The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-14

tlv1tleS. ABROAD as wen dS dt AcihS'
English state craft has long ana
persistently striven in vain to force
the Irish people to abandon hope. Trc
English policy OF repression spirttu-
ally and materially, has never been q.
rest from the first intrusion of Eng
| lish power until the present day.
English policy has always aimed ct
keeping every accretion of populatlon
from without separate from the rest
of the nation, and a cause of distrac-
ton and weakness in its midst.
Nevertheless the Irish nation has
remained one, with a vigorous con-
seriousness of its nationality. and has
always succeeded sooner or later In
assimilating every new element or
population.
The Irish people has never been
tolerant toward its nainorities ana mas
never harbored the spirit OF persecu-
ton. Such harbarities as punishment
by torture WITHDRAWING. capital pun
ishment for minor offenses. etc so
frequent in the judicial systems Of
other countries. found no recosnition
in Irish law or custom. Twice in the
18th century, in 1928 and in 1897,
, when after periods of terrible persH-
cution and derrivations of lands ana
liberty the Irish people recovered for
time a dominant political oow1r
they worked out in laws and treafles
a policy Of full religious equality for
all dwellorS in the island. On each or
| these two occasions the English rol-
lev becoming again dominant, sub
jocted the Irish people to further larg"
| confiscations of land and property. re-
strictions of liberty, and religious
| prosecutions, And when, notwith :
standing the English policy of main
tanning as complete a severance as
possible, Irish protestants became at
| tracted to the support of the nauonai
! cause. the Catholics of Ireland &C
! corded political leadership to a sic
| cessiou of protestant leaders.
The Irish have long been thor
! oughly democratic people. Through
! their chosen leaders from O'ConneN
to parneIl, they have provided the
world with model Of democratic o.
eauization in opposition to that don'i-
/ nation OF privileged classes,
If Ireland on the grounds Of ma
ton right is entitled to recover her
sovereign independenee-and that IS
! her demand--the recognition Of her
/ right is due from other nations for
the following reasons:
! l--Pecause England's claim 10
Withhold independence from Ireland Is
based on principle which Is mega
ton Of national liberty and subver~
sive of international peace and order.
/ England resists Ireland demand on
THE ground that the independence OF
Ireland would be as alleged incom-
tpatihle with the security % England
or Great Britain, or the British en-
fnire. Whether this contention Is well
1 or i'll founded il 1t is admitted. then
any state Is justified in suppressing the
independence of any nation whose
! liberty that state declares to be In
3earta fratthfe, with, IT'S otssfs sessnritN and
endless prospect of future wars Is the
natural consequence.
2-Because Fngland's government
of ireland has been nj all times, ana
-cnnspicunuSlX at the present Tune,
ian outrage 10 the consequence OF man
kind. Such = eovernm ent. especially
tin it's quasi democrats form, is es-
lsentially vicious. Its character at the
best is sufficiently described by noted
English writer John Stuart Mil
! frep. govt 1851 chapter lS1: The
government by itself has a meaning
iand a reality; but such a Thing AS
government OF one people by another
docs not and cannot exist One people
may keep another as a warren or pre-
serve for its own use, a place 10 MAKE
money in human cattle farm TO De
worked for the profit OF its own IN
habitants But If the good OF the
government is the proper business OF
La government. 1t is utterly impos
Isible that people should directly at
ttend to IT," Consequently. the people
of England -devolve the power which
they hold over ireland upon success
sion of satrapS military and civil, &c
represent no interest of the Irish PEG
Pile. and recent events show that the
iesscntial vices of the government are
as active now. as in former times.
/ s-Recause the English temper to-
wards the cause Of Irish national
liberty produces atrocious and intol-
erable results in Ireland Among the
results are: A depopula alton unex-
Earnpled in any other country, how
ever badly governed wholesale de-
struction of industry and commerce
I over taXation on an enormous scale
diversion of rents. savings and sur
plus incomes from Ireland to Eng
land: opposition 10 the utilization by
1.-THE Irish people OF the economic re-
sources of their country, and to econ
ornic development and socia, improve
ment: exploitation of Ireland for the
benefit OF English capitalists; fonen
itati0n of religious animosity; repres'
sion Of the national culture; main
ltenance OF the monstrous system 81
, police rule. by which, in the words Of
an English minister, all Ireland Is
kept under the microscope; perver
sion of justice. by making politica
service and political subservience al
most the sole qualification for judi
ciaI POSITIONS, by an elaborate cor
ruption of the jury system. by th'
organization of police espionage ant
nerjury. and the announcement o
agents provocateurs, and recently anf
; at present, by using for the purros'
= Of political oppression in ireland TN
exceptional powers created for th'
; purpose of the European war | ndel
, these powers, military government u
established. some areas being treated
as hostile territory occupied in ordi
nary warfare; a censorship is main
tanned over the press and over publ
cations generally; printing offices are
invaded and dismantled; the police
and military are empowered to con
, fiscate the property OF vendors o
taiterature without any lega. process
! Ipersons are imprisoned without tria
and deported from Ireland Irish