The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1885. THE DYNAMITARDS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1298, 3 February 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1885. THE DYNAMITARDS.

'Since the atrocious murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish no incident has occurred so appalling as the recent attempt at wrecking the House of Commons and other public buildings in London. Fortunately few lives were lost, but that does not lessen the crime. The miscreants wrho planned and carried into execution this diabolical deed had no regard as to the number of human beings they might kill ; they were quite careless as to that, and therefore their crime is just as heinous, morally speaking, as if the hundreds of persons who had only just quitted the scene of their villainy had fallen victims to their atrocioup conduct. But perhaps the

.vorst feature of the whole affair is the degree of daring and the cleverness exhibited. The crime appears to have been planned and carried out in a manner that has defied detection, and tin's appears to us the worst of it, because it seems to indicate that it will be repeated, perhaps with more deadly effect. It is sad to contemplate that there exists an organisation having the perpetration of such foul deeds for its object. It is at once the most bloodthirsty, mischievous and idiotic movement that has ever been set on foot, There is no sense in it. The object is to strike terror into England in this way, but very little reflection ought to enable these wretches to realise that every blow thus struck will, in the end, recoil on the country which they aim at serving. It does not surprise us at all to find that people unacquainted with Irish historv cannot understand these things, and that they invariably connect these outrages with liish politics. Still it is a fact that, though they are an element in Irish politics, they are as antagonistic to the policy of Mr Parnell, and his followers as they are to England. In order to understand this it is necessary to glance at the position of Irish parties. There are first the most numerous party—the Home Rulers. Their object is to obtain for their country legislative independence, by peaceable agitation. They ask for nothing but to be allowed to manage their own affairs in their own Parliament. They are willing to allow England to retain Imperial sway over the country, and be all-powerful in Imperial questions, so long as they are allowed to manage their own domestic affairs. The next most numerous party are the Conservatives, which includes principally the landocracy, and the next are the Whigs, The Whigs and Conservatives are against the granting of Home Rule to Ireland The fourth party is one of many names. It includes Fenians, Invincibles, Dynamitards, etc., and the object it has in view is to separate Ireland from England completely. The history of (he latter party is a sad one. We gather from the publications recently given to the world by Sir Charles Gavan Duffy and the hte Mr A. M. Sullivan, sufficient evidence to show that they have been in existence since it was formed by the late John Mitchell in 1844. It was then called the Young Ireland Party, and it had for its object the Repeal of the Union by peaceable means. In the course of time, however, Mr Mitchell despaired of securing the object in view by peaceable means, and so he decided to appeal to arms. The country responded to the appeal, Mr Mitchell was imprisoned, and the leadership was taken up by Mr William Smith O’Brien. The rebellion came to nothing, but ghortly after Mr James Stephen,s who was a lieutenant under Mr O’Brien, resuscitated the movement, when O’Donnovan Ross a came upon the scene. The paity was then called the Phoenix and subsequently the Fenian Society. This was broken up in 1867, and nothing was beard of the party until the Invincibles appeared in the character of foul and cold-blooded murderers in the Phoenix Park, and now they have been succeeded by the more atrocious scoundrels—the JUauaraitards. The Young Ireland party, the Phoenix party, and the Fenians never resorted to any deeds of violence. They aimed at attaining their object by open warfare, and they were most scrupulous in avoiding any action calculated to sully the name of a soldier. There was, however, amongst them an under current which was not all so squeamish, and amongst the leaders of these was O’Donovan Rossa. From the first he has been a bitter and uncompromising enemy of peaceable agitation, and he left no stone unturned to thwart all efforts made by Irish politicians to gain concessions from Parliament. The reasons the Rossa party gave for opposing political agitation was that no good ever came of it, and that it only prevented many from joining the Fenian or Revolutionary party. It was their custom to disturb political meetings, and at one time they threatened the I life of the late Mr A, M. Sullivan for »no other reason than that he favored political agitation instead of resorting to revolutionary means. Ever since this element has been the curse of the country. They do everything they possibly can to prevent any good being done by political agitation, and they have been a thorn in the side of the Parnellites all along. It will bo remembered that during the trial of the Phoenix Park murderers in Dublin, evidence came out which showed they held the Parnellites in horror, and hated them with an intense hatred. It will be seen from this that they are just as much opposed to the Parnellites as to any other party, and that it is impossible for Mr Parnell to exercise any influence over them. If the truth were known we venture to think that he is just as much afraid of them as anyone else, and that he has to use much tact to avoid direct collision with them. One thing, however, which gives us pleasure is that they appear to be dying out in Ireland altogether, and we feel almost sure that the extension of the Franchise will completely annihilate them. They comprised hitherto people who had no votes, and who consequently could exercise no influence in politics. Now, when these are enfranchised, it will in all probability have the effect of enlisting them on the side of peaceable agitation. The Dynamitard is an animal of American growth. Everyone hitherto arrested in connection with that species of crime have turned out to be Irish-Araericans. tutored by Continental Socialists.

There is no doubt but that Continental Socialists have had a hand in it, and that they are making common cause with such Irishmen as they find disposed to appeal to the “ wild justice of revenge.” This only adds to the dangerous character of the dynaraitards. The Continental Socialists have proved themselves extremely daring and clever, and the mote daring and clever they are the more dangerous they are. Another class who hare contributed to this is the class of correspondents who visited Ireland during the land agitation. They pictured the condition of the country in the most appalling colors and were never tired of urging that the Irish were pitiable, contemptible cowards for having so long endured the injustice to which they were subjected. Amongst these were Mr Redpath, and many other American correspondents, and without doubt such taunts as these had much to do with bringing the dynamite fiend into existence. But the principal question now is: How are they to be put down ? America and France appear to share the honor of harboring them, and from recent telegrams we learn that both countries are determined to take steps for their extinction. We hope they will be able to do so, but we doubt it. The material the wretches use is to be found everywhere, but even if dynamite were put out of the way they can manufacture equally destructive agents out of chemicals. In a lecture delivered by a Continental Socialist last year in America he said he knew means by which he could make use of the gaspipes to wreck a whole city in the twinkling of an eye. It is not easy for any Government to cope with scoundrels of this kind, and consequently we are afraid that we have not yet heard the last of these foul enemies of peace and order.