The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-21

NJ. p. has written for the Associated
Press his impressions OF the scene
caused by the Irish members in the
house OF commons Thursday and what
he believes il portends as follows:
Il have seen many strange AMI excit-
ing scenes in the house OF commons,
but that OF Thursday was the mcss
strange and most exciting. Ii deserves
serious notice a symptom OF :ha clue
TO the present political condition. Jonn
O'Donnell, the chief character there in
Is not the kind of man one would ex-
pect to see figure in such scene.
To see this ordinarily quiet young
man, addressing the whole house for a
quarter OF an hour amid n din which
was tempestuOus, and In violation of
every rule OF order. with the speaker,
ministers and all shouting. and the ma
jority helpless and then afterwards to
see him cross the floor OF the house
and, standing in front of the prime
minister, who sat pallid. with sickly
smile on his face. to see this was one
of the most curious proofs OF his hon.
est passion and Indignation. created by
oppression, can COW even the most
| powerful of tyrannies. OF all the points
| of that terrible scene, for IL was terri
| bic, the most remarkable was the alb
solute helplessness, the cowed inaction
| Of the Unionist majority, SO divided
| and harrassed by the sense of the ire
s1stlble doom coming hourly upon their
; leaders, that they cannot conceal their
| depression and are made impotent ny
| panic. And there was the other rea-
son, that the spectre of ireland. which
| was supposed to be laid. had risen
| again, more menacing than ever. Anc.
| finally, there was perhaps some sense
| of shame at the feeling that this man.
| who was calling for the right TO be
| heard in the house OF commons. had
| been gagged in Ireland by systematic
| persecution worthy of Russia at her
worst. He has spent eighteen months
| In jail during the last three or four
| years and has been dragged from plat
| forms by the police before ne opened
his lips. and he was recently subjected
to sentence which is an example OF
deliberate ferocity. his last SEN tence Of
six months, October 14th. having been
so given by the magistrate that O'Don-
| nell has to spend six weeks on a plank
bed and nine days on bread and water.
All this suffering of the past and to
| come, was written in legible letters on
the pale face and in the excited eyes Of
this ordinarily quiet gentleman. This,
perhaps, was why the ministerlalists
sat cowed, helpless and ahGshed at the
scene, one of the signg e some great,
! coming change.
1T is Impossible 10 fofeten what It
Will be. but for a good reason Irishman
hope ii may take the shape of = start
| ling, gigantic surrender ORE Of the
most important poTteata is the eager
ness OF nine out % ten Of the ..ndiords
! 10 attend a conference with the Irish
| leaders. The movement il only kept
! from triumph by tn fact :hat the lead
ers Of the landlor5s are * sa.tly. with
estates in England and are therefore
independent OF Irish agitation and be-
cause they are. besides, politicians first
and landlords afterr1rds
Every thinking Tpn. whether land
lord or tenant. believes tha: two 10
three years purchase and small grant
! from the imperial exchequeE are AL
nov standing between ireland and a
final settlement Of the land question,
| and the recorquest OF the land by the
Celts from the English garrison.
Among those who think that a gigantic
surrender is inevitable at an eariy day
| IS, i have reason TO believe the Irish
! chief secretary. Mr. Wyndharn himself
He urged the landlords Il consent To a
conference, even travelling long dis
stances to their homes in order to put
personal pressure on them. He has al
| ready announcement that there viii be a
| bigger land bill next year and I have
heard ne has said privately that coer-
cion might be over IN three weeks I'm
case OF certain events, wheheby I un-
derstood be meant TO IL the landlords
and tenants agree on a common basis
OF settlement. In the meantime pres
sure Dn the government Is coming from
various quarters. II is doubtful IL the
| government can carry the educat ton bill
without violent closure. which may lead
TO scenes inside the house by the En-
| giish non-comformists very like those
caused by ODonnell. so vehement IS
| party passion. and outside IL may pro-
duce outbreaks in England, also on the
Irish pattern. The attempt to force the
| Irish members into tie ministerial
| lobby on the education bill, died on the
| first night of the session when Mr.. Bal
four insulted Ireland by refusing to
| give her day. to voice her wrongs.
ITO sum up. the Irish members feel
| that they have scored. Nobody has q
| good word TO say for the maIadroir
| antics OF Mr. Balfour The govern
/ ment Is threatened from many quarters
| and Is divided. and Is. believe doomed.
while Ireland has once more rushed
| into the foremost place In the great