Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
December 14, 1882.]
REDPATH’S WEEKLY.
5
whi ke our laws: would mye ‘ little more care on their
Ininds if they eould ee as I think I can see, the evils that
wust come in the future’ if men are much longer driven like
dogs and | paid at starvation rates,”
I second cigar in my pocket, and so pressed a quar-
ter on my, friend's acceptance to purchase one for hieelt
when his day’s work was over. had reached my
nation I extended my hand—he removed his stiff greasy ‘love
to return my courtes) —and I felt as [left the car that it would
be a Jong time before I exchanged farewells with a more hon-
est-minded and intelligent man.
“Texas Siftings.””
“Sketches from Texas Sifting” i in the title of a parophlet
of 230 pages, rather cradely printed and bound, but m
than making up for all its sins mechanical, which are
by the brightness of the paragraphs of which the volume is
wade up. edo not know who Messrs. Sweet Knox
aro, § as men, but we do know that as journalists they are rare,
good representatives of the best type of Southern humor.
The South and West seem destined to get up and get—beg
pardon, Herbert, to’ evolve—the wit, humor, poetry and lite-
rary style most racy of our soil. “the furtiee West or Sonth
e re indifferent we find the people to European or
Uisgieal that sto 88 foreign or dead—models and notion:
‘Tbe East soon destroys origivality by its deference to conven-
tionality. ‘This is a serious loss to American literature, as is
shown by the swift popularity that is given ,by our Eastern
public to all originality of expressions or of thought which
© South and West, and the West especially, is constantly
exnibiting. We se 8 * _opiected that the humor of Texas
Siftings is “coarse.” It is the mind who makes such criti-
cisms that is eee nat Sweet and Knox. The same objec-
tion has been made, with as little ground for it, to Josh Bill-
ings, one of the most original as well as one of the greatest
humorists that America has ever produced. There is not a
line either in these sketches nor in the journal from which
they are taken that has the slightest taint of real coarseness,
‘There are some people who are won: e so clean that they
offend the nostrils of healthy folks by the fetid odors of
their musty morals. We thank our Southern friends for their
sunny book, and wish them all the good fortune they deserve,
which is much, and has been well-earned,
“Desmond ; or, the Two Flags.”
In our next number we will commence the <irst chapters of
an Irish-American story from the pen of William Collins,
written expressly for {his journal.
Among the many stirring and dramatic scenes depicted in
this y woe wiil be a thrilling description of the seige of York-
ork, and Staten Island in 1797, the landing of
Tuubert i in Mayo i in 1798, the “Races of Castlebar,” and the
struggles of the United Irishmen i in '98, to achieve their inde-
penden
Unfortunately, Irish writers, like Lever and Lover, have
written in a Wy7/ strain of Ireland. They were half Enghsh-
men and never wrote from a national standpoint. Mr Collivs’
story is not open to this objection, It is founded on fact and
y names of the dramatis person will be familiar to our
readers j in the West and South.
The grand Soonery of Mayo, the beauties of Sligo, and the
grandeur of al, the patriotism of their sons and their
sacrifices for freedom will depicted in this story with a
graphic power that will come home to the heart of every Irish
ler.
was 8 everything that appears in Redpath’s Illustrated Weekly
Kanturk Castle.
The Munster Black water, justly styled ‘ The Irish Rhine,”
flows through a picturesque des: mes, which for its beauty is
unparalled in all Ireland. The cient ruine on its banks,
massive in their proportions and grand i in their decay, present
to the eye of the tourist not only scenes of beauty but his-
torical associations which are treasured in the heart of every
Trishman, Kantork ati was built by one of the Me-
is now in the hands of the Pog Within a bow-shot of
its walls John Philpot Curran and Barry Yelverton were born.
We give a beautiful illustration of it on our 8th page.
“The Lord of Dundalton,”
possesses a peculiar value. The iniquities of the barbarou
system that makes the bulk of the people the prey of the few,
and the determined resistance of the people to its continu.
ance, have been powerfally portrayed by the writer. The
events therein narrate: not the product of imagination,
but taken from scenes ¥ witnessed by the author, with a change
or substitution of nat The author, Mr. Sherlock, is an
tik journalist of distinction, and a brill fant ind dramatic
r of Section. He will be the Dublin correspondent of
Redpath’ 5 Weeki: ly. His letters will begin Vetore Christmas,
Mr. Sher vlook t is the editor of the Dublin Weekly News.
