The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-05

uttered a complaint ABOUT What ne re-
garded as disloyalty on the part of Mr..
Martyr. The latter promptly resigned
both his positions and refused to retain
them, although requested to do so by
the castle authorities.
His letter of declination was a scath-
ing one on English rule in ireland. OF
course, he struck the popular heart and
with a surprise that touched as we'll as
astonished those who only vaguely knew
of him as an author and as the writer of
The Heather Field" one of the OPEN
ing plays of the = =, Literary theater,
founded by himself, cats and other
members OF the Irish ..terary society,"
From county, city and patriotic organi-
cations all over the country words of
praise came to him, and among the rest
was one from the Galway board OF
guardians, to which he sent reply OF
which the following is part:
From the numerous letters receive
from all parts and similar resolutions
from public bodies such as your own,
l can only think that my action has
commended itself to all honest men, in
cluding, those landlords Of Ireland who
are not in receipt or expectation of gov
ernment pay to themselves individually
or to their sons. That these indepen-
dent landlords will continue to allow
themselves to be made cat's-paws of for
pulling the chestnuts out of the fire for
the numerous army of place hunters in
Ireland I can hardly believe. They are
alive to the ruin that must come upon
them by continuance of their present
policy. l therefore expect that now
very. many will join the united national
party in Ireland, and by showing con-
fidence in their countrymen obtain that
justice which they are seeking in vain
from an alien administration"
The feature of this reply is the appa-
rent confidence of Mr.. Martyr that the
landlord class of Ireland, to which lie
belongs, will at last become patriotic
and cease to be the tools of aliens and
place hunters. There is to-day in this
country scarcely anybody that COM
plains more loudly of ill-treatment at
the hands of the British government
than the landlords, and yet they will not
stand by their own country and their
own people. They are despised by the
powers that be and hated and dreaded
by their countrymen. Possibly Mr..
Martyrs hope is justified and that the
independent landlords will no longer
continue ''to allow themselves to be
made cat's-paws of for pulling the chest
nuts out of the fire for the numerous
army OF place hunters in Ireland" If
they should, as he expects, join the ma
tional party the people will rejoice and
welcome them to posts of leadership
where they can be most useful in the
work of national progress and develop
ment. Every student of our national
and economical condition recognizes
the fact that their abstention from the
affairs of their country and their indif-
ference and hostility to the interests
OF the people has been grievous mis-
take on their part even from the point
of view of their own position and ad-
vantages. In separating themselves
from the masses of the people they oc-
cupy position which even in this many
times confscated country they should
regard as unworthy and anomalous, es-
pecially when their attitude cannot
bring them advantage, but only trouble
and antipathy.