The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-08

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A Proposed Separate Irish legislature
Another Probable Triumph of Anslo-saxou
Civilization.
1t Is curious and instructive task to watch
how the area of revolutionary agitation, if we
may so term 1t, steadily widens in that troubled
little Anglo-Saxon land of Great Britain. One
after another the popular grievances that have
been fostering in the minds Of the people are
brought to the surface, passed through the forms
OF parliamentary discussion and consigned to
the limbo of defunct abuses. The trembling
aristocracy and bourgeoisie hail each couces-
sion as the one thing that has been needed to
insure content and order. 'Peace peace!"
cry they to the masses-whom, in the seclu-
sion of their clubs, they delight to term the
''great unwashed' have at last surely
given you all you want" But how vain and
Elusive proves each hope thus painfully born
into life out of political despair Scarcely
have the grateful cheers of the people died
away than new measures of reform
are found to be as sadly necessary as
| the last; the camor Of a
nation, eager to be wholly free, once more
fills the air with tumult; and 'lords and gen.
tles,' like some poor, starving vagabond in
London street, are again sternly hidden to
''move on" There is something awe-inspiring
in the persistence of this wonderful democratic
movement that Is advancing, ever With quicker
strides, in every European community but in
England, where it has at the same time been
ad huu o1o I'D
by temporary reaction, we are able best to
realize the resistless momentum Of it's onward
career.
What is the last demand for change that
of the English monarchy? Side by side with
the news Of the latest Irish riot we have the
far more significant tidings that Mr.. Mcguire,
whose visit to America is still fresh in the
recollection of our readers, has promised
to revive the agitation for a separa te
Irish Legislature. From the mouth of
the O'Donohue such a threat would
mean but little; but Mr. Mcguire is q man
who is statesman and not mere hustings
politician. He has steadily warned the Irish
people that the only way in which they could
recover their freedom is by peaceful revolu-
and the rights they had already wrung from
the hands of arbitrary power are the only
weapons that could bring them victory in their
struggle for liberty. He has denounced
Fenian demagogues even more loudly than
Lord Derby or the author Of ''Lothair." 1t
ooci1u ho hot
ton of such kind from such man is seri-
Gus matter.
If Mr.. Mcguire were able to exercise abso-
lutte control over his countrymen we have no
doubt that this agitation to which he has at
last set the seal of his great name would
speedily be successful He would suppress
everything that carried with 1t the suspicion
of threat of national disunion; he would
bring the English and Irish masses together
by showing them that the worst enemy of
both was the privileged classes, and he
would quietly demonstrate to the ''powers
that be" that what he wanted, however
disagreeable, was still an inevitable feature of
the future. Unhappily, however, Mr.. Mcguire
will be hampered by the folly of the men he
aims to benefit. Some stupid <meute, like
that Of Sunday, or the raving Of an ignorant
demagogue, are at any time liable to wake the
national prejudices of the English people and
postpone for years the Inauguration of just
Irish government. But we are sure that
the English masses, when not inhamed by
patriotic passion, are willing to listen to
reason; and of this the disestablshment of
the Irish Church, the removal of the Catholic
disabilities and the suppression of party pro-
cessors are sufficient proof.
We think, however, that Mr.. Mcguire will
aim at success by widening the application Of
the principle involved in the measure now
launched upon the stormy sea of political dis
cussion. That principle Is, of course, the
right Of local self-government, which, as yet,
is enjoyed in an eminent degree only by the
two federal republics of Switzerland and the
United States. Mr. Mcguire has sat for years
in the English House Of Commons, and has,
no doubt, often reflected upon the absurdly
centralized character of English legislation.
If little seaport wants to dredge its
harbor, or mining company desire TO con-
struct two-mile feeder track to great rail-
way permission must be obtained from the
House of Commons, the scheme must then be
J ratified by the House of Lords aud finally
be made law by the sign manual of Her Most
Gracious Majesty Some of the details of
this process are often ludcrously amusing.
For instance, the city of Liverpool wishes to
add another wharf to her nine miles Of quays.
She applies to the central government, and
committee is appointed by the Lower
House to report upon the request
Upon that committee will sit fox
hunting Irish gentleman from Galway,
an old-fashioned English squire from
bucolc Wiltshire, a London banker and, per-
haps, also Liverpool merchant. A pretty