Catholics upon their morals as to perjury. It is not surprising that the
peasants should have been educated into the state of mind of the
Irishman in the old American story, who, being solicited to promise his
vote when he landed in New York, asked whether the party which sought it
was for the Government or against it. Against it, he was told, "Then
begorra you shall have my vote, for I'm agin the Government whatever it
is." One shocking case was told of a notorious and terrible murder here
in Kerry. An old man and his son, so poor that they lay naked in their
beds, were taken out and shot by a party of Moonlighters for breaking a
boycott. They were left for dead, and their bodies thrown upon a
dunghill. The boy, however, was still alive when they were found, and it
was thought he might recover. The magistrates questioned him as to his
knowledge of the murderers. The boy's mother stood behind the
magistrate, and when the question was put, held up her finger in a
warning manner at the poor lad. She didn't wish him to "peach," as, if
he lived, the friends of the murderers would make it impossible for them
to keep their holding and live on it. The lad lied, and died with the
lie on his lips. Who shall sit in judgment on that wretched mother and
her son? But what rule can possibly be too stern to crush out the
terrorism which makes such things possible?

And what right have Englishmen to expect their dominion to stand in
Ireland when their party leaders for party ends shake hands with men who
wink at and use this terrorism? It has so wrought upon the population
here, that in another case, in which the truth needed by justice and the
fears of a poor family trembling for their substance and their lives
came thus into collision, an Irish Judge did not hesitate to warn the
jury against allowing themselves to be influenced by "the usual family
lie"!