Year: 1870

"Onn n Kingdom be Ensiaved' in Europe}


WEXFORD, March 26, 1S70.-It would be i'm
possible to convey an adequate idea of the feel
lngs of indignation with which the new Coer-
ciOn bill of the Government Is regarded by all
classes here. Not since 1876, when the late Sir
Robert Peel introduced and carried another
coercion bill, and when the state of the country
differed very little from what it is now, were
the feelings of the Irish people so outraged and
insulted by English tyranny and
Intolerance as they are at present.
From the determination shown during
the last session by the present Cabinet to
dc justice to the Irish people, we were all led to
e'ieve that the days of persecution, like Edmund
BurlSe's "age of chivalry," were gone, but un-
fortunately, the conduct of the Government
during the past week has proved not only how
greatly we were mistaken, bnt how absurd it is
for Irishmen to expect justice from the English
nation. They are, | regret to say, very
bitterly disappointed, particularly so, as
authority in the country, Mr. Gladstone that
Ireland was henceforth to be governed in ac-
cordance with Irish ideas. However anxious he
may be to rid himself of the responsibility at
taching to this expression, Mr.. Gladstone cannot
make the Irish people believe that he did not
make use of it. If we except the disestabish-
ment of the Church, which was no doubt work
perfectly in accordance with the wishes of the
Irish people, the government have, up to the
present. done nothing to fulfil the promise of
the first minister of the crown.


THE LATEST AGITATION.


No sooner was the Church disestablished than
the Irish people began to agitate for an uncon-
ditional amnesty for the political prisoners.
Public meetings were held all over the country
TO express the opinions of the people with
regard to the imprisonment of these men.
They were attended by persons of every class
in society and OF every shade of religions and
political opinion. Even those who were op-
posed to Fenianism Joined in urging upon the
Government the necessity, or at all events the
expediency, of opening the prison doors. With
the exception of the extreme section of the
work of mercy. What was the result !? After
weeks and months of agitation, when the will
of the nation was clearly and Enthusiastically ex-
pressed, the same Minister who had promised
rule Ireland in accordance with Irish ideas; who
had shed what l am reluctantly obliged to
call hypocritical tears over the Neapolitan
prisoners, refused to listen to the cry of mercy
in favor of those confined in British dungeons.
Then, and not till then did the people discover
that they were betrayed. Indignant, however,
as they were at what they considered, and con-
slider STILL an unjustiiable breach of faith they
tried to disguise their feelings in the hope that
they might obtain what they expected and
wanted most of all, namely good land bill.
But here again they were disappointed


FiXity of tenure became the watchword of the
Irish nation. The right of the Irish people to
live upon the Irish soil was proclaimed at hun
dri DIS of meetings held all over the country in
the interest of the tenant farmer. The principle
of iXity of tenure was adopted at one of the
largestand, probably, one of the most represen-
tative assemblies ever held in Ireland. Mr..
Gladstone and his colleagues well knew the
wishes and feelings of the Irish people with
regard to the Irish land; they knew that nothing
less than fxity of tenure and fair rents would
satisfy them; but they kept deaf ear to the
cries of the people and proposed a land bill
which the whole nation has unhesitatingly pro-
nounced Il sham. Nor is this all.


CACTAw


The Government is now engaged in gaggine
the mouths Of those who are crying out agains
their deception and injustice, by bill unsur
passed in severity by the penal laws of the six
teenth and seventeenth centuries, or by the
despotism of the Gar. At such time an(
under s1ch circumstances it is strange, to say
thsl sasl, for a liberal government to have re
course 90 such cruel and arbitrary measure
And fol what! For the suppression of crime
among lhe agrarian population and to preven
the spread of sedition among the ignoran
classes of the country. These appear tt
me to be the two causes which induced
the Goyernment to propose this terri
BILE bll," as a leading London journal call
it. For my part | must say that am strongly
inclined to think the passing of this penal enact
meDt was very false, ill-advised step on th
part of the Government, and that before Ions
they will discover that they have made yer,
serious mistake They were, readily admit
the most popular English Government that eve
ruled Ireland, but it must also be admitted tina
they have passed this Dill at the expense of al
the popularity they possessed / do not thinl
that it will either prevent crime or the spread O
sedition. On the contrary, it will be the mean
of doing much mischief, and, as / believe, hav
the effect of increasing the number Of those out
RACES which il was intended to suppress. Th
people are disappointed with the Land bill; tn
coertion bill aggrieves and insults them The
have lost all confidence in the British Parlii
ment. The chicanery of the Government durin
the last few months has made them more di'
loyal than they ever were before. They al
become almost Indifferent to Parliamentar
action. may tell you that j have very goo
authority for saying that all, or very nearly al
those who expected redress at the hands of M
Gladstone have lost all confidence in him, an
have become so disloyal that 1t is greatly to |
feared the next few years will be years of str


and misery in Ireland.


BLOW AT NATIVE ''LIBERTY."


The Coercion bill, or, as it is erroneous
called, the Peace Preservation bill, strikes


the root OF Irish liberty; it is peculiarly seve
and stringent with regard to the rural popul
tion and the native press; there Is no doubt tn
1t will leave the great bulk of the people e
tiIely at the mercy of the magistracy and Il
police. believe am justified in saying tn
one-half of the Irish magistracy IL no mo
qualified, either by education or mpartiality,


administer justice from the bench than won
be the Hottentots of Africa, nor as well, for h
latter are actuated by spirit of fairness in the
dealings, which, l regret to say, does n
always characterize the conduct OF 4