The Irish standard., 1906-03-24
established the Church of 1reland-a

scandal Of three centuries duration
which imposed on q nation, taxes to
support an establishment, in which
nine-tenths Of the population dis
believed in. He also introduced land
bill which had for its. object, the
amelioration Of the farmers wrongs,
which had caused untold agrarian
crime. and from time immemorial had
been at the bottom Of all the violent
scenes that disturbed the peace Of that
unhappy island.
These were meagre concessions to a
people long overtaxed. disfranchised.
and trodden under foot by landlord
oligarchy. grinding, heartless and ma
lignant. The only adequate redress Of
the peoples grievances at the time was
what Matthew Arnold afterwards point
ed out; q thorough sitting and cleaning
out Of those soulless, countryless
tyrants. who had long squatted like
a hideous nightmare on the breast Of
poor Ireland, and drank like vampires,
ravenously the very life blood of it's
children both at home and in exile. AS
this beneficent plan was not carried
out it was impossible to expect COM
pletc pacifcation of the country. The
way was however paved for constitu.
tional agitation and the policy of physi.
rsl yx,n r1,yo 011,.
a few years in 1878 the Land League
was started and as Barry O'Brien re-
marks: "A moro lawless organization
than this never existed and If it were
not SO, 1t would never have succeeded"
A strange commentary indeed on Eng
fish Rule III Modern Ireland. Those
were stirring days in Ireland in the
SOS when this new political force was
at work under tho leadship of c. $.
Parnell. In connection with this strug-
gle-the greatest against Il Titanic
world-powcr in our time-it is a fact
worthy of everlasting remembrance,
which all true-hearted Irish people
will never forget that the funds which
mainly kept it in existence, were con-
tributed by lrish-Americans. Right
generously did they forward their dol
lars to the Nationalist party funds and
If they did not Go so 1t is more than
likely that the Land League movement
would have suffered the same fate of
complete extinction which other similar
ones underwent thirty years previously.
But did this great movement succeed?
Yes; it obtained success which the
most sanguine could scarcely have
dreamt of. 1t revolutionized political
thought in Englapd itself. English
statesmen at last confessed that mis-
chlevous in the extreme had been their
past legislation in regard to their Sister
Isle, and purposcd honest amends for
their past shortcomings. Then the
millennium Of political happiness SEEM
ed to have arrived when gazing across
the channels Irish eyes beheld the I'm.
accustomed spectacle of English menu
'1ers of Parliament preaching down
the hearts OF their coulitrymen an
Home Rule" program, and all the
bitterness OF an age-long conflict was
entirely forgotten when Gladstone, the
gray haired veteran statesman and
idol OF his countrymcn wendell his way
in 1856 into the Ancient Commons
House Of Britain, followed by an
enthusiastic party, determined to give
the grand finishing stroke to his life's
labors by bestowing a measure Of self
government which would assuage the
sorrows of u much wrOnged nation.
He failed to carry his measure of good
will in 'S6, but faithful to his promise
he never ceased to advocate it for
seven years until success crowned his
efforts in '93 and Ireland would be
legislating for her people today in con-
sequence of it did not that absurd,
anomalous. unrepresentative relic Of
incdiaevalisn,, the Lords of England,
destroy 1t In It's passage through their
chamber. Mr.. Gladstone passed away
from the scene of earthly lahors with
out seeing his glorious task fulfilled
The bill Of ""Irclnnd's Rights" which
shall ever be inseparably connected
with his name passed away for n mo-
ment from tho popular mind. 1t was
not however completely shroudcd in
Oblivion for since his demise the menu
bers of that party, which even most
differed from him, have by their Irish
measures, been approaching. conscious
" or unconsciously. the standard
chalked out by him. In 1898 local
government bill wrested tho manage
ment OF the internal affairs Of the
country from the hands of a time worn
and forlorn aristocracy.>l and entrusted
them into the hands of the people. \
land bill along the lines vigorously
fought for by Mr.. Parnell in 1880 was
given without Il struggle In 1903. All
these concessions go to show, and that
coriclusively, that the road of passage
is Frightening up for the Irish people.
They haye passed through their Red
Sea OF persecution and the hostile
forces which once harassed them
so numerically have more or less
ol,o ndOnn<7 fhoir ,,,,rs,,ff Lytnr- ICd,vora