The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-04-12
Ireland.
VICTORIA NOT A RULER IN GREAT BRIT.
AIN-IRISU Discomfort.

Will a royal residence appcase the
sulirn hostility Of the ungratefaI Irish
1t is not settled that either the Queen,
or one of the Princes, will go there ;
but, should the sacrifices be made, will
disaffecti6n subside9 | don't think
much of Irish republicanism. The
people are too ignorant, and, above all,
| too priest-riddeu to know much of self
government. They are better adapted
for an absolutist form, provided only
it was the Pope who was the ruler !:
but think they have lost their rever
ence for the highest sovereign. Relig-
l0us differences make them cool, for
they are an intensely bigoted people;
and the long absence Of any notice
from the reigDing power has added the
natural working of their own minds
under the tuition of Nationalist apd
Fenians. My beliefs, that, apart from
a certain class of trades-people, and a
few of the aristocracy, the Irish nation
would rather ridicule than admire this
last attempt to reconcile them to union
with England. 1t is too late. Even
here the Queen has lost the magic that
once surrounded her name. am sure
that, were she to die, the regret would
be deep and widespread but she
would he mourned for her private vir-
tines, not as the ruler of Great Britain.
In fact, she isn't the ruler. Nobody
ever thinks of her when the question
of legislation is concerned. She is as
much dead, in that sense, as Queen
Anne. But for Ireland she has shown
no affection whatever, and the Irish
return the indifference. Beside, they
are indignant just now at the semi
proposal to institute ''secret" select
committee to inquire into the state ct
certain Irish counties, with the view OF
securing the best means of suppressing
illegal societies. There is nothing
likely to offend the Irish It's much as a
"secret' committee, though Their conn
try is usually honeycombed with secret
societies. The government is in pos
session of many terrible facts concern
ing the c0mmotions in Westmeath ::
but this scheme Of a secret committee
needs strong justification. Of course,
the Tories, who opposed the disestab,
lishment of the Irish Church, and the
reform of the Irish land laws, make
great use of this proposal against the
government "Where now" jeeringly
they ask, care those blessed conse-
qnences we were to see after the priests
and tenants were satisfied 7" But,
though the Millennium has not arrived
in Ireland, the people are certainly
quieter than they were, and, at all
events, we know that they would be
in open rebellion if the Tories were to
rule. If the Irish Establi> he'd Church
was II gross injustice, it was right to
remove it, whether the abolition con-
tented the Irish people or not.
The collapse of the French is a sore
disappointment to the Irish ''rebels."
For years past their favorite cry has
been union with France against Eng
land and the Emperor Napoleon was
repeatedly urged to break with pertid>
ious Albion, and to rely upon the is
land of Erin. Napoleon, however, had
read too much of both French and r.
ish history, to take any notice of the
advice. AS things are, the opposition
of France will not be thought such Il
terrible tang. If the OrlAaBists &c,
the upper hand in the party struggle
which cannot be far distant in France,
and if they try to restore the temporal
power of the Pope, Italy will certainly
try a fall with her. She has her natu.
raj capital now, and fully intends t.
retain it. And ireland must feel that
she is left more than ever to her OWL
resources. But, as France rccedes, the
United States get nearer. Almost tn a
man the Irish people We're for the
South, but they nevertheless believe
the North is their natural ally, and
they refuse to let 60 the belief that
some day independence is to lie brought
to them thence. The reception ofsucil
people as O'Donovan Rosa by the
President delights them, while it sim
ply amazes the English Chicago Tri-
bune London Letter.