Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-19

ston will be weakened instead of
supported. and the opportunity of the
Tories will be presented. These latter,
under the lead of Lord Beaconsfeld,
have taken the position that it is quite
useless to try to do anything for the Irish
because of their unreasonableness. They
assert that no English Ministry can at
tempt Irish reform without being met with
ademand for repeal of the Union, separate
Parliament, and go forth. They are pre-
dieting now that the only effect OF the
conciliatory policy of the Liberal Govern
ment will be to encourage lawlessness and
anarchy, and that no matter what con-
cessions are made it will be found neces-
sary in the end to suppress an Irish re-
belion. This is the Tory view of the stu
alton, and it should not require to
be pointed out that the Irish lead
ers ought to seek to. discredit it
by proving their possession of that rea-
sonableness which the Tories deny to
them. It is notorious that the Liberals
are friendly to Ireland, and that nothing
would please them better than to solve
the vexatious problems which the politics
of that island abound with. 1t is equally
clear, however, that they can do nothing
unless the Irish leaders go hand finland
with them, and that if the latter misrep-
resent and misinterpret their efforts, by
ascribing them to timidity or fear, 1t will
soon become impossible to proceed. In
fact it is becoming apparent that the Land
Leaguers must either make up their minds
to accept what the English Government
can give them, or to abandon all serious ex-
pectation Of legislative reforms. No doubt
it is very difficult for them to adopt the
first course, and the difficulty arises from
their own tactics. They have, in order to
secure following and maintain the agita-
ton they thought essential, proposed and
suggested steps not only far in advance of
anything the present government can prom
ise them, but far in advance of What any
conceivable English Government would or
could agree to. They may have made
these propositions merely for tenn
porary effect, but in making them
at all they have raised expectations among
their followers which must render any
attempt to stop short of the rhetorical
goal extremely difficult, and not little
dangerous to their own leadership. They
have in fact, made it hard for themselves
to subscribe to any moderate and practi.
cable programme, and therefore it is pos
sible that they may prefer to keep up the
agitation to deriving from it the only solid
good of which it seems capable. Such a
course, however, would not only be en-
barrassing to the Government, but dis
astrous to the cause OF Irish
land reform. 1t would give the
Tories the handle they are seeking; it
would justify their ill-natured prophesies !;
and it would ALLEVIATE the support upon
which in the last recourse Gladstone
must rely for the success of his projects.
1t remains to be seen how the Land
League leaders will bear themselves in the
succeeding scenes of this interesting
drama, but it cannot escape the attention
of the dispassionate observer that if they
fail to secure important reforms with so
many advantages on their side, the re-
sponsibihty will not lie upon Dir. Glad
stones government.