The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1882-12-02 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

EVENTS OF THE WEEK.  MORE IRISH HORRORS.  Mr. Trtivelyan, the Irish Secretary, may be correct when he says that the eonditik uof Ireland generally has impro fed, and that the Terroribts are now recklessly playing their last card. But he would indeed be an optimist who could think that the events of the past week ought to be regarded with anything but the gravest' concern. On Saturday night a collision occurred in Dublin between a body of detectives sr.(' a number of cl-speradoes, bent seemingly on the performance of some foul, unlawful purpose, whom the deteetives had been watching all the evening. During the encounter it turned out that the ruffians were armed to the teeth and one of the detectives was shot dead. unately, the supposed murderer was orrettei, aiter he, in. turn, had been badly wounded, and two other captures were effected. But the terrible tragedy seemed only to whet the appetite for bloodshed of the savage band of conspirator.; who are bringing everlasting disgrace on the fair city of Dublin. On Monday evening another foul crime was perpetrated, with unblushing effrontery, in a crowded thoroughfare. Mr. Field was almost butchered nearly opposite his own door in North Frederick-street. by two villains, who jumped from a car, did their deadly work, and then drove rapidly away, unmolested, before the bystanders had time to realize what was happening. In this case the object of the would•beassas,ins was only too clear, Mr. Field having been the foreman of the jury which had convicted Walsh for the murder of Constable Kavanagh. There is evidently a deliberate determination to render the administration of justice in the Irish capital impossible. The lesson which has been conveyed in such an awful manner is that the juryman who dares to do his duty goes about with his life in his hands. Who can wonder if the effect of what has happened proves to be of the most disastrous character? Brave men will, of coarse, do their duty and, putting their trust in God, brave the conseluences. But all men love their lives so much that they do not want to fall victims to the assassin's knifi or bullet, and timidity is the characteristic of some. As it is unreasonable to suppose that none but brave men will be empannelled on the juries of the future, it is easy to see how great a blow has been dealt at the administration of justice in Ireland. It, therefore, becomes imperative that there should be no faltering on the part of the Government with wretches whose fiendish deeds are by the Irish Secretary regarded as proof that they have been driven into a corner. Fortunately, Irishmen generally sternly reprobate the iniquitii's which have been indulged in, even the Dublin Corporation and the Dublin Lord Mayor, who are not remarkable for their sympathy with the men who are arduously endeavouring to restore law and order to a distracted country, having gone out of their way to express horror and detestation at what has happened. That is well, but it would be unwise. to place much reliance on the expressions of persons who have shown that, when the first feeling of loathing incidental to the commission of a blondy outrage has subsided, it is not impossible for their sympathy to form around the brutal and the law-breaking.