Daring the carrying-out of some evictions at Coolgreany on July
16th, Mr. Devitt gave expression to perhaps the most violent and outrageous encouragement of lawlessness yet made use of by the Nationalist leaders. The first evictions had been carried out peaceably, and with not much more resistance than occasionally takes place in England. This lack of courage Mr. Davitt denounced with the utmost vehemence. The people who had been evicted that day were, he declared, not deserving of one particle of sympathy. They had been advised by certain gentlemen not to resist; but he would rather be marched off to prison for having offered resistance to legal marauders, than wait till the Coercion Act passed and get six months for doing nothing. "He did not want them to do anything rash or suicidal, but he called on them to show something like rational resistance in defence of their homesteads." These taunts, and the advice to resist which was endorsed by " more than one priest," were not without result. In continuing the evictions, the bailiffs had to encounter, not as before, mere passive resist- ance, but an opposition carried to the very furthest lengths. An evening paper, in its description of the scene, shows that the bailiffs were attacked in the execution of their duty with the most ferocious brutality, scalding water, as usual, being poured over them as they approached the house. Apparently the Nationalist leaders disliked Mr. Davitt's remarks, for Mr. John Dillon, in a speech made by him next day at Arklow, took occasion to censure Mr. Davitt for having found fault with the advice given by the executive in Dahlia.
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