New-York tribune., 1900-03-26
QUEENS VISIT TO IRELAND
AN FRESHMAN REPLIES TO RECENT
LETTER ON THE SUBJECT

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: A letter the Queens visit to Ireland In
to-day's Tribune. signed m. F." shows the In
capacity of certain minds to understand the atti-
tude Of the Irish people to Englands Queen NJ.
f." volunteers the information that Queen Victoria
has sighted Ireland for forty years because Dublin
and Cork did not mourn for Prince Alberts death
and had place in either city for monuments TO
perpetuate his fame. In gentle and II mis-
take not. feminine strain M. F." gives your
readers sketch Of previous visits and leaves them
under the impression that those visits to the EN-
eraId Isle brought forth the plaudits and the well
of whole people. And TO cap the climax
M F." prophesies that the Queens present visit
will bring forth heartier welcome than the pre-
vious ones. for. with all their faults, M. F.. as
us. the Irish people loyal.
The Irish people owe no love, nor loyalty, nor
liking to Queen Victoria. In the of sixty
three years she the island thrice. and each
time in sullen silence Irish people her make
progress through tie land. They needed neither
her coming her going. They knew only too
well that the Prince Consort had for the
Irish or their ideals. The fierce adherence Of the
Irish the creed and traditions OF their ancient
land was worthy only of the jest and Of
Prince Albert and his jest and sneer they paid back
with contempt and hate. There is hardly doubt
Victoria saw Ireland through Albert's
perverted vision and that until now she has never
begun 70 understand Ireland the Irish. Her
dislike Of O'connell. of the greatest political
leaders Of all the ages. is matter Of history Her
dislike OF Gladstone grew and waxed strong IN
OF Ireland She had honors and rewards and
emoluTnenls for every renegade who betrayed the
of the Irish people But for the Irish patriots
she had the dungeon, exile and death. In the
sixty-three years of her reign the population Of
Ireland has dwndled from nine millions to little
four millions. The prolific IN the
vyor:d is still diminishing at its Two mill
lions d:ed of famine in the richest and fairest
island of the and buried In uncoffined
graves. while the rich produce of its fields and
gardens was shipped away feed the subjects Of
Victoria in England Four millions Irish youths
and maidens fed from Ireland in Victorias reign.
and Victoria uttered sigh but rejoiced that they
Were gone. She had no thought of the morrow
when those broken hearted Irish went forth to eat
the bitter bread of exile. She never dreamed that
those eXes and their children would even in her
lifetime change the history of the world. But
Irish brain and bone and muscle had freedom and
opportunity IN the shadow of the Stars Stripes
and their story is part and parcel Of the story OF
this Republic for the last sixty years
1t is the story of the upbuildng of the greatest
and richest nation OF the world ID the men and
women whorn Victoria and her Ministers deemed
worthy only of ridicuie and contempt fore
most in il.
THE GREAT VICTORIAN ERA
The achievements of the Victorian era are the
most renowned of Englands annals The litera ture
and art of that unworthy of the Eliza
bethan period. The growth and development of
the Australias and OF Canada and the establish
ment therein Of free government rank among the
noblest achievements of all time The spread of
municipal government among the masses of the
English people, the extension of the Para-
mentary franchise. and the immense industrial
growth which was the consequence of the re-
form will ever stamp the Victorian era a land
mark in history. The Colonial Government Of
India and the amelioration of its teeming millions
will in future ages furnish a theme for the his
torian. Were i Englishrnan 1 should be proud
of such achievements however sceptical might
be about the need of credit due for them Vic
tora. 1t Irishmen like the Wellesieys, the
Dufferins. the Coughs and the Lawrences that
made the indian Empire what it is. Irish talent
and genius have had small share in the develop
and upbuding of the Austraas and the
glorious young Dominion TO the north
II the eloquence, the genius and the states
manship Of the great O'ConneI that paved the way
for the English reforms which shaped the destiny
of the empire in the Victorian age and made 1t
what it is But in that age Ireland has been
doomed to bitter disappointment, grief and woe
admit that historical as well as p3ifca G CAUSES is
torical causes are ignored there can be no under
standing of Ireland or its people From the day
Irish soil to the hour when Queen Victoria first
bsaed & II me i Whole story %b Of fraud deee
and broken pledges To paraphrase Gladstone; tone
the forgery Of the adrian Bull by English priest
treaty Of Limerick by the Parliament Of William
III, there never was pledge or promise made by
was not made to be broken at the first convenient
When Elizabeth near her end and the great
Ulster earls had driven the English from every
Queens Ministers sought peace and promised the
free enjoyment of their religion and their estates
nermRstipg England 10 hold Dublin and other pos
sessions O'NeiI ana ODonnell accepted the offer
and swore fealty. From that hour their doom was
sealed for England made of the opportunity
TO accumulate and troops in Ireland, and
seized the the Ulster ears were off their
Chiefs fed from Ireland in despair Then followed
and wrong. TIL at last the oppressed rose and
emote the oppressor and again the tyrant fed from
and many of the Irish leaders. remembering the
the past, proposed utter severance OF all re-
ai iati9ns between England and Ireland But the
the the chivalry Of the Irish and besought them to
being hounded to death by Cromwell and the Puri-
tans. Charles promised religious liberty and their
lands 10 the Irish-promised anything they wanted
and the Irish foolishly yielded the hopeyed
words of the Stuart king.
ALWAYS THE SAME STORY
Then Cromwell came and marched through the
island like a destroying angel. He burned their
shrines sacked their towns ruthlessly slaughtered
men, women and children, and when his soldiers
fearing they might grow up Papsts and enemies
CT the Almighty. The coniscated lands OF the
Irish peasant became the slave of master.
But Stuart soon returned TO the throne. and the
Irish demanded the fulhlment Of the pledges and
promises of King Charles ]: The Merry Monarch
sought the friendship and SUPPORT lS OF IPeand
against his rebelious subjects in England. Again
England But again there divided counses
and they resolved to throw in their lot with James.
and rfdicule OF the people. Then William made a
solemn treaty with the gallant and illustrious
exercise of their religion and the enjoyment of
could dry" The lands of the Irish Were confscated
aItars overturned and their ehrines burned
II Is go years since that treaty was made. and