Edwin Booth in Dubiin.
Dustin, Nov. 14.—For the first time Mr. Edwin Booth is
now playing beforea Dublin audience. He appears in a round
of Shakespearean and other characters at the Gaiety Theatre,
ane it a 8 Frantic mash by the public to see an actor is to be
‘@ of success, then, Bmquestionably, Mr.
Booth is scoring * series of brilliant successes, Each night
there is a serious crush outside the entrances to the pit and
galleries of the theatre, and when the doors are opened “sich
a gettin’ up stairs there never was seen.” It is noticeable thet
‘the legitimate drama” is always patronized to a mu
greater extent by the pit ond gallery public in Dablin than by
the boxes and stalls’ folk, who nowadays seem to ré
the musical and not Iatehenty moral delights of burlesque or
the ballet. The pit and galleries are ever faithful to tragedy,
and the appearance of an actor of any notei in the higher walks
of the drama is always certain to draw the shillings and six-
pences of the people, while “’ society” ussally stayaway from
the theatre under such circumstances, Mr. Booth, however,
bas succeeded in stirring ‘ ‘fociety ” nearly as much, I think,
id. As for the pit and gallery people,
they re wildly enthusiastic over the representative actor of
Ameri
T.
slaureate of the popula
on r DOWEEE
TRISIE LOPICS OF THE WEEK.
D. SULLIVAN ON PARNELL.
Sullivan, editor of the Dublin Nation, and the poet
r movement in Ireland, addressed a
large meeting at Tuisk, receutly, in which he spoke of the
Irish leader. He honestly believed that the Irish Parliamen-
rary party, under the leadership of Mr. Parnell, was a power
that was recognized in the councils of England, and heh no
inister could dare to disregard. The more he sa Mr.
more he studied his action. whether Sn the
midst of combat, on tl the floor of the House of Commons, or
in the quiet council rooms of the Irish party,—the more he
was impressed with his wisdom (cheers).
He need not ask their confidence for Charles Somat Parnell
loud cries of ‘No, no,”) for he never saw apy man so en-
urely devoted to one idea; aud when Mr. Parnell wrannot able
‘0 be talking on platforms, or on the benches of the House of
Gonmons he was engaged organizing the plans of vieto
(cheers). ‘Tbe day of the Irish people was coming and ha na
come, (cheers) ;—and where were the, swells and aristocrats
Id no longerrack-rent the people ; they could
no @ longer frighten them with bailiffs and spies, and they had
to ask the people’s permission even to hunt a few little foxes
—(laughter and applause).
ES
WHAT MR. ORELLY DID SA
Two weeks ago the British cable reporters stated that at a
great public meeting in Roscommon, Mr. James O'Kelly,
M. P., ‘referred to what he called the efforts of Mr. Davitt
to split the Irish party, and said they were tantamount to stab-
bing Ireland in the back. He threatened to resign his seat if
the country wavered in its allegiance to Mr. Parnell.” ‘The
report of Mr. O'Kelly’s speech shows that what he did say
“This meeting to-day is an important meeting; because
somehow or other, a ramor has got into the county, aud out-
side the county, that the people are going away from Mr. Par-
nell and his party ; but your presence here to day is the best
answer to that. The future of Ireland dey ends ¢ on the con-
tinued union of the People, and their rallying round the only
man of whom w who is capable of leading the Irish
people. That man js Mr. Parnell dloud cheers), I know ev-
ery man who is prominent in this movement both on this side
of the Atlantic and the other, and I say that among all the
men who work for you, Charles Stewart Parnell'stands like
a a giant (loud cheers). Therefore I hold that the safety of
‘ou and of our cause depends on the support we shall gi
Our leader, who is not merely the leader of the people i in Ire.
land, but is the leader of the Irish race. He is theman about
whom the confidence of the men of America is gathered; the
man around whom those in Australia, and onr splendid pop-
ulation in England, who have done so much for the Irish
cause, rally and concentrate, With his disappearance rou
disappear the mortar that binds us together, ‘and I say the
man who attempts to strike at him or lessen or injure his au-
thority is stabbing Ireland in the back (loud applause), I
y that the only condition on which I shall continue in this
party, 0 © to represent this county is that ic shall give its com-
ete wand absolute support to Me Parnell. Iam proud to be
a member for oseonimon for many reasons; but I would not
remaia such for an if you went back on your leader
(loud cheers). So long ‘as the people go on ithe trick that has
been marked out by all the wnteligoses our leaders bave,—
ong as my means permit me,—I shall be witn you; but the
moment you go’oll the track, or allow yourselves to be led off
it, Tt shall part company with you.
