SHAM BENEVOLENCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 11, 6 July 1883, Page 5

SHAM BENEVOLENCE.

(The Nation, May 5.) TA* Lord Lieutenant has returned from the West, and the Castle Pi ess have taken advantage of the event to sing the praises of his Excellency in no measured tones. His going down to Beltnullet "to see for himself " the district from which so many persons are departing for a foreign country, and to witness the arrangements made for the deportation of the emigrants would have been in itself, it apppars, not only a graciouß act, but a conspicuous proof of the interest felt by Lord Spencer in the welfare of Ireland ; but that he should, in addition, have gone amongst the departing crowds, ''chatted with them familiarly as to their past positions and future prospects," " inquired in a general way into the number of their families," and helped to lift the babies " with marked solicitude into the boats," is described as " a most affecting spectacle." After this, it is implied, h^ao one can fail to be convinced of his love for Ireland, and of the and " gentleness " of his character ; and least of all, it iB supposed, can the emigrants themselves. In short, according to the Castle Press, this Belmullet exhibition of Spencerian benevolence may be expected to make Irishmen forget all they and their fathers have suffered at the hands of Englishmen, and at last fall down and worship the power by which they have been oppressed and enslaved. It is not pleasant even to hint a disgust at all this bosh in the Castle papers ; but it would be cruel to Earl Spencer himself to leave him under the impression that the mass of the Irish people regard his proceedings in Belmullet in the same light as his official and semi-official admirers. We assure him that outside the Castle circle " the affecting spectacle "of the Castle waters is viewed with anything but admiration or gratitude. The popular mind does nob like tbis exhibition of Spencman benevolence, and the reason is plain enough when we recall the fact that tbis emigration wbicb bis Excellency has been superintending is not a voluntary, but a forced emigration, and that it has been forced on by the Gladstone-Spencer Government. We are aware that .Lord Spencur himself <lenies this charge. " Let me assure you," he is reported to have said to the crowd of men, women, and children on board a Government gunboat off Barna on Friday week, " that the Government have in no

way desired to fcrce either yourselves, or others who are in a similar position, to-leave their homes, nor have they put any pressure on such as are willing to go." If this means that the people ' have not been forced out of their homes by police and soldiers, and that Government inspectors have not been sent to them to tell them to go away to America, it is true enough. But there are 'more ways than one of compelling the people to leave their country, and a most effectual way of doing so was adopted when the poor and distressed amongst them were told by Lord Spsncer that if they did not want to starve they should either take to the emigrant ship or go to the workhouse, and that beggers must not be choosers. In view of this undeniable fact, we must confess that going down to Belmullet " to see them off " was something like adding insult to injury. The present Government will for a long time to come be unpleasantly remembered in Ireland for many things— for its coercion, for its particularly harsh and mean treatment of political offenders, for its outrages on the Irish representatives in Parliament, for its ostentatious contempt of Irish public opinion ; but, perhaps, no characteristic of its policy will excite more unpleasant recollections than its pretence of affection for our people and of interest in their welfare. Did it openly act the part of a despotic foreign ruler indifferent to the welfare of Ireland, it would not, of course, have won the love ofthe Irish ; but when, while in reality it acts that role, it pretends to be devoured with a passionate desire to promote our happiness, it arouses not only discontent, but disgust.