Ireland’s Growing Troubles
THE Alta California of Nov. 21, states that the Irish troubles are growing worse and worse, and says :- "The Land League appears to be sweeping everybody before it. Even those who have heretofore been peaceable are being forced by the influence or threats of the more excited portion of the people into a position towards the landlords and the Government little short of rebellion. The idea appears to be to refuse payment of rents altogether. The landlords appear to be afraid to evict their tenants, for they are likely to be put back again and the landlords defied. The combination against landlords and against paying rents is reported as spreading, and terrorism taking control of the country, breaking down opposition. Tenants who are able do not pay their rents, but meet their landlords and defiantly refuse to pay more than what they see fit to decide upon, many refusing all payment. Instances are given in which the evicted tenants have been taken from the road and replaced in the huts from which they had been ejected, supplied with food and fuel, and told to remain there in defiance of the landlord and officers. Life of agents of land-owners, as well as landlords, has been taken summarily." "Meantime, the British Ministry appears halting between two opinions. One portion has been in favor of applying force for the suppression of the troubles, and the others are opposed to the application of force, except as in the cases where military and constabulary have been furnished where crops were being gathered by Orangemen. The Land League and the tenants, generally, seem determined not to submit to the exactions of the landlords. They demand the abolition of the landlord system, and change of the tenant system into that of land-owners. But how is this to be done, unless the Government sees fit to come in as purchaser of the land from the landlords, to be disposed of to the tenants in some form, or to advance the means by which the present system may be revolutionized? If Mr. Gladstone can manage this question so as to give comparative quiet and satisfaction to the at present angry and revolutionary elements now at boiling heat in that unfortunate and unhappy country, while at the same time dealing with a tolerable show of justice toward the land-owners, he will have unraveled the most difficult political knot of the present day. One may hope this, but there appears but little prospect of its success."