Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-29
IRIs1a INDEPENDENCE.
The Logical Result Of M. Glad
stones successive "AdvauCcs'' Of
1p5niOn.

From, he Resid+B Correspondent Of tse
World
LohpoE. January I3-Wncn Mr.. Gladstone
was returned 10 power last year friend met
him and said, Am TO oondole with you or
congratulate your" "Condoia with me-"
answered the prime minister. Perhaps he dill
lot quite mean what he said them but by this
time scarcely any body would dream OF orertng
him congratulations. The task which has been
partly forced upon him and partly invited by
his own words and deeds, Increases In din ;ulty
every day.. Somehow or other he must pacify
Ireland. He thought he haa done that once
for all when he dist 81 bished the Irish Church.
But that measure from which he expected, so
much is counted as nothing. 10 1870 he under
LOOK 10 redress the grievances relating TO the
Lard. The result OF his healing policy" was that
ireland became more discontented than ever.
Land act Of 1870. The mere an
nouncement OF 80 circumscribed a
scheme has raised . storm about his ears.
radicals, English or irish, wait upon him or
wI1te 10 nim. The pressure brought to bear is
enormous. The provincial newspapers tar better
worth watching In these days than the London
press talk out to him In a style which he cannot
very we'll misunderstand I'VE in the NORTH
says one. did not send Mr.. Gladstone to power
TO DE 'crltbed, cabiLed and confined by either
wings or tories" The question at stake is
represented to be this, Shall the present land
lords be allowed 10 keep the land, or shall 1t be
dlviced up among the tenants7 And the dec
sion is promptly given against the landlords
Begin the W0rS In Ireland, and the easier VIII
IL De to carry 1t On In England. Begin It at once
and the sooner will 1t all be over. Such Is the
feeling OF the radicals and it accounts for their
dissatisfaction with the comparatively noder-
ate scheme foreshadowed In Mr.. Gladstones
speech the llrst night OF the session. The stone
having been rolled long way up the hill the
premier is disposed 10 let IL roll down again
VIII he De permitted to do this? Nothing can
oe more unlikely. The radical party which
SENT MIN 10 power as the northern news
paper boldly and truly says, are not to be tri-
fed with. They know their strength and
understand how to use it. They Will not be
driven into the outer darkness of opposition
again II by any means; fair or foul, they can
prevent 1t. Even since telegraphed to you on
saturday last as careful an outline of the state
OF affairs as could possibly put together. after
weeks well directed inquiries there has been
great change. The pressure On Mr.. Gladstone
has grown stronger while Mr.. Gladstone has
groWn weaker. In these early days of hts ad-
ministration be does not dare TO quarrel with
any section OF the radical party. Undoubtedly
he will yield on the Irish question Ii the radical
newspapers and electioneering committees fol-
low MIN up closely. The land bill as finally
passed by the house may be a measure bearing
no resemblance whatever to the measure OF
which We find rough sketch Ia the Queens
speech and Mr. Gladstone's opening address.
wish, however, to place before your readers
az the issues which are being opened up IN con-
nection with the Irish difficulty. and therefore
] must tell them plainly that the great ques-
ton OF separation itself is being talked OF In a
very different spirit from that IN which it has
hitherto been approached. observe the line
taken by MT Froude In the new chapter lust
added TO his book on the English in Ireland
he holds that there are but Two remedies for
Irish discomfort. One is substantially the
CromWellian method OF government, and this
he speedily diSmlsses from consideration as i'm
practicable. The other is the Independence of
ireland. LET Ireland be free, - he says. III we
will neither rule Ireland nor allow the Irish 10
rule themselves, nature and fact may tell US
that. whether we will or no, an experiment
which has lasted for $50 years shall be
t1led no longer 1t Is not only Mr.. FrOude
whose thoughts are taking This direction. The
English people at heart are getting sick of this
perpetual turmoil In Ireland. They cannot quite
see after ALL what good Ireland Is or has ever
been TO them Ia Old times it was a cause of
bloodshed and strife, and the union as most
people here read or heard, was consummated
by fraud and corruption. The English govern
ment wanted Ireland not the English people
Engiand, as many people are moi afraid 10 con.
