The New York herald., 1872-10-17
F r OU D E.
The Great English Historian On the
Norman Conquest Of Ireland.
Seven Hundred Years of Gel
tic History.
A Calm Review of the Causes of
Irish Subsection.

ArlSn OuUJcCCAOus
ENTIRELY THEIR OWN FAULT. Z"
Mr.. James Anthony Froude last evening delivered
at Association Hall the first OF his series OF lectures
on Irish history before strikingy intellectual and
refined audience, and, In spite OF delivery which,
to American ears is by no means pleasing he was
listened to with close and uninterrupted attention.
Mr. Froude has the "rising and falling" infection
which seems characteristic OF all English orators
and now and then the regular dow OF his verbal
cadences had q perceptbly soporifc effect upon
part OF his hearers. The interest OF the matter Of
his lecture, however, redeemed 1t from all taint Of
dulness to these who were mentally strong enough
to rise superior 70 the vices OF style by which its de-
livery was marred. Mr.. Fr0ude was but rarely
applauded, but there was on the other hand, not
the faintest murmur of dissent although some OF
his opinions must have been by no means palatable
either to Engiishmen or Irishmen
The lecturer was introduced by the Rev. DR..
Crosby in q few appropriate words, and opened his
lecture by referring to letter written seventy ODD
years ago by an American ambassador-Mr. Rufus
King-to an English Minister, which requested the
latter to induce His Majesty George the Third to
nterpose and prevent the emigration to America
concerned In the rebellion OF 179s. These
seventy Irshmen-so wrote Mr.. King-were
plainly infected with the detestable principles OF
the first French revolution, and could not fail to
| exert banefu influence In q land where, as In
America, the language was the same as their own.
Mr.. FrOude used this incident to show that II an
| American could pass SO harsh Judgment upon
Irish rebels some apology might be justly claimed
for the wrongs Of which England had been guilty
to the Emerald Isle. At the present day there
were probably in America more Irishmen and
men OF Irish extraction than there were
in Ireland, and America therefore, had direct in
terest in Irish politics. He had not come across
the Atlantic to talk commonplaces about English
tyranny Irish anarchy, but to appeal to America
to judge between England and Ireland, as the COM
mon friend OF both. 1t was admitted that to-day,
at least, two-thirds OF the Irish people demanded
separation, immediate and absolute, from England
1t stood confessed that with all their (English)
efforts they had neither made the irish
friends nor broken their spirit. England
forgot, but the Irish did not forget
When the English had left Ireland and troubled
Irisnmen no p0re-if that should ever be-they
would perhaps be willing to interchange civilites
with them and to take English money, II English
men were pleased to lend 1t to them. II irishmen
could lift their anchorage and float out into
UHe Inluule Ol Tie AClanLlC, ne ulu uOC
think Engishmen would have any right to
object though to have to part with bril-
liant and enlightened race, who had for many
centuries shared in English greatness, would be
a disgrace to English statesmanship But, unhap-
PLY, Ireland was no Laputa, or flying island, and
philosophers had not yet discovered how to uproot
| the soil; and SO long England remained great
| Power with ieets and armies and an Indian En-
| pire and many colonies, ana with national inter-
/
let go her hold upon an island lying close by her
side and ACCEPT the the d rsk t5 Of hostile state
| could not commit political suicide, and until Eng
| land was beaten on her knees the inhabitants OF
/ Ireland must share the fortunes OF the stronger
country II the Irish race refused to be reconciled
| with Englishmen they must continue as they were
| nOw each thorn in the others side or the Irish
must find another home or they must fight for
their independence and win 1t for themselves. And
though as an Englishman, in such contest, he
| for one, when the work was completed, would
| welcome them gladly into the great family OF ma
| tions. But political freedom was too precious a
jewel to be lightly earned. 1t was not to insubor-
| dinatiOn and mutiny, 1t was not to eloquent ora
tory or newspaper articles it was not to sectional
| the fates awarded the crown OF national indepen-
deDce. That crown was the reward only OF a
| minati0n which ninched at no danger,
which hesitatcd at no sacrifices OF personal
interest, which expressed itself in deeds well as
| in words. To win independence men must first learn
] to obey and to count themselves as dust beside
their country's cause; they must forget their quar-
rels among each other and fuse themselves into
| one harmonious whole, with common heart and q
common purpose. II he were to sum up the secret
| OF Ireland's misfortune he would say it
lay in this-that while from the first
! she had resisted England, complained OF England
appealed to heaven i and nd earth against the wrongs
| ways invited others to help her and had never
! made an effective fight herself for her own rights
and mind refused to yield to the invader possessed
already the constituent elements OF independence.
So had shaSen he se
| could take charge Of her own destiny.
| Mr.. Froude then described the difference in the
resistance offered by scotland and Ireland to the
| English invaders. and showed that In the former
case the Scotch had Always stood shoulder to shoul
moment while the foot OF the foe on their SOIL
while in the latter the Irish had fallen easy prey
among themselves. At Bannockburn the Scotch
repelled 10000 Englishmen, while for years
Ireland had been soo held an English force Of
bell cared more for his country than himself; an
O'Donnell or an O'Neill was always ready to
would aid him to help himself to q slice OF his
neighbor's land. 1t was an lrishman who, when
@ s oee GTS
OF patriotism on their lips than the lrsn no peo-
pie, when 1t came to action allowed performance to
lag miserably behind their professions. Who did
not know that II accident set Ireland free tomorrow
the first step after the declaration OF independence
| would be declaration OF civil war? Who did not
know that If ireland broke into rebellion to-mor-
row half Ireland would be found fighting on the
English side? II fever q time should come when all
ranks, all classes, all religious sects in Ireland
| should unite to demand the liberty OF their coun-
try, and If they were prepared to become free
| nation or to die, no earthly power could prevent
them from accomplishing their purpose.
six millions OF people on their own
| the public opinion OF mankind would not, In this
age, permit them to be destroyed And until they
are thus united the independence they desire
| would be q curse, and not blessing, to them.
| England to-day had but one wish for Ireand--that
she should share her prosperity to the very utmost;
and whatever measures OF impartial justice ireland
should demand no English Parliament at this time