The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-09-06
VOLUME VII.
Mernlng Star and Catholic Messenger.
1sw oRLEANs. SUNDAY. SEPT EMBER 6. 1874.
(From Our Own Correspond ent.]
OUR IRISH LETTERS.
DUBLIN, August IL, 1874.

DUBLIN, August IL, 1874.
The fret session of the ninth Parliament of
Victoria has come to an end, and with it the
first campaign of the Home Rule party. After
the Coercion Debates, but few days parlia-
mentary work remained. OF this work o good
deal, as usual, was cut out for the Government
and the House of Commons by the Irish mem
bers. They raised q debate on the proposed
reforms in Trinity College, and strove Gin vain)
to get those pretended reforms postponed. A
few other things of like kind they did also,
and then came the Queens speech sending
them to their homes. ALI the Home Rule d. Ps
are, therefore, now at home, and moro than
one of them are announced to address their
constituents at no distant date on the manner
in which they have discharged their trust
Some of them have been already asked to de-
liver such an address. The members for Cavan
-Messrs. Fay and Bggar-have been invited
to a banquet for the purpose by their oonstitu-
euts. ALI those gentlemen will have better
account to give of themselves than their prede-
cesBors. There never was an Irish party in the
House of Commons before. There never was
before body of members truly representing
Ireland in that Assembly. Irish members in
previous Parliaments were simply Wings or
Tories, and acted as such, following without
question their British leaders, and never doing
anything to embarrass those leaders. During
the past session the Irish Liberal members, or
Home Rulers, have conducted themselves as an
Irish party and followed an Irish leader and
really believe from the first day of the ses-
sion to the last, there will not be found day
on which one or more of the party did not
bring forward one moro Irish Questions, IN
one shape or another. And they have certainly
acted up TO the spirit of their pledge ut the
Dublin City Hall Conference-to act together
and unitedly. This course of conduct has al
most redeemed the character of the Irish repre-
sentaiion, which had sunk to a depth of degra-
dation in tie eyes of a rarely witnessed in
public or private The Home Rnle party was,
in fact, in the last session the only real oppo
sitien the Government had to face, and its per-
severance and assiduity certainly brought the
Government to it's knees several times, not
withdrawing the greatgovernmental majority.
They also gained one or two very trifling con- |
cessious for Ireland, and probably prevented |
some tyrannical and retrogade legislation from
being proposed. But beyond this even the !
Home Rule party could achieve nothing, and
am afraid they will be able to achieve nothing |
else. 1t will probably be necessary, if not ex-
pedient, to pursue for two or three sessions
more similar line of conduct to that adopted
this year; but at last something else will have
to be done. "A regular, systematic attempt to
obstruct and, if possible, to prevent all legis-
lation in the House of Commons will have to
be made, and some are of opinion that even
after this has been done, we must fight for
Home Rule. do not yet share that opinion
myself. 1 am not at all sure that system
atised obstructive warfare will not prove sue
cessful for the attainment of Home Rule.
But am sure that the present Home Rule
members are not the men for that warfare.
They are an immense Improvement on their
predecessors, but the great bulk have to be
5rireS on to their work, and only for the pres
once amongst them of three or four men like
Messrs. Sullivan and Mitchell Henry, would
lag very much behind. 1t will be very we'll ie
they continue as they have begun, until a
fresh general election makes the party better.
is it lie, however, it must be said the Home
Rule members have fairly fulfilled their pledges
md will have no mean account to give of their ,
stewardship.
As for the electors of Ireland, they are not
likely to let the national question sleep. There /
3 every sign that this autumn and winter will
witness brisk Home Rule agitation. During I
he parliamentary session just brought to a I
lose, very little could be done to further the I
aHse In Ireland, because attention was con- {
entrated on the proceedings Of the Home /
snlers in the House of Commons, and because i
be leading spirits Of The movement, and, J
onseaneatlys the headquarters Of the move 8