Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03
.|RELAND'S NEW ERA
Happy Results Of King Ed
wards Recent Visit.
A MARKED CONTRAST
HOW ROYALTY TREATED THE
ISLAND IN PAST CENTURIES.
Benefcent Effect Of the Land Bill
The Future Bright and
Promising. ::
A MARKED CONTRAST
To the Editor of The Evening Star:


Permit me. through your valuable paper.
to offer a few comments anent your two re-
cent very interesting letters touching on
the present state of affairs in Ireland-one
by Mr.. Moore, your London correspondent,
dated August 5, the other by Bassett
Staines. dated September 5. 1893. Mr..
Moore says: 1.-The impression that was
made in Ireland on the recent visit of Eng
lands king and queen was excellent, and
in one respect at least a new era has
dawned for the country. The royal visit.
which some in high places affected to con-
slider in the light Of an experiment, has been
abundantly justified by results" To argue
that all cause for unrest in Ireland has
been removed would be to take unwar
rantable liberty with the essentially nom
political nature of the visit, but 1t may
with safety be said that the people of Ire
land generally will be disinclined to lend an
ear to those who preach the doctrine that.
from the king downward the people of
England are enemies of Ireland The eX-
cellent impression created by their majes-
ties in Ireland, and further strengthened by
the action of the houses of parliament by
their almost unanimous consent to the land
bill, clearly assures the Irish people of
bright future.
Direct Contact With the People.
Referring to the kings visit: Through
mud and slush,' Mr. Moore writes in part.
their majesties tramped to a wretched
clay cabin, matched roof and with smoke
dried rafterS. where an old man, Patrick
kerrigan, eighty years of age, and partly
bedridden. has lived over half a century.
Mrs. Kerrigan received the royal visitors.
but had no idea whom they were. The
king and queen chatted with her easantly,
and upon their departure Mrs. Kerrigan
said: 'Shure, If l had known it was the
king and queen I'd have made them a bon
fire. Their majesties next visited the cot
tage of Michael Joyce, who lives on the
main road of the town land. Mrs. Joyce at
one recognized her visitors Round about
stood the Joyce boys, unkempt barefooted
and dirty. The queen and Mrs. Joyce chat
ted about cooking, etc. etc" These are
some of the pictures witnessed by their
royal highnesses. and these are but a fair
sample of thousands of others which may
be seen in all parts of Ireland The excel
lent impression created by their majestfes
in Ireland would still further be strength
ened by the announcement that the royal
visit was to be an annual one
The Lord Lieutenant.
Your second letter, September s, by Bas-
sett Staines. speaks of Ireland's viceroy,
Lord Dudley, as being the most popular
Vlceroy ireland has ever had. He has
broken all the bonds of red tape. AS soon
as he was made lord lieutenant he took the
reins of government in his own hands, and
said: Il am going among the people to find
out things myself. won't do anything
bllndfolded." He said to the Dublin Castle
officials: when l come back III consider
your schemes on their merits. I am going
to make tour through Ireland in my au-
tomobie.
"Alone?" the officials gasped "It is mad
ness. my lord you will be assassnated'
No. not alone. Lady Dudley is going
with me-
ha off io1c
give up the idea. He said that he was GO
ing among the people as a friend, and he
was sure they would receive him as one"
So they did. That automobile trip was a
ley both posses the golden art of making
friends They made themselves SO popu-
lar that anybody who had even insulted
them, much less harmed them. would have
run good chance of being mobbed
Lord and Lady Dudley have accomplished
more toward securing peace and good will
among the Irish people than could have
been attained by two hundred thousand
coercion and all the prisons in Ireland.
Much credit is due to Chief Secretary Wyn-
DOM owing to whose influence the land bill
reached successful issue.
A Striking Contrast.
What marked contrast there is in the
present state Of Irish affairs and those of
the days Of Henry VIII, Elizabeth and
Cromwell! Referring to the recent royal
visit to Ireland, where their majesties visit
ed a few of the poor peasants homes,
where only misery and poverty exist, and
which may be seen in all parts of Ireland,
the royal couple need not go far to be con-
Vlnced of the cause of this state of affairs.
Everywhere can be seen the ruin and DESC
lation of a once happy and prosperous peo-
pie, whose only crime was in being true to
the faith of Jesus Christ and loyal to their
country. The incentive of CromwelTs bru-
tai followers was embraced in their war
cry Of ITO the victor belong the spoils''
This tOcsin was sounded forth Under the
plea of religion and frenzied fanaticism
The bare walls of churches, abbeys col
legeS, converts, castles and cottages are in
sad testimony of the barbarities and cruel
ties of Henry VIII, Elizabeth and Cron1-
WELL With veneration and pleasure we look
back mentally to the peaceful conquest of
Ireland by st. Patrick, whose weapon was
the cross-the symbol of Christianity, mans
salvation. The entire nation-princes and
people-reverently bowed in submission-not
one drop of blood was she'd The cry was
GLORY to God in the highest-peace on
earth-good will to men,.
Edward VII and Oliver Cromwell,
The royal visit of King Edward VII is in
marked contrast to that paid to Ireland by
Oliver Cromwell and his fanatic followers,
who under the guise of religion, invaded
tillS pedCelul IdHu, put 10 the sword
men, women and children, and applied the
torch to their homes. Not satisfied with
murder and rapine, they desecrated the
churches, converts, abbeys and monster
les, the ruins of which stand in mute evil
dence today, silent reminders of those aw-
full days of pillage and slaughter
What erStwhie a land of prosperity
and peace, whose inhabitants were noted
for their piety, learning and hospitality,
was destroyed by fire and sword Many of
those unhappy people were butchered, while
those who escaped fled in despair from the
homes they loved so we'll
The beginning of the English revolution,
or so-called reformation, when Henry VIII
proclaimed himself, not only head of state,
but also head of church, marks a dark
epoch in England's history.
The details which follow indicate some of
the blacklist pages-not only in the history
of England-but of the world.
In proclaiming himself the nfallible head
of the new religion and church. he COM
PEELED his subjects, English, Scotch and
Irish, to take an oath, binding them to an
acknowledgment of his supremacy, and
many of those who failed in SO doing paid
the penalty Of death and confiscation of
property.
He laid the foundation of divorce, using
1t as an excuse and stepping stone to alb
jure the doctrines of the Roman Catholic
hu Chric i,,h hold