The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-03-07
Gladstone and bright on Ire
land.

tSbn1s
In a speech at Southport, on the 10Th ult., Mr..
Gladstone discussed Fenianism, the wrongs of
Ireland. and the remedies for these wrongs. We
quote a few passages.
wish to urse these two fundamental cautions
the first il, that in considering these outrages,
we should endeayor TO preserve an equal temper
and perfect sclfcommand; the second is, that we
should not confound the cause OF FenianiSln with
the cause 0f Ireland
In NV opinion, it is n great advance in modern
civilization which has led To the lenient treatment
of political offenders, an advance of which am
bound 10 say, we appear To have an hlustrious
example in the proceedings that have followed the
conclusion of the dreadful and desperate war
waged between the North and South of the United
States OF America. Leniency to political Offend
ers believe 20 be alike wise and just, but 1
altogether eny-and | speak not now of persons,
but of aets-l altogether deny that acts such as
we have lately seen are entitled To the iClmunities
and leniency of treatment, that ought To be grant
ed offences properly political. l know not whom
il NAV please or whom it may offend, but in my
opinion n deep moral faint and profound degrada-
ton is in this thing which we call Fenianism.
The time when l arrived at that conclusion was the
time of the Fenian invasion of Canada, and GER
tainly IL did appear 10 Inc, 50 far Us l am capable
of forming n Judgment of affairs, and / remember
taking the opportunity of expressing an opinion
nearly two years ago before an audience In Liver
pool. that IL is difficult to find upon record a
proceeding of n large body of men more inexcusa-
bly and aboninably wicked than the Fenian
invasion Of Canada. Canada has inflicted no
wrongs upon Ireland. Ireland has wrongs :;
Canada has no power to redress them. Whatever
we may be, Canada with respect TO Ireland is as
innocent as a child unborn, and | say that TO car
nv FIRE and sword within the borders of Canada
thus uneauiyocally, and those VIGOROUSLY %guiitless,
merely because it is dreamed or supposed that
through Canada some disgrace or some wound
may be inflicted on England is the very height and
the very depth of human wickedness and base
ness.
Depend upon it, that those who approve this
crime lat Clerkenwell), are the merest handful.
Naturally the people for whom We could find the
most excuse would be the Irish, but | have learn
ed from the most undoubted authority that the
Irish in Lancashire are wholly free from the faint
of this sympathy. \ few heated and erratic
minds are to be found in every rank of the COM
munity upon whose actions and judgments no man
can count but, withlthese exceptions, am per-
suaded that not only the error but the deep guilt
of this sympathy does not attach itself to any con-
Siderable portion of the Irish community.
1t is, to say the very least, n matter of the ut
most sadness TO consider that, after six hundred
years of political connection between England and
Ireland, that union of heart and spirit which is
absolutely necessary for the welfare of the country
has not yet been brought about. 1t is impossible
To exaggerate the gravity of the fact, or | may add
the gravity of the responsibilities which it brings
upon the Government of this county and, gen.
tlemen. when l say upon the Government of this
country, | use that expression because in former
times the influence of the people on the direction
of public policy, although for many purposes it
has always had great weight, was far from being
unanimous and united.
Past history teaches us that there is a marvel
Gus power of enchantment in the promoting of
Just and fair dealing.
I unuld not for n moment listen To any plea
whatever for separate institutions and n separate
policy for England, or for Scotland, or Ireland
but this L venture TO say, that III all matters
except that no man ought To be able 10 say that
any one of these three countries Ii governed accor-
ding to the traditions, the views and the ideas of
another.
We have not in Ireland that dregrce and amount
of active loyalty To and respect for the law which
is necessary in order to constitute a thoroughly
wcll-Ordercd and united community. And We
have this painful circumstance. that while large
portions of the Irish population from year TO year
have left the shores of the country to pursue their
fortunes in Il foreign land, they have carried with
them, along with Il patient and tender attachment
10 the soil, something that almost might be de-
scribed rs u fierce resentment, an inextinguishable
aversion TO the authority, the Government, and
the institutions of the country and for my part,
gentlemen, i own | am not satisfied when | hear
people say Yes, that is 50, but 1t Is because
they arc so unreasonable" Well, they NAV be
unreasonable-we are unreasonable, more or less
we are all unreasonable, especially when we
have suffered wrong.
We must satisfy ourselves that as regards those
causes Of legislation which bear upon the perma-
nent condition Of n people We have set ourselves
in the right. What We want is that those sym
lathies in Ireland which now hang and noat be-
wildcred between law and lawlessness shall be
brought into active alliance with 1t; what we
want is to have Ireland like Scotland, SO that at
last, and after all these generations, We may be
epahiei instead nf learinO in every nrfle of E1-
rope the most painful commentaries upon the pol
icy of England toward Irehnd-we may be able
to look our fellow Europeans of every nation in
the face and challenge any of them to deny that
we have administered TO the sister island the full
benefit of the principle of equal justice. Old and
inyeterate diseases are not 10 be cured in a day.
One of the great things, one OF the greatest of
all We have in view IL this, we wish TO raise Ire
land to the dignity of perfect political freedom
and the sense of responsibility which attends 1t
but you cannot raise Ireland to that dignity-of
political freedom, if you seek to derress her spirit
and to fix for her a seryile position by doing for
her in matters of public money that which you
would refuse to the citizens of countries of whose
public spirit and self-respect you have formed a
high estimate. One word, and one only, on the
subject of n Parliamentary reform in the repre-
~sentation of Ireland, because that, | am bound to
say, / take for granted. j make 10 doubt, look
Ing ut the declarations of the Government and
~propriety of the case, that we shall have for Ire
land n measure of reform not less equitable and
liberal in it's spirit than that which has been
passed for England, and hope more free from
particular provisions than are open to reasonable
exceptions.
There is still another matter that cannot be
omitted-it is the state of the religious instItu-
tions of Ireland.
You have got a small portion of Ireland hold
ing that form of belief which is, | apprehend,
the belief of the majority in England and, there
fore, the English ideas and opinion in favor of the
English form of Government are carried into Ire
land, and the national ndowme of the country
are given exclusively to the religion of a small