government. The British
officials in Ireland refuse to stand their
equitable burden Of taxation. When
bill for the incorporation of suburban
loWho ihto INC Oup1h municipality
passes the House of Commons, in order
to reach the non-taxpaying officials. the
House of Lords lays it on the shelf. In
The face of all this, why should the Irish
people be loyal TO England in her hour
Of difiiculty1 If the Irish were governed
like the English and Scotch it is possible
hey would not be opposed to British
in Africa as they now are.
Ireland is thorn in the side Of England
and will checkmate her on the chess-
board of Europe while she is being forci-
bly, robbed and nisgoverned The rea-
'on why the Irish take no stock ia Ea9-
lands proteszations 81 fri<udsbip for the
Cpitel States is because they know her