The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-05
angtsI D1VHT

" NV RUffUF ~ THf 81 ~ W I've
ffegaatufa Dlesih NJ Nrhsrt pHeitt ~ Nd
lusi ehiefef ne sistf Hfsf geHf fefenefaled
ifeisHf bsa lns, . am skaHt, nee, ~ Chsfles
aiew M pssnen, shs has tho anpieae eau4e
~ femembef sith uHdylue afatisuie w
ths eyes N NE coudtfyueh ~ vas . hffo
and mar,sT Hvsn thosa oaIsotefs who
iatl M ~avfHesfhy WIN NJ paffictlr asplft
iiuna feroaHfsei w him . hieh mindet and
pu'e hsaftei man AHhuuah NJ suffered
i~upfiaoumsut during . large nsf' ~ Ne adult
ltfs. NJ evlnest ~ trace ~ fsHeef toWafd ne
iail~ta, and h. vaa cspahis sven NJ forRlvlng
his couutfy's WfonRa Wheu tnoss IN q posi
ton ~ atons brought forth fruits ntee, for
repentance Ne Wa IN truth The sif Paf
sitsl NJ che irish uuest Tor libgftg and happl'
heas
When Michaei navit %fecoun,ed tho mls
cries imposed ~ ireland hy n haieful land
system hts voice miaht we'll THRU hts audi
tors. Toe he had been hlmsrif q vicflfn He
seemed 10 sum 40 In his person the whole
tale NJ ireland's wrong Born IN 1919. tbs
am Of a peasant, he waa only about . years
old whom hIs father waa eviotcd viii hiA
family for non. paymsnt ~ rent. Destitute
and broken hearted. tho father presently died
The widow and orphans sought work IN
England, ~ 80 many landless Irish folk have
done. Though q mere boy. Michael strove
to do his part. and obtained employment In
n IHFtOTy, NntTe URIOTt lpnA " lb7N HH IiAHh
arm through ENHANCEMENT with tho machin-
cry. Hungry and MANNED. he made his way
20 London. where he became first q newsboy.
next q printers devil" then q composltor.
having learned to set type with his left hand.
and. ultimately. n reporter for London news
papers. The hardships and privations which
those nearest TO him had endured and that.
aalhe we'll know. we're typical Of the fate Of
almost all Irish peasants inspired him with
. ..aIaAAtu InaIRu 30 aNa aIiaFaNa NhaiF InN
and impelled him 20 Join the fenian move
ment which, although IL had received In 1868
what seemed for the moment a decisive
check. soon began to show signs OF revival.
Brought In contact with the Irish revolu-
tlonary leaders. he evinced on more than
one occasion a willin gness to serve their
plans till In 1870 he was arrested and tried
on the charge OF distributing arms for the
purposes OF rebellion. Convicted and SEN
fenced TO Imprisonment for fifteen years. he
remained Incarcerated until 1877. when he
was released on a ticket OF leave. He had
entered his cell an eager boy OF -. He
emerged from II a sobered. farslghted man
OF 81. resolved thenceforward to substitute
constitutional for violent methods. He had
found. as he believed. a way to solve the
a~grarian problem which weighed like an in
cubus upon his country.
Not long had he been out Of prison when,
at a meeting held in April. 1879. in County
Mayo. the ticket OF leave man started
the memorable Land League. the funda-
mental principle OF which was that thence
forth Irish tenants would pay no rents until
these should be reduced to such a standard
as would enable tenants to live. A per-
manent organization was completed at Cas-
tlebar on August 10. 1879. In the course OF
the same year Charles Stewart Parnell pub
licly announced his adoption Of the pro-
gramme of the league and Michael Davitt
crossed the Atlantic to create an auxiliary
association In the United States. 1t is true
that In October, 1881. the immense work
achieved by Davltt and his coadjutors on
behalf OF the Land League. a work which
was on the eve of forcing Irish landlords to
their knees, seemed to cursory spectators to
have been brought to taught by a procla-
nation suppressing It. which was backed by
all the coercive powers at the disposal Of
the Gladstone Government. II is well known
that Michael Davitt and other leaders of the
a~gr8rian movement were imprisoned. The
seed, however, had been planted. It was
indestructible, and the harvest was to be
garnered at the general election OF Deem
Der, 1885, which was to be followed by Glad
stones acceptance Of the Home Rule prin-
ciple and by repeated recognitions of Eng
lands duty to Irish tenants embodied in
land purchase nets. eliminating In the
Wyndham law, which with the amendments
likely to be made by the Bannerman Govern
meht bids fair to rank among the most
benefcent measures ever placed upon a
statute book.
Michael Davitt was a reformer. an organ
izer OF great popular movements, an ~electri-
fer Of the heart and conscience. rather than
a master OF political tactics. He had no
small vanities and was well aware that he
lacked Parnells qualifications for leadership
Of the Irish Parliamentary party. Events
were to prove that he had made q mistake
during the canvass preceding the general
election of December. 1886, when he urged
Irish voters In Great Britain not to obey Mr..
Parn ellis peremptory injunction to support
Conser vative candidates. Had his advice
been followed TO a considerable extent 1t is
evident that the Liberals would have had In
the Parliament which met early In 1888 a
considerable majority over Conservatives
and Irish Nationalists combined, In which
event it Is much to be feared that the first
Home Rule bill would never have seen the
light. Miohael Davitt. az we have said, was
fully alive to his relative u~nfltness for the
practical work Of politics and consequently
laid no claim to the place left vacant by Par
nell's deposition. and cheerfully gave way
to Justin Mccarthy. John Dillon and John
Z. Redmond. The virtue Of timely self
placement was never more nobly displayed.
The self-efacement was the more admirable
because as a public speaker Michael Davitt
was surpassed by no other Irish Nationalist.
Cogent in reasoning. lucid and picturesque
in exposition. stirring in appeal. his words
we're fire tipped with an emotion that shook
the hearts of those who recalled what he had
sui cred for their sake.
In the gallery reserved for Ireland's wor-
thies Michael Davitt will occupy a niche apart,
He was a good man as well as q great man.
1t was reserved for him to wear at once the
victor's laurel and the martyrs crown. As
he lay on his deathbed 1t must have rejolced
his spirit to know that a great sum of money
had been promised In Parliament to provide
homes for the landless Irish laborers, who
had been overlooked in favor of tenant farm
ers. but Of whom. when many others forgot
them, Michael Davitt stood forth the cham
pion. An OLD FRIEND OF IRELAND
NEW YORK. June 8.