Avery curious letter, bearing a London post mark, was received
on Wednesday by the Mayor of Sunderland, which professed to be written by E. Mindful, the private secretary to the "Presi- dent, pro tem., of the Irish Republic," expressing• sympathy in the fearful catastrophe of Saturday last, and taking credit for not regarding that catastrophe as a judgment on the children for the sins of their fathers towards Ireland. As the fathers of the children who perished in Sunderland have had no appreciable share of responsibility for the Irish policy of this or any other Government, we do not think that the "President, pro tern., of the Irish Republic " need take credit for any great enlighten- ment in declining to regard the Messrs. Fay as the instruments of a vindictive providence charging itself with special 'retribu- tive functions on behalf of Ireland. But the letter is a very significant one, if only as showing what strange and harum- scarum devices the disaffected Irish love to adopt, in order to impress their wrongs upon the imagination of the public. The next thing will be that the imaginary private secretary of the- imaginary President will write to the Queen, congratulating her- in the President's name on her recovery from the accident to- her knee, and disavowing any wish to regard that as a judg- ment on her for assuming the title of Sovereign of the Unite& Kingdom. The disaffected Irish play at tragedy.
Previous page
