, 1880-10-03
FROUDE ON IRELAND.

Glasgow North British Mutt7 Sept IT,
An article from the pom Of Mr. James Anthony
Fourde on the subject Of Ireland occupies the
foremost place in interest, well as in position,
in the number Of tue Nineteenth Century for tho
present month. 1t Is characterized by nearly
tho same obvious and undcniable merits, and
distgured by the like absolute defects, which
marked the previous contribution Of that brill
liant writer to the literature Of this subject The
same ample range Of informa ton, the old felici-
II Of phrssc- making. are to be found In every
page, while at least equally conspicuous are the
exaggerated statements and the dognatic ut
terances which mar so much Of what he has
written on the Irish question. Mr, Froude
an M he q fb peoe esp6y Te
years during which they have been attached to.the
English Crown have been with only few brief
6oS naons aad Il Z 10 Ia M
Froude's opinion, is most to blame. II the Irish
people are untitled for freedom it Is the English
been no continuity Of system in dealing with
them. The English have tried every system,
!" Popish. Protestant, tyIann5cal indl!gent,"
efforts has been Il deplorable tiasco. Feudallsm
tried first rs civilfzing force. and ended in
failure. Conoesson, '.the governing Ireland BY
Irish ideas," next had a trial, ana Jared even
worse. Mr. Froudc elaboratcly traces the his
tory OF Ireland from one bad experiment In
men many Thousand years ago came to tho con-
cluston that there was nothing new under the
sun, SO Mr.. Froude, cont1ning his contemplation
Confidence as to the jnstness of bis observa-
hons, says that there is nothing new .in
Irish politics. The present situation Is but
period, Indeed, which does not appear to nl his
mind with the most. npmi1ed disgust is that
when the Ponal laws were in fulf forge and
bered. with tna oppression OF all Dissent, held
ut1d!sputed sway. Ihep, indeed there was an
n aterVfhinp Q1sa n fha 1+Qa Spn.
rifced basked in the sunshine of prosperity.
We pass on from the melancholy review OF
upon the work done during the Inst twelve
years. Here at least surely 1t might Re expected
that he would find something upon which he
sure. Was the instinct Of the country wholly
wrong when It returned the great Liberal leader
70 power with @ strong majority for the express
Mr.. Froude admits that It was impossible for
the Irish clergy to retain their exclusive priv
fusion Of metaphor) that their overthrow
'as the branch Of upas tree" served chiefly to
weaken English authority, which will have to be !
pear to displease Mr. Froude quite SO much His
language in discussing it Is somewhat vague,
and indeed in some sentences he seems almost !
think that the wisest solution Of the difficulty |
must be found In measures going far beyond J
aphns t that Tas shen done Els hoW
arising from the manner in which the thing was |
done more than counterba[anee any good that |
was attributable to its substance; and that Mr. !
Gladstone's alusion to Clerkenwell Prison, and, |
above all, tho one unfortunate metaphor Ut the /
upas tree, had the effect Of simply turning the |
fur the: severest ceusure. however, Is reserved
BY Mr.. Froude for the Compensation for Dis
turbance, bill of this session: It's secret
sotSins 81 1rssad whiis hnisT event s1' M2
unlike Mr.; Forster himself, knew
ErafanH hiEfnrNr 1Hn1A 7sat l
was that in an hour. Of more than
usual fAtuity bill was produced which it pleases
Mr.: Fronde to describe us - bill to suspend the
obligation to pay rent for ut least two seasons,'
It would almost seem As II Mr. fr0ude had never
read the measure, which only proposed under |
;xeepttonal circumstances aaa IN exceptional
clafuls which in ordinary years and under ordi-
nary circumstances he htaiself has admitted to
mt be says, has been told % cabaes and and
~ vote OF the, House Of Commons that |
whether be pays rent or not be has an equitable
old nothing OF the Kind. f.he had. then tie
'ill you'd have proposed tfst every tenant
would be at once, and In all cases, entitled to |
payment OF rent; whereas the Government
,evor proposed to do anything more than to |
sestan In c!ass Sst Of unfortu
7hen to refuse 1t would hata been the grossest
hardship upon them. A9a1n he tells US the |
'remier, with his forty-eignt years. experience
be Lords would reject his bill, and must proba-
'ly have anticipated the extent of the majority.
sion Of almost incredible stolidtty it is simply
TO conceive. It is indeed, almost
marvellous to see how completely unable Mr.
f the few renlly ndmiratlcr efforts Tint have
een made to deal with thed difficult problem Of
rsh uisatIsctton: as essar deserves to be read,
roof Of how absolutely deficient rs politician
really brilliant literary: man may be.