Year: 1870

From the New York World.


LONDON, March 24.-In this age OF
the world a government which con-
feSses that it can sustain itself and
carry out its policy by no ether means
than the violent suppression of free
thought among its subjects, should
be compelled also to confess that it is
not fit to govern, and that it is will
ling to abdicate. Unhappily, what
should be is not always what is. 1t
cannot be forgotten that the govern
ment of the United States only a few
years ago declared that the freedom
of the press WGs incompatible with its
Safety and, for the first time in the his
tory of the Republic, its citizens saw
newspapers offices seized by bands
of soldiers, and journalists immurdl
in dungeons for no other crime than
of cTitieising with freedom and frank
ness the acts of the administrations
Shocking as was this tyranny on tE<s
part of the administration of thatStt9
20 the instincts of the AmericapZi i5eO-
pie, it was submitted toi and the
party which thus suppressed criti-
cism which it could not answer has
ever since remained In power. 1t


would be unwise, therefore, to say
that because the present government
of Great Britain declares that it can
not sustain itself unless it lays its
hand upon the throat of the press in
Ireland and strangles every newspaper
in that province which is not pre-
pared to sustain it, right or wrong,
It will follow that the Government
has made fatal mistake, and that
its foes will soon be rejoicing in its
overthrow. General Quesada, l oh
serve has been Informing the people
of the United States that freedom
is the divine law, and that no earthly
power cSn long contend against the
law of GOd;" but victory still in
cllnes to the side Of the heaviest bat
taiions, and England is strong while
ireland Is weak. Nevertheless, il
may be set down that the Govern
ment here is playing a desperate game,
and that it is conscious of the desper-
ate state OF its fortunes. The Irish
Coercion bill was passed to its
second reading night before last, with
ogly thirteen dissenting voices in a
house of 425 members; bat some OF the
statements made in the debate which
preceded this almost unanimous vote
were of the most startling and sig
nificant character. Mr.. Gladstone,
alluding TO the fact that there was far
less crime in ireland nOW than there
was forty years ago, confessed that
this fact would seem to be an argu-
ment against the necessity OF the OPP
pressive legislation for which he now
asks, but ne added that it must be re-
membered "that forty years ago we
were dealing witha population whose
natural intelligence had not been cul-
tivated, whereas now they are better
instructed, and, therefore, more dan
gerOus and more difficult to deal
WITH What a confession is this
When the Irish We're ignorant they
were easily dealt 9th; now that they
are "better instructed" they are more
dangerous and difficult" to manage.
And this Is the government that is
now pretending anxiety To- educate
the ignorant people of England also.
1t might seem that they would fear
that when the English ignOramuses
become better instructed, they, too,
will be more dangerous and difficult
to deal with. Lord C. ]. Hamilton,
in his speech in favor of the bill, de-
olared that was useless tO-attempt to
govern Ireland 50 long as freedom was
extended TO the press. You may
destroy the church of Ireland" said
he, {" and bring in a land bill, and do
all else you can; but, so long as the
press in Ireland remained as it is, it
will be utterly impossible that there
should be loyalty in that country. 1t
was not only the s0-called national
press that this remark applied TO, but
nearly the whole of the press there
for the last two years has been ram
pant with the same evil. They did
not all print seditiOn, but they cOun-
anced and encouraged it. Unless the
national press and the seminational
press are controlled, we cannot hope
for peace in Ireland, The national
press" said another member, Mr..
Agar-Ellis, +" was almost the only lite
nature which was read in Ireland, and
it was the duty of the government to
put it down." What kind OF govern
ment is this which cannot endure the
criticism OF a few score of journalists,
and that must deprive a people Of the
only literature which they possess
because this literature contains attacks
upon its policy? Mr.. Whalley's adj
vice to lay aside this bill, and to send
preachers to ireland to preach four
sermons a year against Popery, as a
remedy for lawlessness in ireland,
was laughed at by the House, as it
deserved to be; but the measure ON
which the government said its very
axistence depends may well, be wept
over. There were not wanting few
feeble voices to warn the Government
of the peril into. which it. was driv-
ing. Mr.. Bryan reminded the House
of what any one might have sus-
pected-that the suppression of the
Irish newspapers would prove inefec-
tual. as g the people would be driven
to make use of secret press, over
which the Government could exercise