The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-03


spondents we Judge that society in Ireland is
just now deeply agitated on the subject Of
the connection with England. Evidence OF
the feverish state of the popular mind is fur
nished by isolated acts of violence, which,
though not in all cases of political character,
serve to prove the existence of an unhealthy
excitement among the masses. The discus
sion of the question of Home Rule becomes
daily more animated, and strange combina-
tons are already foreshadowed. There can
no longer be doubt that the agitation will be
pushed forward vigorously and fought to the
bitter end. Some patriotic gentlemen like
O'DonOghoe, the member for Tralee, have al
ready sold out for the mess of pottage, and
Bishop Moriaty, the holy divine who thought
shell was not hot enough nor eternity long
enough" to punish the Irish enemies OF Her
Gracious Majesty Victoria, is again in the
field, launching denunciation at the heads of
those agitators who seek to disturb his flock
in the quiet enjoyment of mud cabins and bad
potatoes-a diet which this good Bishop be-
lieves highly conducive to the salvation of his
flock. However, there are people bold enough
to differ with this worthy divine, and the
imposing demonstrations in favor of Home
Rule which have been made in England and
in Ireland make it clear that the attempt to
allay Irish discomfort by means of shallow
expedents and hollow remedies has failed.
We judge from these indications of the
popular temper that the Irish are resolved
to give the English government no peace
until the rights Of Ireland have been
completely restored. This new movement
does not aim at accomplishing its object
| by force of arms, nor does it seek the sepa-
ration of Ireland from the British empire.
The leaders argue, with much force, that If
proper understanding can be arrived at 1t
| will be the interest of Ireland to remain part
of the British empire, to whose glory and
| grandeur Irish blood and brains have so largely
contributed.
| Those who think only of the greatness of
England point to the tendency of the age in
unifying nations and centralizing their power as
o reason for refusing the Irish demand. Ger
many and Italy are cited as examples by men
who forget that the parallel is only on the sur
face, and that there is a fundamental difference
between the position of Ireland and that Of
either Germany or Italy. In these latter cases
there was homogeneity of race and of Ian
guage, while the Irish and English peoples
are separated by a marked difference Of
temperament and by the memories of wrongs
suffered and inflicted through many ages Of
ceaseless struggle. 1t is evident that the con-
ditiOns upon which union of two peo-
pies having no affinity of race and no
common aspirations can be effected, must
differ widely from those by which it is
sought to draw together peoples who are
members of the same great family, whose
past and future are naturally one. Eng
lish statesmen have made the mistake of
ignoring the force of an idea; and, in spite
of massacre and gibbetings and prescriptions,
they find themselves constantly confronted by
the undying hostility of people too weak to
resist successfully, but too proud and too
brave ever to accept defeat as final. In
one form or another Ireland increasingly pro-
tests; and foreign nations have at last begun
to recognize that, through this discomfort Of
Ireland, England's power in war can be neu-
tralized For the moment all thought of armed
instruction in Ireland has been abandoned,
and the federalsts come forward to propose
compromise between the extreme demands of
the two peoples. Among the leaders are men
eminent for their talents and their virtues, and
there can be no doubt that this agitation
is destined to assume such proportions as
cannot fail to make it truly formidable
to the English government. 1t is difficult to
see how the rulers Of England will be able to
refuse the reasonable demands made by the
Home Rule leaders. These do not propose to
overthrow the authority Of the throne nor in
any way to interfere with the stability of the
empire.
Two difficulties are in the way of success.
| The first is based on the want of conf
dence felt by the Irish people in all m erely
mo raj force movements They are con-
WINGED that England will never grant their
| rights except to force or fear of force, and
hence they are slow to move in the cause of
federalism. But while the masses prefer to
continue their revolutionary organizations, the
middle classes and the more liberal among the
gentry hasten to give in their adhe-
sion to the principles of Home Rule.
These men desire to see Ireland governing
herself but are opposed to an appeal to arms,
which they consider would inAct untold mis-
cry on the country without effecting any good.
Federalism they believe would satisfy all the
legitimate desires of the Irish nation for self
government. They perceive clearly that the
tinkering with Irish grievances that takes place
in the British Parliament only serves to
deepen the dislike and contempt of the
/ LII L. co. hal Ill Oh 49,