MR. REDMOND.IN CORK.
The cable also told an untruth in saying that Mr. Redmond
advocated the continuance of the No Rent policy in Ireland.
ie did nothing of the sort, but as he is nota leader of the
Irish people, it is not necessary to take up space in telling
what he did'say. He is a good enough boy.
GLADSTCONE'S FAUlORE IN ULSTER.
Michael Davitt thus relates, in » letter to the Daily News,
the history of the Land Act, and its fellas} in Ulster
TENANT'S HOPE:
‘From an Ulster tenant-right point of ‘view there was un-
doubtedly good reason to hope that the act would realize the
ost sanguine expectations or the apostles of the ‘‘ Three F's
Gospel, for didn’t the act contain a clause which declared
that no rent should be charged upon inprovements made b;
the tenants for which they had not been compensated by the
‘landlord? And was it not distinctly declared by Mr. Glad-
stone that length of enjoyment was not to be regarded as
compensation?
“Tt was, therefore, natural that the feonutrightors should
guertain very high hopes that the millenium of
” had at last dawned. These brilliant wsteipations wore
deatinnd to be rudely disappointed. The Land League did
good work in warning the people not to be over-sanguine.
The failure of the Act of 1870 was kept before the public
mind. The people were advised not to allow themselves to
be lulled into a fancied security, but to watch the operation
of the act most carefully. is work was done, to a large ex-
tent, by disappointed Place: hunters, who soon discovered
that such as conld obtain the strongest recommendations
friends’ were passed over by the Government for that very
aon.
OURTS ORGANIZED IN LANDED INTERESTS,
The word soon went forth that it was impossible that sub-
commissioners, with a strong bias in favor of landlords, could
do justice to the farmers, The landlords, moreover, raised
the biggest row, complainin; ing that the sub commissioners
were _Puandering the tenants’ in order to win popularity for
Gladstone. And on Bentham's principle, that the best wi
to get concession is to make the ruling powers uneasy, they
hammered away. The Whigs of Ulster maintained silence,
dreading the discredit with which they would . be covered if
they should so soon acknowledge that their euthusiastic as-
surances had been so much vapid talk. Their cry was:
‘Don't embarrass the Government.’ The landlords, however,
beat them hollow, and the Government, to appease the dis-
content of the landlords, assented to the appofatment of val-
ers to each sub-com wission.
vw the object of those appointments, Mr. Trovelyan candidly
avowed, was to make the courts more acceptable to the land-
lords (and so lessen the number of appeals) in the first st place,
and to expedite the hearing of cases in the second
Under the influence of the enthusiastic assurances of Ulster
Whigs, primarily, and of weak-kneed Land Leaguers secon-
darily, a rush was made into the Land Courts by these tenant
farmers who were heavily rack rented. The Land League
was successfel in restraining the fatal rush to a aoasidorcble
extent in the southern provinces ; but rapacious attorneys, en-
terprising tenants, ‘valuers,’ backed up the cry of the Whigs
in Ulster, and the result was that many thousand cases were
entered from thenorthern province and the courts got to work.
By a cute shufiler the rack. rented cases came on for hearin;
rst, and some substantial reductions led to the impression
that’‘ justice’ was really to be di e was immediately
@ manifestation of impatience on the part of the tenant right-
ers. They wanted the blessed work more quickly done.
They discovered with a secret feeling of alaro, however
First—That the ‘fair rents’ ranged suspicious; ir the val-
uation, and they remarked that in Ulster the valuation had
confessedly included the tenant's improvements ; secon » that
the landlords appealed against most of the cases, and’ t
members were also appealed against by the tenants; aia
that the evidence of practical tenant-farmers appeared to be
syatematically ignored by the sub-commissiovers ; whereas,
the evidence of the landlord valuers was respectfully regard
ed, and the valuers tbexntetren, in some cases, highly compli-
en! ember of this illustrious order of sent rais-
ors Mur} hy by pamne—kuown well by the men of Done-
gal, revealed his plan of valaing, which was briefly this :
Take a ditch, a house, ora drain, and after it had been so
many years ‘enjoyed by the tenant, then add so much per
cent. of the cost of it tothe rent! Then came a case before
asub.commission—that of ent before which Murphy gave
his evidence, and the sub commision confes: sed fats less
they adopted Murphy's “Nprinciple’ they could ai no
on this holding; they, therefore, adopted this. Cpriueiple’
and they, presto! fixed a ‘fair’ rent.
