Washington sentinel., 1901-02-09
Rotes
Victoria ana the Irish,

Victoria ana the Irish
Michael Davitt cables from London to
the New York World as follows in ref
ere nee to Queens Victoria's death:
"All this loyal gush and affected grief
for Queen Victoria are part Of the social
insincerities and sentimental aunkeyism
which grow out of monarchical institu
tions. They are the ceremonial hypoc-
risies of society which requires royalty
as the fount OF honors,' to be an indis-
pensable part OF aristocTatic institutions.
To-day It is a matter of fashionable
tears for dead queen. Tomorrow 1t
will be a round OF rejoicing over the
succession OF q coroneted King; and,
all the time. the millions ofwage earners
in Great Britain and Ireland continue
their daily labor, production OF wealth
and payment OF taxes, so that this kind
of monarchical mummerY shall continue
in countries burdened with costly
court. with crowds of lords and titled
names, and--with more than million
of manufactured paupeTs.
"Queen Victoria was to us in Ireland
more OF an expression than of person
ahty. We knew her through coercive
laws which bore her signature, through
the suspension OF the Habeas Corpus
Act in her name. and by proclamations
which frequently told US that her au-
thoriiy denied us the right to assemble
in public meeting or to exercise the
elementary rights OF citizenship in a
country which is supposed to enjoy
constitutional rule. This is how the late
Queen has been made known BY her
statesmen to millions OF our race.
"We cannot be blamed if, with keen
and bitter memory for all which her
meme stands for in the brutal misgov-
ernment OF Ireland during her lifetime,
we do not join in the show Of simulated
bereavement which is said to be univer-
sal across the Irish Sea.
"No act Of real greatness, or notable
deed OF generosity. or benefcent work
Of enduring good for either England or
mankind can truthfully be placed to
Victoria's account. She was, morally.
a good woman. There are millions of
women equally as blameless and stain
less. She was a faithful wife and a
careful, prudent mother. Granted; but
these are ordinary and homely virtues,
more frequently seen, too, in wives and
mothers oveFburdened with the daily
anxieties of an industrial or business
life than in the palaces of Queens, where
neither food nor fuel. raiment nor rent,
is an obstacle or danger in the path of
domestic peace and loyalty.
"Victoria is not, Of course, any more
to be blamed for the evils done in her
name by her statesmen and governors
than she is entitled to obtain credit for
the prosperity and progress which are
coincIdent to her reign, but absolutely
accidental to her life or influence within
that period No reign in England's
history, save that OF a previous British
Oueen--Elizabeth--h been more dis
astrous to Ireland than that which we
are asked to lament the ending of by
the journalistic lunatics of Great Britain.
"There are at least 40 coercion acts
on the statute book Of Westminster with
Victoria r signed to them, in which
the commonest liberties ci civilized rule
are denied to the Irish people. ] hese
were, it is true, the acts of an imperial
Parliament. and not the work Of the
dead Queen, Granted. But even so,
it is not, surely, a human reason why we
should be expected to shed too many
loyal tears IN Ireland over the royal
grave
"EnglIshmen may have cause to
associate the growth OF the wealth and
expansion ofpower oftheir country with
the reign Of the late Queen, but there
are millions of the human race, even
outside OF Ireland and India, who will
have better reason to cherish totally
opposite feelings TOR the memory of
monarch whose name is so associated
with the bloodshed, and crime, and
misery inflicted upon their countries by
armies, gov sTnoTs and laws"