FIGHTING AGAINST FACTS.
THE grand resource of an Irishman in difficulties, it seems, is murder : the form varies, but the "principle " is universal. It is a resource especially used in escaping from the duties of life. If an Irish tenant is backward with his rent, what so easy as to shoot his landlord? If an Irish labourer finds the more industrious Englishman takes away his employment, what so easy as an am- bush to beat that Englishman to death? If an Irish pauper dis- likes the conditions attached to public alms, what readier than to shoot a clerk of Public Works or an officer of the Poor-law ? If an Irish felon is arraigned to take his trial at law, a pistol is use- ful in putting a witness out of the way, and frightening others. If an Irish gentleman has made an erroneous statement, he con- siders it not so easy to retract as to shift his ground ; and if evi- dence is going strong against him, he seeks to silence his adver- sary by a challenge. This last use of the Irish panacea is exemplified by what is called, after an Irish fashion, "an affair of honour," in which Mr. Moore, the Member for Mayo, figures as challenger, and Mr. Higgins, better known to newspaper readers as "Jacob Omnium," appears the challenged party. The facts of the case he in a nutshell. Mr. Moore was one of those who blustered for more "relief" to be bestowed on Ireland; and in doing so, he said that he had been in Ireland " during the whole period of the distress." Worthy landlord ! That statement might have passed without correction but for Mr. Higgins ; who wrote to the Times a letter, published without his signature, denying Mr. Moore cre- dit for residence, and asserting that he had been in England, busied with affairs of the turf. This was an awkward contradic- tion. Not only was Moore, "blustering railer," an absentee, but while his countrymen were starving he was racing; and then be went into Parliament to complain of what the Repealers call 8111 "alien Government." So Mr. Moore writes to the Times, ex- plaining that he had spent three months of the spring in Eng- land, and implying that he had spent nine months of the year in his beloved country. Mr. Higgins will not be put off : he writes again, declaring that the new statement is as untrue as if Mr. Moore " had said that he had been at the battle of Fontenoy" ; and showing that Mr. Moore had been in England longer than three months. Mr. Moore then further explains that he meant not the year "of the distress," as Mr. Higgins understood it— not the year ending at the time he spoke in December, but that ending on the 10th of October. At this point, Mr. Moore significantly called for the writer's name ; and Mr. Higgins replied, in friendly terms, with a letter, under his own signature. It was delivered by Mr. Slade; who was referred by Mr. Moore to his "friend,' Sir R. L. Blouse. Sir R. L. wanted Mr. Slade to sign a declaration that Mr. Higgins had "satisfied himself, that any statements made by Mr. Moore, either in his speech in the House of Commons or in his subsequent letter to the Times, were perfectly correct." As that, by Mr. Moore's own admission, would have been untrue, M.P. Slade felt justified in refusing to sign. He offered, however, to sign a declaration incorporating and adopting Mr. Moore's explanation. Sir R. L. Blosse then drew up this declaration, to which he required Mr. Slade's signature- " Mr. Higgins admits that he was not accurate in his assumption that Mr. Moore had said in his letter to the Times that he had resided on his estates nine out of the last twelve months. Mr. Moore's statement was nine out of the twelve during which the distress lasted'; which, taking a fair view of the com- mencement and duration of the distress, Mr. Moore was certainly justified in stating.
" Mr. H., therefore, having satisfied himself that the statements made by Mr. M., in his letter to the Times, with respect to his residence in Mayo, were perfectly well founded, has no hesitation in expressing his great regret for any expressions in his (Mr. li's) letters which may appear to impugn their accuracy."
The signature to this statement was professedly demanded in the name of truth and honour ! Of course it was refused ; and of course Mr. Moore's friend, with a due regard to the Irish view of honour, called for "personal satisfaction." This claim was after- wards followed up in a letter direct to Mr. Higgins, by Mr. Moore ; who says, as a parting sting—" I can only regret that I should ever have penetrated your disguise, or permitted myself to regard you in the light of a gentleman." A gentleman, in the regard of Mr. Moore, is a person who may be taunted into a duel with any challenger, or frightened into signing false certi- ficates.
Mr. Slade very properly declined the desiderata " satisfac- tion." Tn his-closing statement, he avers that Mr. Moore spent five months in England instead of three : if that is not true, it can be disproved ; but Mr. Moore seems to be better provided with bullets than with proofs. It is an Irish custom to speak at random, and to defend the privilege of doing so by deadly com- bat ; but in England promptitude to wield a pistol is not held to justify an alacrity in lax speaking. We do not account it hero- ism; but ruffianism. Mr. Moore professed to be a defender of his poor countrymen, a partaker of their sorrow, a resident landlord : he is accused of being an absentee, and a frequenter of the turf : he offers to fight his accuser. But what then? It does not dia. prove the other's assertions ; and if they are true, it only proves that to the qualities indicated by the accusation he adds the Irish proneness to shoot any inconvenient person.
In Mr. Higgins's letter to Mr. Moore this passage occurs-
" I then informed you, that I had heard there was much distress on your own property about Swineford, chiefly owing to the want of trusty agents to apply for and distribute the relief of the British Association, which was then being granted in Mayo at the rate of 10,0001. a month; and I took the liberty of pointing out toyon how much your presence would benefit the poor there.
" Yon answered me, ' You are a man of the world, Sir, and will therefore un- derstand me when I tell you that I must remain here and attend to my racing establishment, which is worth more to me than my Irislt estates."
Mr. Moore denies this statement : independently of his own " recollection," other circumstances, he says, corroborate his " opinion " that it is incorrect. In matters of memory, a ne- gation proves little. The anecdote does not look like an invention.
" To me." Your Irish tribune of the paupers is loud with in- dignation at the want of self-sacrifice in others ; but if Irish misery prove inconvenient " to me," he will fly to seek an income on the English turf as easily as he would pocket Repeal rent. He at least is " a man of the world," and " my [Saxon] racing es- tablishment is worth more to me than my Irish estates." If there are paupers on those estates, why, Government and England must provide for them ; or your Irish patriot will be bitter in his denunciations. And if you presume to scrutinize his conduct, to see what he is doing, why—he will fight you. But we suppose that English gentlemen will not feel bound to accept the e.W- lenge of Molly Maguire.
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