COLLAPSE OF THE LAND ACT.
Then began a cry that not at the valuation but the least 25
per cent. below it ought rents to be fixed in Ulster, irrespec-
tive of other considerations—increase of foreign competition,
failure of home industries, etc.
Then came the revelation that in most cases where tenants
eppealedttheir rents were raised, whereas in cases where land-
lords appealed the rents were reduced or Jeft as they were ;
and the further unpleasant fect that each party, farmers and
landlords had to pay costs. Then came the further revelation
that the court valuers, | those attached to the Chief Commis-
B
missions with a view of making those institutions as accept-
able to the landlords as the chief commission.
Perhaps the most astounding revelation of all, however,
was thatthe most improving tenants, whose rents ranged
rom £5 to £10 per acre, above the valuation, found that
whatever benefits the act mee confer upon others, it did not
confer much upon them, an they had worked hard for
the act, had ‘supported » Gladstone, being his and Her Ma-
jesty’s most loyal adorers. This was the unkindest cut of
The local leaders of the Land League, let it be said to their
tenant-righters at the arrival of the ‘‘ Infant Hercules,” wit-
blazing barrels from the hill-
ps; but with dogged persistency watched the operation of
the act, fastened upon its defects, and gibbeted them without
remorse.
‘Then murmurs, then occasional outcries, all at length
swelling into a perfect roar of dissatisfaction, burst from the
disappointed tenant-righters; and now the discomfited place-
hunters, and the discredited Whigs became the humble apol-
ogists of ‘the “grea and to save Gladstone, they made
@ scrapegoat of ‘the administration of the act.
‘* Meetings have been held in all parts of the province, re-
solutions have been passed and memorials adopted drawn by
the place-hunters and Whigs and couched in the language of
sophistry ; and deputations have addressed the Chief Secre-
tary with bated breath and whispering kumbleness. But the
Land act is at last tumbling through Ulster, all tattered and
torn, aud scraw led across every page of it is the ugly word
“TAM this is tree enough but it ought in future to be re
bered that this reduction constitutes the most substantial
benefit ever secured by any agitation of rebeliion by the Irish
people for 700 years. }
*,
as
RENT REDUCTIONS 1N ULSTER.
Michael Davitt, in a letter about his recent agitation for
“Nationalization” in Ulster, writing of the Land Courts there,
says:
“As to the extent of the reductions already effected it is
difficult to obtain reliable statistics, but the year’s work has
resulted in the settlement of considerably less than Bitty thou-
id cases, and the rents have been reduced on the Tage
about twenty per cent., which means irae so far as Ulster is
concerned. they are e still above Griffith's valuation. Indeed,
the last return showed that the reductions were, in the aggre-
gate, five per cent. above Griflith’s. The old rentals in Uls-
ter are about twenty-five per cont. above Griffith's, I have
made a calculation, based uj the best quateriels I could
obtain, and the result of the year’ 's work amounts to a reduc-
tion of about two per cent. upon the entire, ‘annual rental of
the country, as against the average annual i increase, since the
time of Swift, of about five per cent. !
Mr. Davitt ‘hen cites a number of eases decided two weeks
ago at Baliymorey | in all of which the valuation was less thin
), aD while the old rent wai £442, Griffith’s
ean pe BE275 tnd the judicial rept £292, or £17 in ex-
cess of the valuation. .
Mr. Davitt adds:
“ who examines these figures carefully, may see
what a beautiful sample they are of the extent to which the
smaller tenants have been rack-rented in ‘‘ pros) Tous” and
“loyal” Antrim, With facts like these staring the em in the
face, is it any wonder that the people should ask that the sub-
commissioners should take into account this ‘‘cireumstance”
of rack.rents long paid in settling a “fair” rent? Even the
i 8 organ of Zespectable Whigery in Ulster,
. missions are debarred from
taking into account past racker -renting and from gi giving com.
pensation in lieu thereof. Ia a word, it may be said that in-
stead of compensation to landlords, compensation to tenants
is the ery that is gaining emphasis and significance every
day.”
*
Mere and there in Ireland.”
Next week Mr. Redpath will resume his letters on Ireland
which have been saspended by temporary indisposition,