The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1878-01-06


and the majority Of the House used to make
great fun OF the annual ballot motion and
the ballot was introduced a very few years
after Palmerston's last joke on the subject
Home Rule must follow the example oil
English agitations. 1t must appeal to the
public. 1t must undertake propaganda
movement throughout the country. II
must make itself heard in all the great
towns. 1t must take part in the metropol-
itan elections. Epglishmen must hear of il
] wherever they go. Home Rule members OF
Parliament must address the English pub
! lie from the English popular platform.
| know that this 10 done to some extent
already but it is not done to anything like
the extent, or with anything like the or
ganizatiop, that is necessary. This ought
| to be the work of the Home Rule Party.
The Parliamentary performances are, for
| the present, at least, only the play. By all
means have an annual debate and division.
ie keeps mp appearances, and shows the
country that something ie going on. 1t is
necessary ceremonial in oil such agita-
ton. But bear in mind that for the pre-
sent and for Some time TO come ir is only q
ceremonial. The real business of the Home
Rulers just now is with the master of the
House Of Commensurate is to cay, with the
people.
OF course, in order to do all this, there
must be organization among Home Rule
members ; there must be general agree
mept; there must be an avoidance of super
huous diepntation and suppression of
minor differences. This work of agitation
which would press upon your notice can
not be done by few. 1t will tag all the
energies even of great many workers
Therefore it would need to be taken up
with something like unaaimity, and there
would require to be a certain discipline and
system IN the arranging of it. 1t would
call for much sacrifice of time, and proba-
n Y MOI of To- TA
compromise necessary on all points of less
than vital interest. We have already in
LONDON associations enough to be the cen
tres and starting points of such o move
ment. What is needed is some decided de-
on the part, for instance, of the
approaching conference, that the Home
hule campaign IS for some time to come to
be carried on principally among the English
people. do not offer any opinion az to
the internal Questions in dispute among
Home Rulers, or as to the particular man
ner in which Parliamentary action ought |
TO be directed. 1t ia 80 obvious that any |
action, in or out of Parliament, muet be |
united in order to be effective, that it would !
be waste of words to press such coDsid- |
grafton. l assume that if the Home Rale !
movement Is to go on at all, whatever diff |
ferences of opinion or dissgreements as to |
modes of action may now exist among
Home Rale members will be got over, so
N~
come out of the conference. My wish is to
Ask the conference and the Home Rulers
whether it would not be better to
,hange to some extont the scope of our
operations, and to address ourselves rather
% the task of convincing the English peo-
de than to that of converting the majority
n the House of Commons. The combined
nf1uences which would deny serious
rearing to the arguments for Home Rnle in
he House of Commons are really as hostile
% the interests of the English people as to
hose of the Irish and do not believe it
you'd be difficult TO bring conviction of the
act home to the understandings of the great
mass of the English working class and mid
lie class, and of the intelligent and thonght-
al men, few in number but great in il f1u-
nee, whom may, for lack of a better de-
milton, describe, in a once familiar phrase,
8 philosophical Radicals.
l offer toese suggestions, at all events. as
be result of some consideration, of a GER
ain familiarity with English political
Movements, and Of a very deep interest in
be success of the Home Rule cause.
Faithfully yours,
JUSTIN MCCARTHY.