"JACOB TERRY" ON IRISH AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 12, 13 July 1883, Page 21

"JACOB TERRY" ON IRISH AFFAIRS.

(From the Otago Daily Times.} Since my last letter the Irish National Convention assembled at Philadelphia, and organised permanently in uaison with the Irish National League. Ihe dynamite faction were completely ignored, being denied any recognition whatever. Since the adjournment, Cardinal M'Closkey, of New York, has formally approved the action of the Convention. This places it upon a much surer footing than before, because no ecclesiastic stands better with the Pope than the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, who has just received an autograph letter from Leo XIII., in which he says all manner of kind and approving things to him. And, in truth, the Convention was a remarkable demonstration, as much on account of its mo fetation as on account of its numbers and the circumstances under which it assembled. It was anticipated b >th here and in England that a bloodthnsty programme would be adopted. Nothing of the kind occurred E upland is to be fought by moral force. The agitation is to be continued, and as far as possible the purchase of English goods is to be avoided. The London Times characterises this as an impotent exhibition of Irish malice, and advises England to ignore Irishmen altogether, and make them feel the strong arm of the law, vGI,?v Gl ,?£ B S' 7 ai £ 11 1»°?1 »°?P ftble of appreciating acts of unmerited kindness This ebulhnon of passion has disgusted intelligent Americans, who fail to perceive where the acts of kindness towards Ireland come in, inasmuch as nearly all the money to relieve Irish distress comes from Ameuca. Moreover, they argue that the men who organised and controlled the Philadelphia Convention have gg hh V if n th e best possible pi-oof of their capacity for salt -government, although the Tune* declares that the Irish race has proved to all the vorld its utter incapacity for that duty. The matter has grown to hh v WeT *V n ? mußt BOOn beCr ' me an international question Ihe policy of England in Ireland has consolidated a distinct nationality of nine millions of American citizens, young and old against Great Britain, and this powerfnl factor in American politics is certain to make its influence felt in shaping national policy before Ion?. Just what the outcome may be it is impossible to predict^ but novy that the American Catholic hierarchy^ approves the Andean Irish National League, and endorses Mr. Parnell's policy and^eadership.itissafetosay that the agitation has entered upon tSf «n? T' TT m ißfci Bfc 7 h i°^ buckshot > coercion laws, and emigration will not prevail. Indeed, I regard the emigration policy of the Go2522 ' a T 8 h e \ enQ KeelK eel by ? arl S P en «er, as the height of political madness. The Irish Convention has protested against England shipFSSoiXSp? ? w lCa> and Call6d tbe att ention of the Adminis- . ration to the fact; but no sooner do these people land than they 30m their compatriots, and from the safe asylam of this country lend nSstn^ff 6 ?ttßCk? ttßCk On British methods in Ireland ' No professing affection and respect for free institutions can continue in Sft »v v. %S% S . WlBW 18 no^«>mniitted to by the Criminal Procedure Act, which affects. England equally with Ireland. It sweeps away all safeguards against arrest and imprisonment without trial, pracSiS ßy^' ialbsr Jury, and denies a prisoner the right of seeing and hearing his accust r, secret depositions being read as up the sponge and restored the Irish Constitution of 1782. unde r

which the country was loyal to the Crown and exceptionally prosperous. This at least is the opinion of nine-tenths of intelligent Americans, who cannot understand why Canada should be granted Home Rule, in consequence of its revolutionary demands, while it is denied to Ireland. The right of self-government made Canada loyal; a similar right, if conceded to Ireland, might also make it loyal, but in no possible way could it make it more disloyal than at present. Looking at the question from this distance, one cannot but lament the blind passion and prejudice which prevail over common senss and prudential public policy in Great Britain. The dynamite faction in America is small, and its leaders, first and last, have given the British authorities timely warning. They d > not mean business further than it pays ; and they take money with both hands—the one dips into the pickets of the poor and ignorant Irish servant girls, the other reaches mt to the dispenser of the English secret service luni. - There has not been an incident in connection with this infamous conspiracy that has not been betrayed to the British Consulate in New York by the heads of the conspiracy here. This fact is now well attested. The dynamite scare is therefore greatly exaggerated ; but for tha peace of this country and the welfare of England, it were well that " State rights," a? define 1 and limited in this country since the war, were accorded to Ireland. If this allayed the agitation, ''pacified Ireland," and left the Imperial Parliament free to deal with the great social problems which are pressing for solution, the purchase would bj a cheap one. After all, the more one thinks of it, conciliation " is the true policy in public as in private Since the foregoing was written (for I am jotting down thoughts and incidents at odd moments), two or three things of importance have happened having a general bearing upon the Anglo-Irish-American question. First, Irish pauper emigration to the United States has become a Cabinet question. Governor Butler, of Massachusetts, in a vigorous protest to the Secretary of State, brings the subject up in practical shape ; but Consul-general Archibald, of London, had already reported to the State Department from the Irish Consulates. From the latter reports three things are clear—first, the local poor-law authorities in Ireland magnify the " famine and distress reports to induce the Government to start public works, and thus relieve local rates ; second, the Government refuse to spend money on improvement works, insisting upon poor-law relief or emigration, furnishing £7 per head for the latter purpose ; third, the poor-law guardians encourage emigration upon those terms in the hope of saving the taxpayers. Thns, although the people are very poor, what between local government policy and Imperial policy, the nopeof thrifty regeneration is destroyed,' and the worst features of the Irish industrial system, if it can be co designated, are stimulated, laading to utter demoralisation and a general clearance of population. Ihis is a very short-sighted policy, because it leaves the Irish ques. Uon precisely where it is, and, as I have said, it strengthens the antiBntish sentiment m this country and Canada, where it is becoming very marked of late in this connection. The second incident was the dynamite scare in Halifax, and the very energetic precautions taken to prevent the city and forts from being blown up on the day that Brady, the Phoeaix Park assassin, was executed. Information was given by an English detective who attended the Philadelphia Convention, that upon that day, wherever the English drum beafc> aa attempfc at retaiiation would be made. The Philadelphia Convention did nothing which could warrant such an inference, and it has been denounced by the dynamite faction ia open meeting at New York. No imp stance should have attached to this rumour, although, of course, it was the duty of the authorities to take precautions against surprise ; but as ths Imperial troops are being withdrawn from Halifax, their last post in America, one would think even O Donovan Rossa would have sense enough to respect the colonists, who are in no way responsible for the Imperial policy towards Ireland. However, this incident just shows the far-reaching ettectof toat policy, and its disturbing influence throughout the Umpire. The third incident is the reported disapproval by Pope Leo of Cardinal tt'Closkey'a reception of Mr. Alexander Sullivan, president of the Irish-American National League, and his approbation of the work of the Philadelphia Convention. This news comes from Rome through English sources, but it has been denied here. The Pope's letter commanding the Irish bishops and priests to abstain from the National agitation and condemning the Parnell fund has created quite a commotion, and prominent members of the Irish party in America publicly advise " boycotting " the Pope, and recommend the Irish to pay no " Peter's pence " hereafter. It has done more to destroy the abiding confi-tence of Irish' Catholics in the justice and fairness of the Papacy than anything else ; and their determination to take their theology, but not their politics, from the Pope is pronounced. It is generally believed that Pope Leo has sold out to the Jinghsh Government. [It will, however, prove in the end that Pope Leo is true as steel to hta Irish children. Let no report to the contrary be listened to.—Ed. N. Z. Tablbt.]