tend, IN conversation at least. IL not In the
pubic press, could get on much better without
Ireland than Ireland could do without England
Why then, seek TO keep people "cnained to
us 10 be perennially Wretched" las Nh Froude
expresses ft) when not even the seitfnterest OF
England Is promoted by that course? What
should prevent England leaving Ireland 70 her
own devices-to her feuds OF factions, and her
scrambles among peasantry, farmers and land
lords for the soil?
There is nothing to prevent 1t but a senti-
cording to my strong belief, this sentiment Is
net Ealf SO powerful ia England as it was for
merry. BY one large party IL Is denounced and
rtdiculed as 'JDgolsfl." BY another it Is con-
demned as contrary to the doctrine and prtne,-
pies OF universal brotherhood. Patriotism.
LOT lhe moment at any rate-and a journalist
can only speak OF the moment-is a decltnng,
not 10 Say Il dlscredHcd force In this country
Fanillai1ze The pubic VITA the idea Of giving
up ireland, and verify believe there would sool
De very little difficulty about arranging the total
severance or the Two countries. \ dozen
speeches from Mr.. Gladstone advocating Ihe
measure and proving Its absolute advantages
TO EN- England Would DO nearly all that was tie
Is growing feeling IN the country in favor
OF letting Ireland 60 her Way-.erfing sister.
90 10 peace.aif only we could then be sure hat
tne sisaer VIII nor come knocking at the door
wards, prophets may predict anything they
please, according 10 the bent OF their incIina-
uols. Ibat land would change hands pretty
sent liked value. is very likely But that |
would concern the Irish. Famine would un- |
quesuonabiy occur, for short crops are not the |
consequence or English rule. At such periods |
the pe ople would perhaps see that England was
not the sole cause OF their slifIerings The
scaIdal and disgrace. however would be re-
many people think 1t would be good to place |
ourselves In this position and give NO what |,
cannot be held without shame and reproach. |
and what perhaps, has already been held 100 |
long.
That this Will be the r1nai outcome of Mr.. |
6laustones Irish policy Is almost certain ii he |
CoutlLueS 10 WCrk on the lines already laid |
uoWn. lie has Induced the English people to |
make surrender after surrender, always under |
a pie0ge that the demon OF discomfort would be /!
exercised. With every fresh surrender agitation |
mas broken Out aTresh and each time 10 a more |
violent form than ever. The present agitation
is more formidable than any which has been
witnessed In this generation, because IT has q |
more influential and numerous party to sup
Pol IL IN England; and yet 1J follows upon two !
very great concessions to Irish demands And |
SO IL wiz oe alter the new land act has passed
Ihat act VIII not silence agitation, but simply !
give 1t new spirit and energy. Who can rrs-
tend that reform OF the land laws is All int
Is sought for IN the face OF the outsnoEen
declarations OF Mi. Parneil, Mr. Dagitt aud
DINERS, mat irish independence Is the one great
ob)ect which they have In view? Any CON
cesslcns short OF hat will De laughed at, Mir.
Glaostcne may refuse 10 consider the po5sbtl- |
lty OF Home Ruie'' Just now; but he has adop-
tea precisely the same attitude towards many
yielding. Ii Justice" Is 10 be his watchword.
1t may easily lead him into the goal Indicated
by Mr. Parneii. lie has an elastic mind, and
one day he may ask himself what Justice there
can be In holding Ireland against her wish?
What justice is there In using force TO kean
dcWn people? The Identical arguments
which We're used to induce Parliament to cts-
establish the church and pass the Land act OF
teio would De quite as serViceable when the
separation CT Ireland was the question before
the people. MIR. Gladstone's horizon is ALWAYS
ehlarging. He Will perhaps not be ready to
accept the entire Irish program this year or
IeXt but II he should have ten years LONGER
ana the agltators play their cards well. he will