The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-12-16
The Irish Agitation.

If Daniel OConneil nau ever Deen IN
America, his course III Ireland would
have been followed with that kind of in
terest which springs from personal
familiarity with u leader in great public
affairs. The successor of O'Connell as
Irish agitator in chief is undoubtedly
Mr.. Parnell, and him all who wished
saw and heard in this country during his
visit last winter. No two men could be
more different in temperament than the
great repeater and his successor. The
slim, almost spare, figure. serious mien,
and dry manner of Mr.. Parnell are abb
solutely contrasted with the burly form
and jovial. ready witted eloquence of the
shrewd Irishman who liked to play with
fire forty and fifty years ago. Mr.. Par
nell shows plainly his part American
origin. There was quiet gentlemanll-
ness Of impression produced by his pub
lie appearance in this country, but there
was none of the characteristic Irish
geniality. He did not seem like n man
who had ever made Il joke or
taken one--a reformer rather of the
lean Cassius type than of the order of st.
Patrick. Upon the delivery Of his first
speech in New York there was not what
can be called enthusiasm among the au-
dience; at least the impression was that
the feeling of the audience impatiently
sought an occasion in his speech to man.
ifest itself rather than that it was resist
lessly evoked by the speech. He was
cool, measured, prudent, and without
the least trace of pandering to the
passions of his audience. These also pre-
qualities of leader who knows his men
and pursues his own ends.
Within few months the Irish agita-
ton has been again very active, and
enormous demonstrations have taken
place in honor of Mr.. Parnell, while the
murder of a andlord-nobleman and the
tone Of the speeches of Mr.. Parnell and
his associates have aroused very deep
feeling and much apprehension. Mr..
Froude has contributed one of his char
acteristic articles to the literature of the
contest, his remedy of the situation be-
ing firm and incorporating assertion
of British power. His doctrine is that
the islands cannot be severed, and that
humanity, reason, and every interest re
quire that fact to be conceded, and that
the imperial authority be imperially
maintained, justly but inexorably. The
article is vigorous, but no policy which
Mr.. Froude could propose for Ireland
would be acceptable to the Irish.
Looking over the ocean, it seems to be
clear that the real object of the present
agitation is the old object-the practical
independence of the country. Perhaps
Mr.. Parnell would say that he aims at
peaceful revolution. His purpose seems
to be to produce state of feeling which
will cause the Irish tenantry to refuse to
pay rent for land except upon its own
terms. This would be practically recon
fscation by revolution. If the refusal
were really general and national, it
could be met only by arms, and anarchy
would ensue. The terrible famine of
the last year is powerful ally of Mr..
Parnell War and anarchy may be bad,
but are they worse than starvation?
This would DO the unconscious or open
argument of the tenant and the agitator.
This is the situation which confropts the
Gladstone administration. Any govern
ment might be perplexed by the problem
of Ireland. 1t is the result Of prolonged
and ingenious and outrageous misgov-
eminent, and the feeling in England, AZ
shown by the action of the House of
Lords, which holds veto upon igisla-
ton, only increase the difficulty.
From the American point of view the
true policy of the frierds of Ireland
would have been to make Il cordial ALI
ance with Mr.. Gladstones government,
in the confidence that n statesman so abio
and 80 sincere, who had shown himself
to be faithful friend of justice in Ire
land as elsewhere, would do everything
that could be done, if not everything
that Irish agitating ardor might desire.
But to perplex his administration by de-
mants whose concession would involve
the overthrow of the most cherished and
British principles and tradi-
tons seems ut this distance to be the de-
liberate preference of an enemy to
friend. The Irish agitation has a very
simple choice of alternatives, unless it
has decided to invoke war. 1t must
choose between the most liberal of posi-
BILE Liberal governments, which IL that
tration such as the vote in the House Of
Lords indicates. But the nnreason of
the agitation, like the old misgovern-
ment, and the bitter race and religious
prejudice, is one of the chief elements Of
trouble for an administration Of the best
The Irish agitation has evidently de-
cided that Mr.. Gladstone's inheritance
Of trouble is its opportunity. Here in
Thy with the suffering OF any people,
there is also profound faith in the sure
and permanent, even if gradual, remedy
Of law. Although Republic, and with
burning questions to consider, We do