The San Francisco call., 1909-09-20

rfnSISSnIn
constant Frightening. There were
periods when the darkness Of oppres-
sion and violent reprisal settled over
the land, but not for long. BY force
of awakened public opinion. by out
bursts OF opposition that were simply
unarmed rebellions and by campaigns
of obstruction and agitation in the
British parliament the interest OF
English statesmen of ability was at
last awakened and the government
compelled to inaugurate sweeping
changes.
These so years were on the whole
period of great reforms. The greatest
wisest and most important of all was
the gradual extinction of landlordisrns
now under way. In addition there was
the disestablishment of the state
church of the minority; several acts
for the betterment Of the condition or
farmers, agricultural laborers and ar
tisans; the granting of self-govern-
ment in purely local affairs and the
founding of national university
The great famine of 1s47-4s left the
country almost desolate and the people
utterly worn out. The horrors OF
starvation and wholesale extinction had
swelled the tide of emigration, drain
ing the nation of it's very lifeblood
For Is years Ireland remained stepped
in misery. Gavan Duffy In 1851 sought
to revive the national spirit through
his Irish tenant league, but the move
ment was betrayed by two of its MEM
bers Again, in 1868, dangerous con-
spiracy was fomented in County Cork
by James Stephens. one of the leaders
of the rising of 1S4S. 1t was quickly
suppressed. yet it served to uncover
the perilous condition of the public
mind.
A far more serious attack was being
prepared. While stephens, with O'Don-
ovan Rosa and others. formed the
Irish republican brotherhood. Irishmen
who had taken refuge in the United
States organized Fenianism for an
armed attack upon Great Britain The
movement was denounced by powerful
members of the Catholic clergy and by
advocates of constitutional methods"
yet it made headway.
Seizure of some of the Fenian leaders
in 1855 did not quell the trouble.
stephens escaped. Scattered risings were
suppressed, and a ship from America
with arms and men who had fought In
the civil war was captured. but for
three years the government was terror
lsfzed There was a raid into Canada,
Clerkenwell prison in London was
dynamited, Chester Castle was attacked
and an attempt made to rescue some
prisoners in Manchester. resulting in.
the death of policeman and the hang
ing of three Fenians.
Futile as these desperate outbreaks
were in themselves. they had the effects
noted in connection with similar ris-
ings in preceding years; they aroused
the attention and the fears of England
and were followed by immediate re-
forms. They led to the disestablish-
ment of the Anglican church in Ireland
and the passage of the first great land
act of 1870. That Fenianism compelled
these concessions we have the testi-
mony of English statesmen.
TT has only been since the termina-
tion Of the American war and the ap-
pearance of Fenianism." said Gladstone,
that the mind of this country has been
greatly turned to the consideration of
Irish affairs
Again, in 1868. when the great leader
was asked why he had not dealt with
For perfectly plain and simple rea-
son. In the first place circumstances
were not ripe then as they are now.
Circumstances, repeat, were not ripe.
in so far as we did not know then so
| much as we know now with respect to
| the intensity of Fenianism."
The attention of this country and the
ferin, were much stimulated If not
altogether awakened by the fact of
| Fenianism."
| 1t is worth while to note in passing
what the church question at this time
was. The Protestant EpispocaI church.
total population of nearly 100000 in
1910, was the state church. 1t was en-
dowed with lands and with money. and
supported besides by tithes levied
against all the people. OF course, the
greatest part of the tithes were paid
| by Catholics, and the few hundred
thousand Presbyterians also had to
contribute. In many parishes the rec
tor OF the endowed church actually had
to borrow two or three Protestants
from a neighboring parish. in order to
hold an occasional service and so COM
| ply with the law which gave him a
large salary.
| The people. in 1890. and for several
Years following, made war upon the
grotesque system. There were many
scenes of riot and violence. and finally.
lin 1898, the government yielded and
passed a tithe Communication act. This
placed the burden of paying the tithes
upon the landlords. OF course, the rem
edy was useless, for the landlord
simply added the tax to the rents, and
the people paid as before. 1t was not