Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-23
Wants to Dismember the Empire. /"

Our respected contemporary, the Lon
don Sunday Times, has afforded meaty
items heretofore, and now it comes with
another which is almost equivalent, as
meaty item, to good quarter of roast
beef. We are not content to simply al
lude in this instance, but we unhesitat-
ingly quote the utterance in its entirety:
Talking of Mr.. Parnell, we are re-
minded also of his guide, philosopher
and friend, Major Nolan, whose position
is assuredly somewhat anomalous, and
unpleasantly suggestive of a divided
allegiance. The facts would fit into the
tiniest of nut shells The Major is an
officer on full pay of the British army;
he is also member of Parliament, and
acts as whip to the Irish faction of
which Mr.. Parnell is the head and front.
Now, this Mr.. Parnell has boldly given
the world to understand that he has
taken off his coat to the task in which
he is now engaged-to-wit, the working
of the Land League, and that his reason
for thus singularly denuding himself in
weather so inclement Is simply that he
has in view an ulterior object, to which
he believes that the Land League will be
instrumental, namely, the separation of
Ireland from Englandl In a word, he
wants to dismember the Empire. The
avowal has ST least the merit of candor.
And Major Nolan is the whip of the
Parliamentary party that is led by this
man. Can it be possible that the mili-
tary authorities are ignorant of this fact,
or that they have omitted to take
into account its fragrant incon-
sistency? Suppose the Major were
to be sent on professional
duty into Ireland-as many other officers
have already been sent-and ordered to
take part in suppressing the reasonable
practices of the Land Leaguers, what
would he do2 To whom would he deem
his allegiance to be due-to Her Majesty
or to Mr.. Parnell, who has taken OF his
coat, as aforesaid? These are questions
that deserve the serious consideration of
Major Nolan, and of the Horse Guards
as we'll"
In word, he wants to dismember
the Empire This seems to be regarded
by our respected contemporary as some
thing in the nature of q prodigious dis
covery. But our readers viii not be
able to remember time when the aver
age Irishman did not cherish a fervert
hope that the Empire might be dismens
bered to the extent, at least, of giving
! Ireland form of self government which
England stubbornly and sullenly refuses
to concede. The solemn announcement.
as piece of news, of fact which has
been a matter of history since the con-
quest of Ireland is one Of the inimitable
phases of British stateemanship and
English journalism.
Still, late as it is, the announcement
may be productive of good results. John
Bull, having at last wrinkled his naughty
stomach in profound .obeisance to a fact
which has been pricking his paunch for
more than century, may at last be con.
strained to respect the fact and conform
to it, at least sufficiently to tide over the
present emergency and enable him to
take wind and prepare for the
inevitable blow-which may upset
him completely. j. B. can not much
longer pacify Ireland with gunpowder.
He must even make haste with his lib
eral measures or he viii not pacify Ire
land at all. Having. at last, discovered
that the Irish would rather .'dismember
the Empire" than continue In condi-
tion of hopeless poverty and servitude
he may conclude that liberal and Just
policy is indispensable. But the chances
are chat when he does so conclude it
win be eternally too late.