The Parnellite and Radical newspapers call the deaths of the
men shot at Mitchelstown "murders," and indulge in insinua- tions that the collision was planned by Government in order that blood might be shed. The Daily News, in particular, states
that the Government "is two corpses to the good." These out- rageous charges, which are as untrue as the charge that the Irish Members wish to get themselves shot, show the rapid and progressive demoralisation of English Radical opinion. A great effort was made on Monday to import the affair into the debate on the meeting at Ennis, and the charge of murder was freely made; while even Mr. Gladstone main- tained that only two explanations were possible,—one, that the police had blundered; and the other, "that there was an intention to bring about disorder." In other words, the Govern- ment intended to bring down on itself the disgust with which Mr. Gladstone himself says the incident has been viewed. The " Mitchelstown massacre," as it is called, in the new spirit of exaggeration, did not, however, influence the division; while the wild language used outside has created disbelief in the positive statements against the police, and blinded the public to the necessity which really exists for an investigation on oath.
