Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-15
FNGLLsH SOLDIERS SEARcHIMGP EA5ANTS
Hut FOR R11s En-

consent of the authorities. He could not
own a horse valued over 95.''
Did this mean that: children were not
permitted to have any schooling at all?'
Mr.. Ansberry was asked,
Exactly that" he replied. and worse.
But the Irish were determined 10 hold on
to their natural talent for learning and
pass it on to their children. So for long
time schools were held il, caves. mountain
glens and behind hedges, where forbidden
knowledge was impaired by an outlaw
teacher to illegal pupils with determined
young sentries on guard TO warn them Of
the approach of officers IF the law.
This nation was forced into illit-
ieracy by law. Not only was education
forbidden in Ireland. bu. it was not per-
mitted for the childres. Of Catholic par
ents to be sent abroad for education. IN
deed it was only little more than fifty
years ago that England permitted the
masses of Ireland to go; to school. Even
at that the school privilege was beyond
the reach of many because OF the extreme
poverty caused by tho iexorbitant rent.
So great was this deprivation that In
1892 four-ffths of the population could
neither read nor write. 1t was made a
penal offense to speak In the native
tongue
"All that human enactment could do to
degrade the mind to a state Of brutal
ignorance was done. At the same time
the English government sias doing every
thing to prevent ireland from obtaining
education the English press was denounc-
ing the Irish as foes of learning and low
ers of ignorance.
"Montesgiven described this code as
being the fittest Instrument ever devised
or invented by men to :1egrade and de-
stroy a nation. but 1t failed of its pur-
pose The Irish people proved them
selves superior to fate.
These things made thsa Irishmen wan
derers on the face of the: earth, and be-
Iieve that England was hoist by her own
petard.' for many Irish; were forced to
seek homes and religious freedom in
they had their day of reckoning. for they
joined Washington's army. Many of the
Frenchmen who had consf over with the
French feet and foughtsinnder Rocham-
beau had Irish names 4: -
"Of course. you must understand" con-
tinued Mr.. Ansberry, Thu Irish never ac-
knowledged the English. right to invade
their land, as the records OF century after
century tells the same story of repeated
rebellions among the Irish and their re-
peated massacres by THE: English.
Finding such stubborn defiance to her
soldiers. England began; 'enacting rigor-
Gus legislation to conquer the Irish. This
she made more and more tyrannical dur
ing each successive reign. taking away
by degrees every right OF citizenship and
making native-born Irishs1en little better
than slaves.
These laws. as have9explained, were
directed toward the LAND the manufac-
lures. the schools. the parliament, the
religion and the idea Of nationality. Eng
lands paramount idea ws,s to so reduce
Ireland that she should simply exist as
a market for English products and man
ufactures. Her plan was to utterly de-
stroy Ireland as a naticn, forcing upon
her the necessity Of turning all of her
revenues into England. To accomplish
this complete subjugation THE first radical
step was the confiscation;of Irish land.
This was done upon al sorts of pre-
texts. such as attempteN Instructions,
refusal to adopt the cresd Of the state
church, etc. until finally the whole is
land, with the exception Of the estates
Of a few English families, was taken
from the rightful owners and not cent
was given to them in payment
In reply to a question as to what the
English did with this land. Mr.. Ansberry
said:
.'That is what started the landlordism
that has been such curse to Ireland:
The coniscated land was disposed Of
in three ways. Large. estates were
given to the favorites 81 the reigning
monarch. many Of whom never set foot
in ireland. Part Of IT! was sold to
Scotch and English coionists and the
royal purse pocketed the price. And 1t
was offered free to settlers from foreign
countries on condition that they do all
they could to drive out the Irish. and
with the understanding they should
not permit the former Owners to re-
cover any property az remuneration
for services in return for labor or even
by actual cash purchase.
DO you know" suddenly asked Mr..
where the term boycott
came from? Well, 1t arose through this
absenteeism of landlords and the char
acter Of the agents hired to collect the
rents. certain Capt. Boycott. rent
agent. was the most brutal and un- 1
scrupulous of his kind. u. sort OF twin
brother to Simon Legres. For seven
-