Morning journal and courier., 1881-01-26
Wednesday Morning, Jan. 26, 1881.
IRISH INDEPENDENCE,

Until Irishmen cease to be Irishmen moth
| ing but the independence of ireland will per-
| manently settle the Irish question. Every
| thing else that is done will be mere patch
work. This being the case it is encouraging
| to learn, as we do from Mr.. Jennings last
letter to the New York World, that the great
question of separation is being talked of in
| England in very different spirit from that
in which it has hitherto been approached.
He says the English people at heart are get
ting sick Of this perpetual turmoil in ireland.
They cannot quite see, after all, what good
ireland is or has ever been to them. In old
times it was cause of bloodshed and strife,
and the Union, as most people have read or
heard, was consummated by fraud and cor
ruption. The English government wanted
Ireland for the English people. England, as
many people are not afraid to contend, could
get on much better without ireland than Ire
land could do without England. Why, then,
it is asked, seek to keep people chained to
us to be perennially wretched' Gas Mr.. Froude
expresses it) when not even the self interest
of England is promoted by that course?
What should prevent England leaving ireland
and her scrambles among peasantry, farmers
and landlords for the soil?
AS Mr.. Jennings points out, there is moth
ing to prevent it but sentiment of national
pride and honor, and this sentiment he be-
ieves is not half as powerful in England as it
was formerly. By one large party it is de-
nounced and ridicu1ed as 'Jingoism." By
another it is condemned as contrary to the
doctrine and principles of universal broth
erhood. This state of affairs is certainly IA
vorable to the growth of the idea of giving
up Ireland. That separation will be the
final outcome of Mr.. Gladstone's policy if he
continues to work on the lines already laid
down Mr.. Jennings considers almost GER
tain, and he argues and predicts as follows
He (Gladstone) has induced the people to make
surrender after surrender, always under a
pledge that the demon of discomfort would be
exercised. With every fresh surrender ag-
tation has broken out afresh and each time in |
a more violent form than ever. The present |
agitation is more formidable than any which |
has been witnessed in this generation, because |
it has more influential and numerous party |
to support it in England; and yet it follows |
upon two very great concessions to Irish |
demands. And SO it will be after the |
new Land act has passed. That act |
give it new spirit and energy. Who can
pretend that reform of the land laws is /
all that is sought for in the face of the out
spoken declarations of Mr.. Parnell, Mr..
Davitt and others, that Irish independence is
The great object they have in view? Any
short of that will be laughed at.
Mr.. Gladstone may refuse to consider the
possibility of Home Rule just now but he
mas adopted precisely the same attitude
ways ended by yielding. If Justice is to
De his watchword, it may easily lead him on
% the goal indicated by Parnell. He has an
elastic mind, and one day he may ask hiEA-
elf what justice there can be in holding Ire
and against her wish? What justice is there
n using force to keep down people !? The
IDENTICAL arguments which were used to in
luce Parliament to disestablish the Church
nd pass the Land act of 1870 would be quite
IS serviceable when the separation of Ireland
vas the question before the people. Mr..
iladstones horizon is always enlarging. He
will perhaps not be ready to accept the en-
ire Irish programme this year or next, but
he should have ten years longer, and the
gitators play their cards we'll, he will be
eady to accede to the utmost demand that
an be made. As matters are going ow do
lot hesitate to say that if I live the period of |
ime stated l fully expect to see Ireland
free and Independent" t"-independent be-
oHd doubt free is a very different mat
er. At any rate, whatever tyranny she may
e writhing under will not be inflicted by
,ngland.
Mr.. Froude, in the new chapter just added
o his book on 1.-THE English in Ireland"
olds that there are but two remedies for
rish discomfort. One is substantially the
method of government, and this
e speedily dismisses from consideration as
npracticable. The other is the independence
f ireland. 'Let ireland be free," he says.
If we will neither rule Ireland nor allow the
rish to rule themselves, nature and fact may
Ill us that whether we will no, exper-
nent which has lasted 700 years shall be
lied no longer" It is, on the whole, aston
hing that the experiment has lasted 50 long.