English Treatment of Political Prisoners.
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ENGLISH TREATMENT OF POLITICAL PRISONERS. THE debate on the release of the dyna in whom the whole Irish race at home and mite prisoners in the House of Com abroad felt a just pride. He was in his mons brought up once again, and directly, youth concerned in the Fenian movement, for public consideration two questions, at and he was sentenced to a long term of im prisonment. In the House of Commons he least, which had for a long time been dis mentioned the fact that while he was in cussed in the newspapers and on the plat form, and by the public generally. The Portland prison it had been part of his work first question was, whether there ought to to be harnessed daily to a cart, as if he were be a different system of treatment with re a mule or a horse, and to drag stones this gard to political offenders, and what we way and that for hour after hour, and that may call private offenders. The second he had to sleep in a cell which only barely question was, whether the whole system of allowed him room to lie down. His words prison discipline in these countries did not told on the House of Commons, which, to do require some modification and some im it justice, is one of the fairest political as provement. Now, with regard to the first semblies in the world, and in which no question, as to whether political offenders member of any party felt anything but re ought to be treated on different conditions spect for Mr. Davitt. The question then from private offenders, it seems to us that naturally arose, whether a man like Mr. there can be no reasonable difference of Davitt ought to have been treated in that opinion whatever, if men will but calmly fashion; and, of course, with that doubt think the subject over. Some of the great came the inquiry whether political offenders est and noblest of Englishmen were put to ought not to be treated on a different prin death as political offenders. Some of the ciple from the ordinary criminal offenders. greatest and noblest of Englishmen were No matter whether a man is right or wrong tortured before death as political offenders. in his opinions, and in his way of carrying Some of the Englishmen whose names are them into action, is there to be no differ most revered and are most enshrined in the ence made between the man who moves affection of England were tortured and put only on some personal and selfish purpose to death as political offenders. In modern and passion, and the man who is moving times, it is quite certain that men, otherwise only for a cause or a principle out of of the most stainless character, have passed which he can obtain, and out of which years of suffering because they strove for he wants to obtain, no personal gain what some political purpose which they sincerely ever? Is Lord William Russell, is Theo believed to be genuine, honest, and benefi bald Wolfe Tone, exactly on a level with Bill Sykes, and Jack the Ripper, whoever cent. In the debate on the address to which we that mysterious person may have been? have been referring an immense impression An American once said to the writer of was undoubtedly created in all parts of the these volumes, " I know nothing whatever House of Commons by the speech of Mr. of your Irish controversies with English Michael Davitt. Mr. Michael Davitt was a governments, except the fact that the Eng lish government put heavy sentences on man absolutely blameless in private charac Michael Davitt and John Boyle O'Reilly, ter. As a London newspaper not commit ted to Irish ideas said of him, he was a man two of the noblest creatures I have ever
