New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-12
Proclamation Of sympathy among all
classes of Irishmen.
Two Sides TO Question.

Proclamation of sympathy among all
! classes of lrishmen.
Two Sides to Question.
When Mr.. Dillon spoke of the re-
bellion having been drowned in a
/ sea OF blood some regard, he said,
/ must be paid to the actual facts. Il
was impossible, he said, TO measure
! life for life in such circumstances.
Let not our sympathy be entirely
| captured by the unfortunate. mis-
| guided victims OF this unhappy and
! criminal act" added the Premier. who
said that some sense of proportion
| must be preserved. as no fair man
could blind himself to the terrible,
wanton, inexcusable and unprovoked
injury" which had been inflicted on
the military and civilian population.
The Premier promised that further
courts martial for murder would be
conducted publicly.
The persons executed. he said, could
be divided into three categories: The
first composed Of those who signed
the proclamation of the provisional
government and were the leaders OF
the actual rebellion in Dublin, ard Of
the extreme penalty; the second. those
who were in command of the rebels,
actually shooting down troops and
police, Of whom there were seven;
the third. men like Kent. who had
been guilty Of murder.
Sentences Not Carried Out.
There were two other persons, Mr..
Asquith said under sentences Of death.
Both Of them had signed the proclsma-
tion and had taken an active part-one
of them a most active part--in the in
surrection in Dublin.
The Premier did not see his way to
interfere with the discretion of Major
General Maxwell the commander Of
the troops in Ireland, and say that the
extreme penalty should not be inflicted.
He was unable TO reconcile it with his
conscience or his judgment that differ
entail or preferential treatment should
be accorded in the case OF men Of equal
guilt.
Proceeding TO refer to the rank and
file Of the rebels as "the dupes," he
said they had been misled almost un-
consciously. The government desired
that they should be treated with Glenn
ency, he added, and that every oppor-
tunity should be given them In the
future to redeem their error.
The Premier specifically expressed
the greatest confidence in General
Maxwell, adding that under the very
trying conditions and in the exercise
of very delicate and difficult jurisdic-
tion he had shown discretion and hu-
manity.
Tribute TO Maxwell
81 am personally perfectly satisfied
with the manner in which he has dis
charged his duties" the Premier de-
clsred.
Mr.. Asquith said that owing TO resig-
nations the civil executive OF Ireland
had almost ceased to exist, and il was
very desirable that provision should be
made at the earliest possible moment
for the future.
at is of the utmost Importance"
said the Premier, that after these
disturbing events we forsake all past
prepossessions and recognize that the
vast mass of the Irish people have
shown themselves loyal to the crown,
determined TO maintain the law and
resolute 70 prosecute the war.
"We ought to seize the opportunity
of developing these potential senti-
ments Of unity, good feeling and coop
Grafton, and endeayor, putting aside all
controversies of the past, TO unite Ire
land herself and Ireland as q constitu-
ent Of the United Kingdom and the en-
pire in the common task which absorbs
all our common energies"
The chief cause of the attack on
the government was the revelation
that another execution had occurred
that Of Fermoy man named Kent
which was the first military execution
outside of Dublin.
Murder To Be Punished.
Upon the resumption Of debate in
the House of Lords, Lord Lansdowne
announced that in all cases where life
had been taken in circumstances consti-
tuting murder the course OF the law
would not be interfered with. He in
timated that the disarmament OF all
Ireland will be undertaken. This will
mean the disarmament of the Ulster
and Nationalist volunteers, and whether
that can be done depends on Sir Ed
ward Carson ard John Redmond more
than on any other individuals.
Martial law, said Lord Lansdowne,
will not be sbrogated until it is per-
fectly safe TO do so.
The government, he announced, had
decided that members of the Sim Fem
organization should no longer be en-
ployed in any government department.
Many OF the newspapers, particularly