The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1873-03-06

public opinion, and he could not have
chosen better place. He came to
us as man credited with al! the
qualities that make up our ideal of
the scholarly historians but when VIC
heard him, we were forced to con
clude that he was no historian, but
an advocate, a brilliant writer OF
party pamphlets, one constitution
ally uDable to lit himself into the
imPartially Of Judge. It was an
Englishmans defense OF England
that we heard. Some weie surpris
ed tat he should have chosen 10
come over here to discuss the local
politics of Great Britain; but on the
whole it was the most inevitable Of
all selections he could make, because
as an Englishman who had gained
I the ear OF the world, the Irish ques-
ton was the first that should sug.
gest itself. The honor of his. land
was wrapt up in the course OF Eng
land toward Ireland, and it needed
an explanation. In the late Euro
pean contest France represented on
the chess board OF Europe, ideas,
the vanguard OF democratic tenden-
cies, the inspiration aud leader in tho
effort to lift man above accident
Prussia was not q nation but an
army ane a camp dragging Europe
back two hundred years to the ton.
dial system-a great abnormal mill.
tary outgrowth of the nineteenth
century. When she crossed swords
with France it was two civilizations
contending, pregnant with disastrous
results. Where was England? She
also represented democratic tenden.
cies. Why did she not rally in such
momentous crisis Not because
she was not in the habit of doing so.
Sh has been the great intermeddler
OF tue century. 1t quarrel came up in
tho remotest nook OF the glooe she
was sure to be there; every leaf in
the laurels Of Palmerston was won
by putting his hand into others
quarrels. Why then did she re-
main dumb now? She dared not Tor
she knew that az soon as she drew
her sword or 2 oin,ed musket, Ire.
land was ready to stab her in the
back Applause. Mr.. Froude
had said mo matter how long
God waits, the injury OF one genera
ton IS punished by the wickedness
OF Its successus' England looks
back on 500 years of injustice; it is
natural that thoughtful nan, see
ing her checkmateJ and reduced to
third rate power Ito day her jour
nai,sts are OK plaining why she is So
they concede the tacl should long to
explain why this all happened. Mr.
Froude comes here to explain how
the dissracetul relations between
Ireland aud England are not due to
want Of vigor, or want Of capacity,
or brains, but that Irish nature was
so imperfect that no human wisdom
could make respectable nation out
OF it. Frosde says that till within
thirty years the attempt to give
government to ireland has been
failure, and he comes here to show
that it was not the fault of the policy
but because God intended the Irish.
man As a kind OF halt-made up hu
man being to run through the gener
ations under tho care Of a guardian
in the probate court. England was
therefore mercitul despot placed in
the heart Of Europe with the special
mission to make the best out of a
bad race. Mr.. Froude came her
with the argument that Inerciful
despo,ism is necessity. But, IN
fortunately tor him, in 1915 certain
gentlemen on this continent had dc
clared solemnly that all despotisms,
mercitul or unmerciful were nuisan-
CO, and therefore the American peo-
pie would hayo had to tear that de
claration in pieces before they could
listen to his plea.
But the great defect in Froude's
presentation Of his argument lay low
or still. He is a generous soul, de-
sires to do tho fairest possible thing,
strains every nerve to be just, and to
see an Irishman correctly and fairly.
But he was an Englishman, and he
couldn't do it. [Applause.] He
tried hard to be man, and he could
not succeed. The English race is
constitutlonally incapable OF looking